Education Associate for Multilingual Learners
Delaware Department of Education

Maria Rodriguez is the Education Associate for Multilingual Learners with the Delaware Department of Education. As the child of two first generation Puerto Rican parents,  Maria realized the often-unrecognized benefits of bilingualism and the rich assets that multilingual learners bring to the community and our schools. Over the course of the last20 years, she has dedicated her career to working with Multilingual learners, starting her career as an elementary teacher in the bilingual program and then as a multilingual learner teacher. In 2015, Maria joined the Department of Education, where she developed professional learning opportunities, and provided support to districts/charters across the state to implement best practices for multilingual learners. Maria has led the development and implementation of Delaware’s Multilingual Learner Strategic Plans and collaboratively created the Delaware Design for High-Quality Multilingual Learner Education. Maria is committed to designing and implementing policies that are aligned with the most recent research for students who have the benefit of speaking multiple languages. Outside of her role at the Department of Education, Maria serves her community as the second vice chair for Westside Family Healthcare Board of Directors and as a board member on Senator Blunt-Rochester’s Service Academy Selection Board.