About

We Believe Every Voice Should Be Heard

META—Multilingual Educators Transforming Achievement—was born from a simple yet powerful belief: language is not a barrier; it’s a bridge. Founded by educators and advocates in California’s Central Valley, META exists to uplift multilingual learners by empowering the people who teach and support them.

Through professional learning, student scholarships, and collaborative partnerships, we work to ensure that every classroom is inclusive, every voice is valued, and every student’s linguistic and cultural identity is honored.

Questions? Contact Us

Vision

A future where every school creates a language friendly earning environment that affirms and embraces linguistic and cultural diversity as a powerful strength and national resource and every student, regardless of background, has the support they need to thrive in a multilingual world.

Mission

To equip and inspire educators to create affirming, language-friendly learning environments. To unlock the potential of multilingual and multicultural students with scholarship opportunities.

Meet Our Team

META is led by a passionate, all-volunteer executive team of educators and advocates who are deeply committed to supporting language-diverse students across the Central Valley. Each member brings experience, dedication, and a shared belief in the power of multilingualism to transform student achievement. Together, we collaborate with schools, community partners, and families to create affirming, equitable learning environments where every student thrives.

FRANCISCA S. SÁNCHEZ

President

Duarte M. Silva

Vice-President

Delfina Morris

Treasurer

Liliana Sánchez

Secretary

Dr. Mahbuba Hammad

At-Large

Catherine halversen

At-Large

Upcoming Conference

META 2026

February 20-21, 2026

Possibility, Potential, & Promise for Language Learners

Stanislaus County Office of Education
1100 H Street, Modesto, CA 95354

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Hello, my name is Francisca S. Sánchez and I am proud to serve as META president. As a former Emergent Multilingual Learner, I’ve experienced many of the same challenges our students face today. That background has shaped my deep commitment to supporting our most vulnerable learners. Alongside my colleagues at META, I’m dedicated to empowering educators like you. META focuses on delivering high-quality professional learning and awarding scholarships to high school and college students pursuing multilingualism. In early 2025, META was honored as a Language Friendly Schools Ambassador.

Currently, I serve as CEO of Provocative Practice, an education consultancy specializing in equity-focused strategic planning and community engagement. I previously retired from my position as Associate Superintendent for Educational Services at Hayward Unified School District. Throughout my career, I’ve held leadership, administrative, and teaching roles at the district, county, regional, and state levels, including Chief Academic Officer for San Francisco Unified and Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction at the San Bernardino County Office of Education. I also served two terms as CABE president and currently sit on the boards of CONTRA-TIEMPO (activist dance theatre), Scaling Student Success, and the East Side Education Foundation.

Lately, I’ve returned to my love of poetry and the arts. In January 2025, I and Dr. Mahbuba Hammad co-published America: Claiming Our Past, Creating Redemption, a poetic history of America exploring injustice and offering hope. My first poetry collection, Songs of a Captive Heart, was released in March 2025, and I’m currently working on three more volumes.


Greetings, my name is Duarte M. Silva and I currently serve in the position of vice-president for Multilingual Educators Transforming Achievement (META). Having entered California’s public school system as both an immigrant and non-English speaker, I closely identify with the struggles that our recent immigrants and emergent English learners face as they enter a school system that continues to be inadequately prepared to provide a coherent learning experience for these students. To this end, I have devoted a major portion of my professional life to strengthening the practice of educators to more effectively address the educational needs of our immigrant and culturally diverse student population.

Having recently retired from my most recent position of  Executive Director of the California World Language Project based in the Stanford University Graduate School of Education, I continue to serve the profession in numerous ways including serving on several editorial boards, task forces and committees all with a focus on either educational research, curriculum development and assessment practices that provide for culturally responsible learning experiences and empower students to become the multilingual and multicultural citizens and leaders that our diverse society needs to thrive and lead  in the 21st century.

More recently, I am contributing my professional expertise to two national networks that have as their primary missions the goal of providing language and cultural learning opportunities for all learners beyond the walls of a classroom.  One of these organizations provides scholarships for over 1000 underrepresented students to study or carryout community service projects abroad that have a global impact on underserved communities, and the other focuses on providing students with the opportunity to learn any language and culture that they wish to acquire even when the schools that they attend do not offer a formal program on that specific language and culture.


Hello, my name is Delfina Morris and I am proud to serve as Treasurer with META. As a former bilingual student, I understand and have experienced the same challenges many of our students face today—and the critical importance of lifting their voices.

In my current role as Treasurer, I focus on supporting META’s mission and helping to ensure our work is both impactful and sustainable. Previously, I served as a Program Manager at Santa Clara County and have held leadership, administrative, and coaching positions throughout my career.

I also served three terms as SEIU Vice President, where I worked to negotiate contracts that secured higher wages, better benefits, and improved working conditions for union members.

Outside of my professional work, I love traveling—both internationally and across the U.S.—and I’m a passionate advocate for animals.


Welcome to our META website. I am Liliana Sánchez, META Secretary, and as a multilingual learner, I see my role within our organization as one of representing the student voice perspective. Currently, I am a student at UC Santa Barbara. I am proud to say that I attended a K-8 dual language program in Patterson, CA, and as a high school student, I continued my language studies by participating in AP Spanish classes and was able to earn the California Seal of Biliteracy.

As a middle and high school student, I also participated in summer Arabic programs and studied at Jordan’s King’s Academy during my sophomore year in high school. A dedicated advocate for multilingualism and the arts, I have testified before the Senate in support of these two critical areas. As a college student, I plan to continue my language studies and to pursue my interests in music and social justice.

Professionally, I have co-facilitated strategic planning convenings for several school districts and organizations. I have been a presenter and keynote speaker at multiple educational conferences, and I have been invited to co-author a chapter in an upcoming book on language policy and practice, to be published by Multilingual Matters.


Hello, my name is Dr. Mahbuba Hammad, and I am passionate about empowering educators and fostering cross-cultural understanding. I serve as an instructor and director of various projects and international initiatives across public education and nonprofit sectors.

Proud of my Latino and Arab roots, I speak Arabic, English, French, and Spanish fluently. Over the years, I’ve dedicated myself to teaching Arabic and leading teacher training programs. I currently prepare future educators to foster global competence and cultural awareness. My classes weave in contemporary issues—healthcare, the environment, human rights, media, and film—to promote critical thinking and deeper cultural understanding. Recognizing the importance of multilingualism, my work strongly aligns with META’s mission to support multilingual learners and deliver high-quality professional learning. In early 2025, META was named a Language Friendly Schools Ambassador, a reflection of values I deeply share.

In January 2025, I co-authored America: Claiming Our Past, Creating Redemption with Francisca S. Sánchez—a poetic history of America that addresses injustice and offers hope. In 2019, the International Literacy Association recognized me as one of 30 global literacy leaders shaping positive change. That same year, I was honored by Assembly member Eloise Gómez Reyes for innovation and service in California’s 47th district. In 2021, I was named one of Arab America Foundation’s 40 Under 40 rising Arab American leaders.

Outside of work, I love exploring different cultures through food. Trying cuisine from around the world is one of my favorite adventures!


Catherine Halversen is an At-Large Board Member for META – Multilingual Educators Transforming Achievement, the Stanislaus County chapter of the California Association for Bilingual Education. She is also Emerita Senior Program Director at the Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley, where she developed professional learning programs and instructional materials for K–12 educators and STEM faculty.

Catherine has authored resources that strengthen data literacy and deepen student understanding of climate change and the ocean. Throughout her career, she has focused on advancing the education of language minority students, a commitment she continues through her work with META.