Dr. Drew S. Fagan is Associate Clinical Professor of Applied Linguistics and Language Education, Coordinator of the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Program, and Associate Director of the Multilingual Research Center for the Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership in the College of Education. For more than two decades, Dr. Fagan has worked as an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teacher, teacher educator, and researcher in PreK-12, higher education, and adult education settings across the United States, Japan, China, Spain, and Mexico, and was the first English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Fulbright Fellow to the Slovak Republic. He is the recipient of the 2023 Teacher of the Year Award from the TESOL International Association and National Geographic Learning.
Dr. Fagan's research focuses on: (1) equity-driven leadership development, with an emphasis on multilingual education contexts; (2) classroom discourse analysis, specifically the effects of educators' discursive practices on opportunities for multilingual learners' content and language learning in varied interactional settings; (3) and the development of educational programming for non-ESOL content/general teachers, specialists, paraprofessionals, administrators, support staff, and central office personnel on working with multilingual learners and their families. He has authored numerous publications in language learning, applied linguistics, and education journals and edited books, and co-authored the Maryland TESOL Handbook for Educators of English Learners (published 2021) and A Guide to School for Families of English Learners (published 2020- English, Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish).
He was the 2022-2023 President of the Maryland TESOL Association, where his focus was on the establishment of the new Maryland TESOL Mentorship Program. Prior to being President, he was the chair of Maryland TESOL's 2021 Conference (theme: Breaking Through, Pushing Forward Together). He also recently completed his tenure as a member of the Maryland State Department of Education’s (MSDE) Blueprint for Maryland’s Future: Workgroup in English Learners in Public Schools (Final Report published November 2022). Prior to that, he was a consultant and contributor for MSDE's Maryland American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Education Relief (ARP ESSER) Fund Report (published 2021), the Maryland Together: Maryland's Recovery Plan for Education COVID-19 Response and Path Forward (published 2020), and the Maryland Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Consolidated State Plan (published 2018). Dr. Fagan was part of a collaborative working group with Maryland House Delegate Lorig Charkoudian's Office on the construction of a bill that would enable dual language/bilingual education and bilingual teacher certification to be legal in Maryland state-wide. In addition to constructing the bill, Dr. Fagan testified in support of the bill before the Maryland House of Delegates.
Presently, he is Co-PI for the new inter-institutional Maryland Initiative for Literacy and Equity, which brings together specialists from education, speech pathology, library sciences, linguistics and languages, and public policy to ensure that all students regardless of background and lived experiences have equitable opportunities for literacy education at all stages of their lives (early childhood through adult).
(All Honors and Awards since being at the University of Maryland; contact me for anything prior)
Maryland TESOL Association
1. Offices Held
Immediate Past-President (2023-2024)
**President (2022-2023)**
First Vice President (2021-2022)
Second Vice President (2020-2021)
Chair, Teacher Education Interest Section (2019-2020)
Chair-Elect, Teacher Education Interest Section (2018-2019)
2. Co-Developer and Inaugural Coordinator (2022-present ): Maryland TESOL Association Mentorship Program
3. Chair- 2021 Maryland TESOL Association Conference- Theme: Breaking Through, Pushing Forward Together
4. Coordinator- 2021 Maryland TESOL Association Interest Section (IS) Spring Events (in collaboration with IS Chairs & Chair-Elects):
• Elementary Education IS- Teachers’ Mental Health: How to Overcome the ESOL Teacher Burnout and Digital Fatigue in 2021
• Teacher Education IS- Professional Development Grant Workshop
• Higher Education IS- Placement Test Strategies: Challenges and Solutions
• Advocacy IS- Digital Empowerment Campaign
• Western Maryland Regional IS- Makerspace: Transforming OER with EdTech Tools
• Adult Education IS- Practical Ways to Use Flippity in the Classroom
• Eastern Shore Regional IS- Stories from the Field: ESOL Instruction and the Pandemic on Maryland’s Eastern Shore
• Secondary Education IS- Equity and Social Emotional Learning: Moving Students Forward
AWARDS
2023- Teacher of the Year- TESOL International Association & National Geographic Learning
(additional University of Maryland Press Release, San Diego State University Alum Press Release)
2022- Excellence in Teaching Award- University of Maryland, College of Education
2018- University of Maryland's Provost's Excellence Award for Service to the State of Maryland
2017- Distinguished Outreach/Partnership Award to local school districts- University of Maryland, College of Education
Fagan, D.S. (forthcoming). Expanding my community of "learning collaborators" at the TESOL Convention. TEIS: The Newsletter for the TESOL International Association Teacher Education Interest Section.
Fagan, D.S. (2023, Spring). President's Letter- Maryland TESOL: At the precipice for moving the field into tomorrow. Maryland TESOL Quarterly. Retrieved from https://marylandtesol.com.
Fagan, D.S. (2023, Spring). Maryland TESOL: A success at the TESOL International Conference! Maryland TESOL Quarterly. Retrieved from https://marylandtesol.com.
Fagan, D.S. (2023, Winter). President's Letter: Let Maryland TESOL help get you into your rhythm for 2023! Maryland TESOL Quarterly. Retrieved from https://marylandtesol.com.
Fagan, D.S. (2022, Fall). President's Letter: "Fall" into advocacy. Maryland TESOL Quarterly. Retrieved from https://marylandtesol.com.
Fagan, D.S. (2022, Summer). President's Letter: An exciting new year ahead! Maryland TESOL Quarterly. Retrieved from https://marylandtesol.com.
Fagan, D.S., & Pentón Herrera, L.J. (2022). Supporting English learners with disabilities. The State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 22(1), 26-31.
Fagan, D.S. (2022, Spring). A state of change: The future for Maryland’s English learners. Maryland TESOL Quarterly. Retrieved from https://marylandtesol.com.
Fagan, D.S. (2022, Winter). “Breaking Through, Pushing Forward Together”: Celebrating Maryland TESOL’s 41st Annual Fall Conference. Maryland TESOL Quarterly. Retrieved from https://marylandtesol.com.
Pentón Herrera, L.J., Fagan, D.S., & Lyons, S. (2021). Maryland TESOL handbook for educators of English learners. Maryland TESOL Association
In collaboration with the office of Maryland House Delegate Lorig Charkoudian (with S. Gutierrez, M. Martin-Beltrán, A. Perez Belda, A. Taboada Barber) (2023). Maryland House Bill 56: Public Schools- Dual Language Education- Teacher Certification, Program Implementation, and Study.
Maryland State Department of Education. (2022). Blueprint for Maryland's Future: Workgroup on English learners in public schools final report.
Maryland State Department of Education. (2021). Maryland American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Education Relief (ARP ESSER) Fund Application Stakeholder Engagement Report.
Fagan, D.S. (upcoming- 2023, June) (Invited). Conversation analysis: Research methodology and teacher reflection tool all in one. To be presented at the TESOL Research Collaboration Network (TERECONET). Virtual.
Fagan, D.S. (2023, May) (Invited). Elevating achievement for English learners with exceptionalities. Presented at the Maryland English Language Learner Family Involvement Network (MELLFIN) annual conference. College Park, MD.
Phillips, C. (Chair), Gentile, D., McGinnis, S., Kirwan, B., Fagan, D.S., Bolger, D.J., & Huang, Y.T. (2023, April) (Invited). What everyone wants: Aligning state, federal, and university interests in language. Presented at the Advancing National Priorities In Language, Culture, and Technology: A University-Government Forum. College Park, MD.
Fagan, D.S. (2023, March) (Invited). Towards embodying the multidimensional role of ESOL teacher in 2023. Presented as the "TEACHER OF THE YEAR/ TESOL IN FOCUS" session at the TESOL International Association's annual conference. Portland, OR.
Fagan, D.S., Suarez, D. & Rashed, D. (2023, March). Fostering TESOL mentorship excellence through affiliates. Presented as a "BEST OF AFFILIATES" session a the TESOL International Association's annual conference. Portland, OR.
Fagan, D.S., & Kanney, M. (2023, March). Educating K-12 administrators in TESOL: The why's and how's. Presented at the TESOL International Association's annual conference. Portland, OR.
Fagan, D.S. (Chair), Suarez, D., Rashed, D., Siemer, D., Remenyi, L., Scott, D., & Bai, Y. (Invited) (2022, November). Introducing the new Maryland TESOL Mentorship Program! Panel presented as a "SPOTLIGHT SESSION" at the annual Maryland TESOL Association Conference. Salisbury, MD.
Fagan, D.S. (Chair), Harlan, E., Connors, T., & Emhoff, J. (Invited). (2022, November). Past, Present, and Future of TESOL in the Eastern Shore. Presented at the annual Maryland TESOL Association Conference. Salisbury, MD.
De La Paz, S. (Moderator), Wexler, J., Fagan, D.S., Turner, J., & Subramanian, M. (Invited) (2022, October). Maryland Initiative for Literacy and Equity (MILE). Presented at the annual University of Maryland Language Science Day. College Park, MD.
Fagan, D.S., Pentón Herrera, L.J., & Lyons, S. (with C. Mansour, L. Phung, & B. Karras-Lazaris). (Invited) (2022, October). Developing affiliate handbooks as the source for "Everything TESOL" in you region and making it an Open Educational Resource. Presented at the TESOL International Association's Affiliate Network Professional Monthly Webinar Series. Virtual.
Fagan, D.S. (Invited) (2022, August). The intersection of identities among secondary English learners. Presented at the annual Prince George's County Public Schools Student Services Conference (Theme: RISE Up: Responsive, Inclusive, Supportive, Empowering). College Park, MD.
Fagan, D.S. (with D. Collins, R.E. Graham, K. O'Connell, B. Powell, J. Bingam, H. Boles, M. Brown, C. Johnson, & S. McQuaige) (Invited). (2022, May). Lessons for our schools: The science of reading in action. Panel presented at The Literacy and Equity Conference (Title: Literacy and Equity in the 21st Century: How Evidence-Based Instructional Practices Can Raise Literacy Achievement for All Students in Maryland). Virtual.
Fagan, D.S., & Pentón Herrera, L. (2022, March). Supporting English learners with disabilities: Considerations for state/local education authorities. Paper presented at the International Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Association Conference. Pittsburgh, PA.
Fagan, D.S., & Pentón Herrera, L. (Invited) (2022, March). Utilizing the Maryland TESOL Handbook for Educators of English Learners for Adult ESL Literacy. Presented at the annual Montgomery Coalition for Adult English Literacy (MCAEL) Conference. Virtual.
Fagan, D.S., & Pandey, A. (Invited) (2022, March). The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future: What does this mean for TESOL Teacher Education? Presented at the Maryland TESOL Association’s annual Teacher Education Interest Section Spring Event. Virtual.
Fagan, D.S. (Invited) (2022, March). Articulating your research in academic presentations. Presented at the Research Institute for Scholars in Education (Project RISE) Saturday Connections Series. Virtual.
"Words of wisdom: An interview with Drew Fagan". (Robert Stroud, Interviewer). The University Grapevine: For English Language Teachers, forthcoming.
"Spotlight on the TESOL Teacher of the Year: Drew S. Fagan." (Luan T. Nguyen, Interviewer). TESOL Connections: The E-Newsletter for the TESOL International Association, April 2023.
"TESOL Program Coordinator to Receive Top Teaching Honor for English Language Educators." (Emily Schuster, Interviewer). University of Maryland, College of Education News, February 2023.
"More Connected than Ever: Taking Advantage of Global ELT Associations' Online Offerings." (Sheilynn Riel, Interviewer). BridgeUniverse E-Magazine, February 2023.
"College of Education Experts Testify to bring Bilingual Teacher Certification to Maryland." (Natifia Mullings, Interviewer). University of Maryland, College of Education News, February 2023.
"The College of Education: A Major Player in the Blueprint for Maryland's Future." Endeavors Magazine, Fall 2022.
Current Grants:
University of Maryland Grand Challenges Institutional Grant
Title: The Maryland Initiative for Literacy and Equity (MILE)
PIs: DJ Bolger
Amount Awarded: $3,000,00.00
Period of Grant: March 1, 2023- February 28, 2026
My Role: Co-PI
National Science Foundation 20-539: Computer Science for All
Title: C-STEM for Sustainability: Leveraging a Research-Practice Partnership to Design a High-quality Professional Learning Model for Integrating Computer Science into K-8 STEM Classrooms
PIs: Jennifer Radoff & Amy Green
Amount Awarded: $721,534.00
Period of Grant: September 1, 2022- August 31, 2025
My Role: Advisory Board Member- English Learner Education
Current Projects:
1. Collaborator- UMD faculty and doctoral student working group with House Delegate Lorig Charkoudian's Office to draft House Bill 0056- Public Schools- Dual Language Education- Teacher Certification, Program Implementation, and Study- goal is to legalize dual language/bilingual education and teacher certification in Maryland state-wide.
2. Developer (final approval 2021) and Director- Doctorate of Education Program in School Systems Leadership- Specialization in TESOL and Dual Language Education (cohort 1 begins Fall 2022): Focuses on school- and district-level administrators to address and make school system change for multilingual learners from the "top-down".
3. Developer (final approval 2015) and Director- TESOL Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program (Prince George's County Public School Teachers 2017-2024; Anne Arundel County Public School Teachers 2018-2023): Introduces non-ESOL PreK-12 teachers to working with English learners across disciplines in their classrooms from the "bottom-up".