As a School Improvement Facilitator at WestEd, Melanie Packham works to increase equitable practices and improve instruction for students designated as English Learners in grades pre-K through 12.
Packham works with state and local education agencies to support the development of systems and implementation of instructional practices that foster positive outcomes for English Learners across the country. Packham has worked with states such as Arizona, Rhode Island, Colorado, and Massachusetts on developing and implementing English Learner master plans and language development approaches. Packham also works closely with educators, content-area coaches, and administrators at site and district levels to increase their capacity to plan and facilitate instruction that affords English Learners access to standards-based, rigorous, cognitively challenging, and culturally and linguistically responsive learning opportunities.
Packham has 25 years of experience as an educator of learners who span kindergarten through adulthood. Her career began as an elementary classroom teacher of English Learners in a diverse district in California. Packham served as an elementary literacy coach for her district, building the capacity of her peers to teach reading and writing. In this role, Packham provided professional learning opportunities and classroom coaching focused on early learning literacy behaviors and English language development. Family engagement is also a passion for Packham. As a literacy coach, she championed Academic Parent Teacher Teams for her school and district and, later, for WestEd.
Packham holds a BA in Liberal Studies and a minor in Spanish from California State University, Chico, and a Reading Recovery certification from St. Mary’s College.