Casey is currently employed with the Tri-Valley School District in Crooks, SD working as the district’s ELL Coordinator as well as teaching elementary level EL students. She has lived in the Sioux Falls area for her entire life and has been teaching in the area for the last 14 years.
Her education experience includes teaching third grade at Lowell Elementary in Sioux Falls, upper elementary at the Elementary Immersion Center in Sioux Falls, and currently kindergarten through fourth grade EL for the Tri-Valley School District.
Casey’s credentials include a BA in Elementary Education from the University of Sioux Falls as well as her Master’s Degree from Southwest Minnesota State with an emphasis in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL).
Stephanie is starting her 16th year as an EL teacher in the Brookings School District in Brookings, SD. In 2008, she started her teaching career as a K-5 EL teacher and traveled between schools for 14 years while primarily teaching at Hillcrest Elementary and Camelot Intermediate. As of last year, Stephanie works full-time with 4th and 5th grade EL students at Camelot Intermediate.
Jenna Polley is the Multilingual Learner (ML) Facilitator in Fargo Public Schools. This is her 2nd year in the role, and she’s thankful to work with amazing ML teachers! She started her career in the Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton school district in MN where she was the ML teacher for 7 years. She earned her Master of Arts in Teaching English as a Second Language from Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM). She also holds two bachelor’s degrees in Spanish Education and Teaching English as a Second Language from MSUM. In her free time, she enjoys anything outdoors and playing board games with family and friends. She is an avid hiker and has dipped her toes in the Colorado River at the bottom of the Grand Canyon twice! Her favorite board games are Boggle and Scattergories, but any word game will do!
Lisa Symens is the current English Learner Department Coordinator for Bismarck Public Schools. Lisa has a master’s degree in teaching English Learners from Valley City State University, and attended Northern State University and Concordia College. She has over 27 years of experience teaching K-8, Title Reading, and English Learners in both Class B and Class A schools before becoming a part of the Learning Design and Innovation team and then the District EL Coordinator at Bismarck Public Schools. She currently serves on the state ESSA Committee and ND English Learner Program Advisory Committee. She is passionate about celebrating the brilliance of multilingual learners, with a particular focus on promoting equitable access to high-quality education for all students. Through her leadership, she has helped implement innovative strategies for language development, fostering strong partnerships between schools and families, and advocated for policies that support diverse learners.
Mari Rasmussen has a Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning from the University of North Dakota. She is licensed at both elementary and secondary levels and has an English Learner endorsement. She has taught English Learners in the United States and in Turkey. She has also taught in higher education, worked with English Learners and multicultural education at the national and state level. Currently, Mari works part-time for Valley City State University in the Education Department and part-time for Standing Rock Community School as an English Learner teacher.
Bobbie Kilber is in her third year working as an Instructional Specialist with the SD Statewide Title III and Migrant Consortia. Bobbie supports approximately 25 of the member districts. She provides professional development and technical support to schools with English Learners and/or migrant students. Throughout Bobbie’s 22 years working in education, she has gained experience working with multiple grade levels and has worked directly with English Learners for several years. She has been an instructor for Preschool, Reading Recovery, Title I, Grades 1 and 2 combined, Grades 4-8 at a Hutterite Colony school, Middle School Social Studies/Advanced Reading, and she has served as an ESL Interventionist. In addition, Bobbie has two years of experience as Principal for three Hutterite Colony Schools. She has a BS in Early Childhood Education from South Dakota State University, Elementary/Middle School Certification from Black Hills State University, Reading Recovery certification from the University of South Dakota, a Master’s in Leadership and Administration in Education from Northern State University, and an ENL Endorsement through Dakota Wesleyan University.
Jenn started her teaching career subbing for the Sioux Falls school district and area schools while her children were in school. She then became a grade level tutor for Harrisburg school district for five years. She moved north and became the first ELL Coordinator and Grades 5-12 EL teacher for the Flandreau school district. She has been the ELL Coordinator and EL teacher since May 2018. In her spare time, she likes to spend time with her kids, who are both in college, her family and friends. She also likes to keep busy with projects for her new house she bought in August 2023.
Kristina Starr is a teacher for the Mitchell School District in her tenth year teaching K-8 at Rockport Colony. Before teaching in Mitchell, she taught three years with the Freeman School District and one year at Lake View Colony in the Lake Andes School District. She and her husband, Mike, live near Mitchell with their four children. She enjoys spending time outdoors with her family.
Heather May is currently employed at the Bismarck Adult Learning Center, working with intermediate level EL students. During her time in North Dakota, she has been an EL Coach and ELA teacher at Fort Yates Public Middle School and an EL and GED teacher at the North Dakota State Penitentiary.
Kindra currently works at Dakota State University, teaching various courses in the English as a New Language Minor, as well as a course in Assessment, Foundations of American Education, and Human Relations. She is in her eighth year as an instructor. Her educational experience includes teaching 5th grade and K-5 English Language Learners at Terry Redlin Elementary in Sioux Falls. She also taught 4-8 Special Education during the summers. Kindra’s educational background includes a BA in Elementary and Special Education from Dakota State University, an ENL Minor from Augustana, and a master’s degree in reading from the University of Sioux Falls. She is currently finishing an Ed.D. in Adult and Higher Education, with an emphasis on assessment, at the University of South Dakota.