Maria Oliveira-Friedland is the Senior Director of Social Studies Curriculum and Instruction for Multilingual and English Learners (MLs/ELLs). In this capacity, Maria works closely with central offices, Field Support Centers, school superintendents, and educators of MLs/ELLs to design, plan and deliver professional learning opportunities and resources that address the needs of K-12 emergent bilinguals to access the language and content of social studies. Maria Oliveira-Friedland has also served DML as a Director of Middle School Literacy and Language Development and as a Senior ELL Instructional Specialist, designing instructional resources for middle school and secondary education. Maria has a master’s degree in School Leadership, Administration and Policy from Fordham University and a master’s degree in TESOL K-12 from Hunter College of the City University of New York. With over 20 years of experience as an educator in New York City and abroad, Maria’s educational leadership and teaching practice have always been directly connected to serving Multilingual and English Language Learners and immigrant families.