Huntington applauds QTEL apprenticeship work, cites gains for multilingual learners
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Summary
District leaders and WestEd QTEL affiliates celebrated a multi‑year apprenticeship model aimed at strengthening instruction for the district's roughly 830 multilingual learners; presenters said the program built coaching capacity and local trainer expertise and has fostered cross‑department collaboration.
The Huntington Union Free School District recognized teachers who completed or led a QTEL (Quality Teaching for English Learners) apprenticeship program and highlighted the initiative's impact on instruction for multilingual learners.
Presenters described the multi‑phase apprenticeship — learning, observing, co‑teaching with a coach, then leading — as a long‑term strategy to build sustainable expertise in district classrooms rather than a one‑time training. A presentation slide cited about 830 multilingual learners in the district who speak more than 18 languages, with an estimated 98% of that group speaking Spanish; speakers said that demographic profile shaped the district's approach.
WestEd QTEL leaders participating remotely praised the district apprentices and the depth of the partnership; Pia Castilleja (WestEd QTEL lead) and colleagues credited local trainers and apprentices for building capacity to deliver sustained professional development. District leaders presented certificates to a cohort of apprentices and said those staff will continue as in‑district trainers to expand the model.
What happens next: the apprenticeship cohort will function as trainers, and administrators said they will continue to embed language development supports across content areas.
