S3 E8 Bilingual by Design

Guest: Gayle Nadler, Executive Director & Co-Founder, Multicultural Learning Center (Los Angeles, CA)
Host: Vashaunta Harris
Powered by: National Charter Schools Institute

What happens when language, culture, and belonging are treated as strengths — not barriers?

In this powerful episode of Bold by Choice, host Vashaunta Harris travels to Los Angeles to sit down with Gayle Nadler, co-founder and executive director of Multicultural Learning Center (MLC), a TK–8 public charter school that has been living out the promise of bilingual, inclusive education for more than 20 years.

Gayle shares the deeply personal story that shaped MLC’s design — from her fourth-grade experience being bused across Los Angeles into a bilingual classroom where she longed to belong, to the living-room conversations with her mother that led them to open a dual-language charter school during California’s ban on bilingual education (Proposition 227). Just days after opening, the school faced the national trauma of 9/11 — a moment that cemented MLC’s mission to prepare students to navigate a complex, interconnected world with empathy, confidence, and voice.

Listeners will hear how MLC’s two-way bilingual immersion model treats every student as a language learner, why cultural identity is central to academic success, and how classrooms are intentionally designed for joy, movement, collaboration, and inclusion. Gayle also reflects on alumni stories that reveal the long-term impact of the school — graduates who advocate across cultures, challenge injustice, and carry confidence into college, careers, and community life.

The conversation closes with reflections on leadership, balance, listening to students, and what it truly means to be bold in education.

Episode Highlights:

• A fourth-grade experience that inspired a lifelong commitment to belonging

• Founding a bilingual charter school during California’s ban on bilingual education

• Designing classrooms where language, culture, and identity are assets

• Alumni stories that reveal the long-term impact of dual-language learning

• A scholarship fund rooted in legacy, community, and giving back

• Leadership lessons on balance, accountability, and leading with heart

If you believe schools should reflect the world students live in — and help them thrive within it — this episode is for you.

Share this episode with someone who believes in bilingual education, inclusive design, and public schools built on love and purpose.
And don’t forget to share your own #SchoolBrag story with us.

Until next time — stay Bold by Choice.