Language Instruction Educational Programs
Purpose: Richmond Public Schools’ Language Instruction Educational Program (LIEP) is the bridge that supports, connects, and motivates multilingual learners towards success. LIEP supports English language proficiency for students with a primary language other than English so they may thrive in an academic environment and exceed academic standards.
Vision Statement: Richmond Public Schools, a district of ExcELLence, envisions and is committed to meeting the needs of all multilingual learners and their families through equitable access to academic content and social-emotional learning by creating a climate in which all multilingual learners thrive in their schools and communities.
Who is a multilingual learner?
Richmond Public Schools uses multilingual learner to describe students who speak languages other than English, in accordance with the federal definition of an English learner.
You may also see our multilingual learners described as:
- English learner (EL)
- English language learner (ELL)
- Limited English proficient (LEP)
LIEP Service Models
Richmond Public Schools offers four LIEP service models:
- ESL
- Content classes with integrated ESL
- Newcomer
- Two-way Dual Language Immersion
Our Instructional Team
Dr. Jennifer Blackwell
LIEP Director
jblackwe@rvaschools.net
Shannon Hall
Elementary Instructional Specialist
shall3@rvaschools.net
Michelle Litwa
EL Coach, RHSA
¡Con Ganas! Specialist
mquarant@rvaschools.net
Lily Mirjahangiri
Newcomer Specialist
lmirjaha@rvaschools.net
Victoria Pierson
Coordinator for Multilingual Learner Instruction
vpierson@rvaschools.net
Morgan Zuffi
Secondary Instructional Specialist
mwalls@rvaschools.net