Cristian R. Solorza has been a member of the Bank Street College faculty since 2003. He is a course instructor and supervised fieldwork advisor in the Dual Language Bilingual Education and TESOL programs. He teaches graduate courses focused on language development, literacy, curriculum development, and instructional methodologies for multilingual learners in Dual Language Bilingual Education and ENL settings.
Cristian’s research focuses on translanguaging pedagogies, bilingual literacy development, and equitable educational opportunities for multilingual learners. His work is informed by his experience as both an early childhood educator and a dual language bilingual elementary school teacher in New York City.
In addition to his faculty role, Cristian works as an educational consultant, partnering with schools and districts in New York City, across the United States, and internationally to strengthen programs for emergent bilinguals.
Educational Background
Qualifications
PhD, Urban Education, CUNY Graduate Center; MSEd, Dual Language/Bilingual Childhood Special and General Education, Bank Street College of Education
Publications
Solorza, C. R. (2026). Unfreezing language: A decolonial reframing of translanguaging pedagogies in English as a New Language & dual language bilingual education settings [Doctoral dissertation, The Graduate Center, City University of New York]. CUNY Academic Works. https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/6731
Cristian Solorza served as the lead author for Module 4: Meeting the Needs of English Language Learners (ELLs) Across Learning Environments (Solorza, 2024), published by TALE Academy.
García, O., & Solorza, C. R. (2021). Academic language and the minoritization of U.S. bilingual Latinx students. Language and Education, 35(6), 505–521. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500782.2020.1825476
Solorza, C. R. (2019). Trans + languaging: Beyond dual language bilingual education. Journal of Multilingual Education Research, 9, Article 15. https://research.library.fordham.edu/jmer/vol9/iss1/15
Solorza, C.R., Aponte, G.Y., Becker, T., Leverenz, T., & Frias, B. (2019). Translanguaging in dual language bilingual education: A blueprint for planning units of study. New York, NY: CUNY-NYSIEB.
Sánchez, M. T., García, O., & Solorza, C. (2018). Reframing language allocation policy in dual language bilingual education. Bilingual Research Journal, 41(1), 37-51.
Solorza, C. (2017, January 19). Seeing the wind: English in classrooms [Faculty blog post]. Retrieved from https://graduate.bankstreet.edu/admissions-financial-aid/admissions-blog/faculty-blog-post-seeing-the-wind-english-in-classrooms/.
Solorza, C., Aponte, G., & Becker, T. (2016, April 10). A blueprint to incorporate translanguaging in dual language bilingual education. [CUNY-NYSIEB Webinar]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apczkJJRa2A.
Menken, K., & Solorza, C. (2015). Principals as linchpins in bilingual education: The need for prepared school leaders. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 18(6), 676–697. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2014.937390
Menken, K., & Solorza, C. (2014). No child left bilingual: Accountability and the elimination of bilingual education programs in New York City schools. Educational Policy, 28(1), 96–125. https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904812468228
Menken, K., & Solorza, C. (2013). Where have all the bilingual programs gone?!: Why prepared school leaders are essential for bilingual education. Journal of Multilingual Education Research, 4, Article 3. https://research.library.fordham.edu/jmer/vol4/iss1/3
Menken, K., & Solorza, C. (2011, August). Factors in school administrators’ decisions about educational programming for emergent bilinguals: A report for the Division of Students with Disabilities and ELLs of the New York City Department of Education.
Hernandez, L., & Solorza, C. (2009). BETLA teacher leaders: An unselfish sense of purpose. Occasional Paper Series, 23. https://doi.org/10.58295/2375-3668.1123
