Melanie brings a diverse background to her work with Title III and ELs. Melanie joined the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) in the fall of 2007.  She returned home to Baton Rouge after 27 years in Houston where she worked in Adult and Family Literacy as an ESL and GED teacher and as a program administrator.  Her first assignment at the LDOE was to coordinate the newly funded GED/ESL grant program for 16-21 year olds.  In the summer of 2008, she moved into federal programs as a member of the Migrant Education Program and later became the State’s Title III coordinator.  In the fall of 2012, she was named State Director of Migrant Education.   

As a current member of the Federal Programs staff, she continues her roles in Title III and Migrant Education and was named Point of Contact for Foster Care in the fall of 2016.   In these roles, Melanie has had the opportunity to participate in several important initiatives, including the ESL Coaches Academy and the revision of the ESL Administrators Handbook.  Nationally, she serves on the National Title I Association’s English Learner Subcommittee and is the coordinator for the Migrant southwest regional workgroup.   Melanie has a BA in History and a Master’s in Education from the University of Houston. 

Kim Miller is the President of the National Council of State Title III Directors and English Learner Lead for the Oregon Department of Education.  Kim has worked extensively with English Learners throughout her career. She enjoys providing professional development to districts on supporting English learners and has a passion for supporting Recently-Arrived English Learners and English Learners with Disabilities.  Over the past 9 years, Kim has lead Oregon’s EL program by: assisting in a state law on English Learner outcomes, addressing fiscal prioritization to support ELs, ensuring accurate data on EL accountability measures, and refining EL program models for consistency across the state.   As President of the National Council of State Title III Directors, Kim is working hand in hand with National EL advocates to further advance programs and supports for our Nation’s English Learners.  In her spare time, Kim and her husband own and operate a martial arts school.  She is able to put her love of education in all that she does.