MLRC School Network Advisory Board
The School Network Advisory Board is comprised of six experts within the fields of international schools, multilingual education, and research. The role of these experts is to provide guidance and strategic advice by participating in collaborative problem-solving to assist the School Network in achieving our mission to advance outcomes for multilingual learners through innovative and socially just research and research-practice partnerships.
Fatima Djalaova
Research Fellow, MIT Blueprint Labs
Fatima Djalalova is a pre-doctoral researcher at MIT Blueprint Labs, where she supports K-12 education research projects. She holds a BA in economics and mathematics from Wellesley College.
Fatima’s interest in multilingual education stems from her international educational background at Tashkent International School, where she delivered a TED talk titled “What if English was the only language?”. Fatima presented this talk at the European Council of International Schools (ECIS) Multilingual and Intercultural Education (MLIE) conference in Spring 2019.
Ceci Gomez-Galvez
EAL Coordinator, Saigon South International School
Ceci is a dedicated collaborator, coach, and advocate committed to empowering educators to create equitable and inclusive learning opportunities for multilingual learners. Born and raised in Guatemala City, Ceci grew up in a bilingual household where languages were equally cherished, a value deeply instilled by her family. Drawing inspiration from her upbringing and extensive experience in international schools, Ceci now leads educators in designing programs that prioritize culturally responsive teaching and ensure equitable access for all learners. Passionate about fostering meaningful change in education, Ceci combines expertise with empathy to champion practices that celebrate linguistic and cultural diversity.
Connect with Ceci through her professional portfolio at cecigomezgalvez.com.
Paul Goren
Director, Center for Education Efficacy, Excellence, and Equity (E4), Northwestern University
Paul Goren has spent his career in positions at the intersection of education practice, policy, and research. He currently serves as Director of the Center for Education Efficacy, Excellence and Equity (E4 Center), and Lecturer at the Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy. Between 2014-2019, he was Superintendent of Schools for the Evanston/Skokie (IL) School District 65. Prior to joining District 65, Goren was the Senior Vice President for Program at the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) in Chicago. Previously he served as the Interim Chief for Strategy and Accountability for Chicago Public Schools while working as Executive Director of the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research. A former middle school social studies and math teacher and basketball coach, Goren worked on the senior administrative teams of the Minneapolis Public Schools and the San Diego Unified School District. He served for over a decade as Senior Vice president of the Spencer Foundation and as a Program Director for Child and Youth Development at the MacArthur Foundation. He also worked in the education policy studies group at the National Governors’ Association as Senior Policy Analyst, as Deputy Director, and then as Director. He held the Ian Axford Fellowship for Public Policy through New Zealand Fulbright serving for seven months in the NZ Ministry of Education to study policies impacting Maori children.
Andrew Hancock
Director, International School of Stuttgart
Andy Hancock is an experienced international school leader with over 28 years in education, including senior leadership roles across Asia and Europe. His previous work as Director of Education for a network of 12 schools across five countries supported the learning of more than 17,000 students, with a strong focus on building inclusive, high impact programs for multilingual learners. While at Stamford in Singapore, Andy helped design and implement systems that empowered students from all language backgrounds to thrive. These efforts became a model for similar programs across a wider network of schools in Asia. Originally from Canada, Andy has dedicated his career to creating school cultures that inspire, challenge and support every learner. He now serves as Director at the International School of Stuttgart, where he continues to champion high standards, equity and student voice in international education.
Madeleine Maceda Heide
Senior Consultant, International Schools Practice, Carney Sandoe & Associates
Madeleine Maceda Heide grew up in a biracial, multilingual family in the Philippines. She held leadership positions in international schools around the world: Head of School at Asociación Escuelas Lincoln (Buenos Aires) and Academia Cotopaxi (Quito); Assistant Superintendent at the American School of Bombay; Principalships at Hong Kong International School and the International School of Brussels. She was Board President of AMISA, Board Member for AAIE, and member of the NESA Professional Development Council. She was the Educational Coordinator for a large Head Start program in Indiana, taught university courses for Indiana and Boston Universities, and trained teachers at the Principals’ Training Center. Madeleine earned a Masters in Early Childhood Education and an Ed.S in Language and Literacy from Indiana University. Now as a modern elder and independent consultant, Madeleine is invested in energizing communities toward meaningful change, developing resilient leaders, and building healthy learning organizations.
Debra Williams-Gualandi
International Teacher Education University Consortium Lead, NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences
Debra Williams-Gualandi has worked in the field of international education for over three decades. For many years, she taught IBDP language and literature and TOK in international schools in France and Italy, while running training workshops for in-service teachers globally. Before earning a doctorate in international education from the University of Bath and moving to the Netherlands, she served as Director of the International School of Florence. She currently heads and teaches on the Master’s of International Teacher Education at NHLStenden University, with a focus on multilingual educational spaces, contemporary issues in international education and supporting students’ practitioner research. Her own research focuses on global citizenship and multilingual pre-service and mid-career teacher education. She is also interested in dialogic teaching strategies and the evolving definitions of global citizenship in national, European and international learning contexts. Debra also holds degrees from Columbia University, Paris IV – ‘La Sorbonne’ and L’Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales.
