Elizabeth Silva Diaz (ella/she/her) is a faculty member and program director for the Bilingual/Dual Language, TESOL, and Childhood Special Education Programs at Bank Street Graduate School of Education. With a deep commitment to educational equity, Elizabeth focuses on fostering inclusive, linguistically sustaining environments that uplift the diverse linguistic practices of emerging bilinguals with disabilities. Her dedication draws from both her personal experience and her academic research.
Elizabeth spent a decade as a bilingual dual language inclusion teacher in New York City public schools, where her firsthand experiences shaped her perspective on inclusive education. Now, as a doctoral candidate in the Educational Equity and Cultural Diversity Program at the University of Colorado Boulder, her research continues to advance this mission. Her dissertation, “Portraits of Bilingualism & Disability: The Perspectives and Experiences of Emerging Bilinguals with Disabilities,” examines the intersections of bilingualism and disability and challenges deficit-oriented narratives through critical theories of race and disability. This research, which bridges bilingual/multilingual and disability studies, also informs her approach to developing teacher preparation programs that emphasize multimodal literacies and the unique strengths of emergent bilinguals with disabilities.
Elizabeth’s work spans bilingual/multilingual education, special education, disability studies, and teacher education. In her role as a teacher educator, she aims to empower future educators with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to honor the resilience, creativity, and strengths of emerging bilinguals with disabilities—paving the way for more equitable, inclusive education systems.
Elizabeth holds a BA in Psychology from Columbia College and completed the Barnard College Education Licensure Program. She completed her Bilingual Extension from the City College of New York and her MSEd in Childhood Special Education from Bank Street College of Education.
