The district’s new Director of Multilingual Learners and Equity Selvi Oyola is excited to work with new students after working as a English Language Development (EDL) teacher at Algonquin for many years.
Taking on this position means overlooking all 10 schools in the Northborough-Southborough district, making sure that all learners receive a great education while also teaching students the English language. Oyola has been part of the district for many years, first working at Trottier Middle School as a long term sub, then an aide, and now as a teacher at Algonquin. She feels strongly about her work and wants to spread that passion across the district.
“I really feel passionate about the entirety of education; I love our program,” Oyola said. “What we [teachers] do here with our multilingual learners, I feel like we have such a strong, thoughtful, process that is being applied in all 10 schools…we care and we really deal with a strong curriculum with our students.”
Getting a new job means having to adjust to what the new role entails, but Oyola embraces the challenge.
“There is going to be, no doubt, lots of learning, and lots of applying that learning,” Oyola said. “I am excited about it, but more than challenges I am just excited to have an opportunity to have a wider vision and view of how education takes place from kindergarten through graduation, and hopefully beyond.”
According to Oyola, as time goes on, naturally there are going to be some adjustments that the district has to make.
“Change has to be meaningful and it has to respond to something,” Oyola said. “For that, I would need to first learn what is meaningful and what is needed. What is changing in the world of education that we can respond to, but also beyond that, we can keep ahead of it and be models.”
There was a committee formed in order to find the perfect person for the position. Oyola had to go through several interviews and it was highly competitive. According to the current district’s director Rhoda Webb, characteristics important for the job are being a great communicator, empathic leader and a creative problem solver.
“The Director of Multilingual Learners and Equity should [be] especially focused on students and their families to be able to have access to the best education possible,” Webb said.
Webb is not worried for Oyola, and thinks this is the perfect position for her.
“Mrs. Oyola is a highly respected educator in our district and I am confident that she is going to do an amazing job as the next Director of Multilingual Learners and Equity in our district,” Webb said.
Most importantly, Oyola is ready for this new stage in her life, and to create change at a larger scale across the entire district.
“I am excited to get to work with all students, educators and families across the district,” Oyola said. “I love getting to know our community.”
