Board Members!

With a background as an attorney, Jen Carson joined the field of education mid-career, teaching world languages at all levels K-12 from Spanish FLES to I.B. French. Since 2010, Jen has taught in the Old Dominion University Career Switcher Program, where she got her start in education, teaching a variety of courses including School Law, World Language Methodologies, Assessment, and Culturally Responsive Practices. In her current role as K-12 Account Executive & Learning Specialist for Language Testing International (LTI), Jen brings virtual exchanges and cross-cultural collaboration to learners in the U.S. and overseas through Level Up Village. Prior to joining LTI in 2022, Jen worked for world language publishing market leaders Wayside Publishing and Vista Higher Learning, following eight years as Coordinator of K-12 World Languages for Virginia Beach City Public Schools. In that role, she was responsible for developing curriculum and performance-based common assessments, facilitating professional development, and supervising instruction for 185 world language teachers in nine languages. Additionally, she directed a Spanish Partial Immersion Program at three elementary schools and one middle school and a grant-funded Summer Russian and Mandarin Chinese STARTALK Academy for elementary school students.

Inducted as a Chevalier in the French Order of the Academic Palms in 2018 for her distinguished contribution to French language and cultural education, Jen continues to serve the world language community as the Teacher Education & Professional Development Chair of the Foreign Language Association of Virginia (FLAVA) and a Member of the Board of Directors for the Southern Conference on Language Teaching (SCOLT). She is a former President of the National Association of District Supervisors of Foreign Languages (NADSFL) and two-time President of the Virginia Organization of World Language Supervisors (VOWLS). Jen co-authored the 2015 pioneering guide to world language supervision, the Principles of Effective World Language Programs, and is an active board member of Global Virginia, a grassroots movement to develop globally competent citizens. Jen regularly shares her expertise in second language acquisition, virtual instruction, interculturality and global competence, performance-based assessments, and proficiency-based grading at state, regional, and national conferences.

Linda Lee Santiago serves Pinellas County Schools as a World Languages teacher at St. Petersburg High School in St. Petersburg, Florida. She teaches Spanish 2 thru Advanced Placement Literature as well as the IB Diploma program. At St Petersburg High School, Linda currently serves as Sponsor of the Student Government Association and Spanish State Competition team. Outside of her classroom, Linda is part of the advisory board, the curriculum writing team and the book adoption committee for the county’s Supervisor of World Languages. She has facilitated workshops for the betterment of her colleagues in her county, at the Florida Foreign Language Association, the Southern Conference of Language Teachers, the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language, the College Board, and the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese conferences. She has served her county and state colleagues as both the president of the World Languages Teachers Association (WLTA) in Pinellas County and the Executive director and Region 8 director of the Florida Foreign Language Association (FFLA). She was the president of the Florida chapter of AATSP and the registrar for the Florida State Spanish Competition. Currently, she is a member of the SCOLT Board in the program and social media committee.

Linda’s career is characterized by her desire to serve. She enjoys sharing her love of learning with both her students and colleagues on a path of constant improvement. For recreation, she likes to read and spend time with her family.

Linda will serve as Program Co-Director.