Michelle Benegas, PhD, TESOL Faculty

Michelle Benegas, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Hamline University and co-founder of TESOL International Association’s School Wide English Learning (SWEL) Professional Development Series. A former secondary English Language Development (ELD) teacher, her career began in a newcomer high school. Her books include Teacher Leadership for School-Wide English Learning (TESOL Press) and Language of Identity, Language of Access (LILA): Liberatory Learning in Multilingual Classrooms (Corwin). She was the 2015 president of MinneTESOL and senior editor of the MinneTESOL Journal 2020-2023. Her scholarly interests include ELD teacher leadership, teacher leader identity, systemic approaches to improving ELD services, and etymology. 

Amy Stolpestad, EdD, TESOL Faculty

Amy Stolpestad, EdD, co-authored Teacher Leadership for School-Wide English Learning with Dr. Michelle Benegas and currently serves as the Senior Director, Language Solutions, at Data Recognition Corporation. She has more than 25 years of experience in the field of K–12 second language education, teacher education, teacher professional development, and educational consulting. In her current role, she is responsible for leading the LAS Links portfolio of assessments. Stolpestad completed her doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership at the University of Southern California. Her research interests include teacher leadership, peer instructional coaching, teacher identity, and organizational change management.

Gracie Allely, MEd, Associate Director, TESOL Education

Gracie Allely has taught K-12 ESL internationally for over ten years. She completed her master's degree in English language learning at the University of North Dakota (UND) and is currently completing her educational doctorate in educational leadership at UND.  Allely is an experienced teacher educator, program developer, and curriculum designer. She has extensive experience working with grants and co-developed a teacher training program for public school English teachers in Ecuador. Allely coordinated the transition to remote learning for the grant program in 2020. As the TESOL Education Associate Director, Allely manages TESOL’s professional learning offerings, as well as develops new courses.

Stephanie DeFrance Schmidt, MA ESL, SWEL Facilitator 

Stephanie DeFrance Schmidt is a 20-year teacher of Multilingual Learners of English. She teaches an educational methods course in the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program at Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She completed her Master of Arts in English as a Second Language (now MATESOL) from Hamline. As a K-12 teacher of MLEs, Stephanie taught in Spanish and Hmong immersion programs. She is currently a SWEL faculty member, building on her experience as a SWEL coach, leading professional development and peer coaching. She has written curricula for a large, urban school district. Her research interests include Science of Reading-based approaches for Multilingual Learners of English

Jenny Leroux, MA, SWEL Facilitator

Jenny Leroux is an experienced educator and advocate for multilingual learners, currently serving as an English Language Development (ELD) Program Facilitator in a large Minnesota public school district, and as an adjunct instructor at Hamline University. With 29 years in education, Jenny has a wealth of experience as a classroom teacher and ELD teacher, working across diverse grade levels and student populations. Her passion lies in supporting teacher leadership, fostering effective literacy instruction and ensuring equitable access to learning for multilingual students.

Jenny's academic background reflects her commitment to continuous learning and professional growth. She holds bachelors’ degrees in public relations and French, as well as teaching licenses in elementary education, ESL, and reading instruction. In addition, she earned a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, which deepened her understanding of effective teaching practices and program development