Michelle Benegas, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Hamline University and co-founder of TESOL International Association’s School Wide English Learning (SWEL) Professional Development Series. A former secondary English Language Development (ELD) teacher, her career began in a newcomer high school. Her books include Teacher Leadership for School-Wide English Learning (TESOL Press) and Language of Identity, Language of Access (LILA): Liberatory Learning in Multilingual Classrooms (Corwin). She was the 2015 president of MinneTESOL and senior editor of the MinneTESOL Journal from 2020-2023. Her scholarly interests include ELD teacher leadership, and systemic approaches to improving the educational experience of multilingual learners. 
contact: mbenegas01@hamline.edu