Education’s Best Kept Secret: School Publishing Group Raises the Bar with Expertise, Quality, & Commitment

As asserted in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups.” In the US, as stated by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), “Schools cannot discriminate against students on the basis of race, color, or national origin. Students with limited English proficiency cannot be turned away by public schools, which must provide them with language instruction.” 

US education has witnessed a tremendous rise in English Language Learners (ELLs), with a 35% increase between 2000 and 2021. Today, more than one in 10 students is an ELL, and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) predicts that number will surge to 40% by 2030. Though the fastest-growing group is public school systems, ELLs’ needs seem to be unmet, leaving youth vulnerable to long-term consequences. 

Parallel to this trend, the US is undergoing another major shift, with an evident growth of the Hispanic population, which reached 62.1 million (19% of all Americans) in 2020. That exhibited a 23% increase over just a decade and a staggering 6-fold growth since 1970. Considering these tendencies, the need for educational materials that support the development of all students has never been greater. 

Difficult to identify and even more taxing to bridge, gaps in public schools may lead to a systematic lack of adequate resources, result-driven guidance, and comprehensive education. Teachers are facing an uphill battle with the shortage of bilingual teachers, as well as the lack of educators who know how to adapt curricula to the unique needs of ELLs. The outcome? Many materials for ELLs can be oversimplified and unrelated to grade-level goals, especially in middle and high school classrooms. 

The structure of public schools and curricula makes it more difficult for teachers to adapt to the constantly changing needs of students. Addressing these challenges is the School Publishing Group (SPG). Comprising experts from various backgrounds with decades of combined K-12 publishing experience, this Woman- and Minority-owned company works hand-in-hand with publishers, educators, and nonprofits to equip schools with high-quality materials and translations in Spanish and 40+ other languages, every day building a stable foundation for success. 

When Tina Randall, María Elena Alvarado, and Miguel Mengual founded SPG in 2002, they combined their decades of experience in Reading, Literacy, Math, Science, Social Studies, Spanish, Bilingual, ELL, Multilingual educational materials, and other subjects to elevate K-12 and higher education learning with the most appropriate print and digital resources. The company’s contributions are making a tangible difference in US public education with content, transadaptations, translations, textbooks, video, audio, and interactive materials tailored to the evolving needs of schools, students, and teachers. 

For over 20 years, SPG’s experts have been educational publishers' best-kept secret, working behind the scenes to provide meticulously curated, development-driven materials. “Many schools, districts, and publishers are grappling with the evolving landscape,” stresses Miguel. “Without changes, student development will be stifled, and ELLs are in the most vulnerable position.”  

The unique challenges faced by ELLs in K-12 and higher education are multi-faceted, affecting more than acquired and retained knowledge. Met with language barriers like unfamiliar vocabulary, subject-specific jargon, grammar complexities, pronunciation difficulties, and reading comprehension, ELLs may struggle to fully participate in classroom activities, which, in turn, can lead to feelings of isolation and marginalization. These issues are even more detrimental if parents aren’t English proficient, and language support outside of school is limited. 

SPG’s solution to these persistent challenges is simple—but not easy: raising the bar and addressing ELLs’ unique needs with a more nuanced approach. To facilitate effective language and subject-wide knowledge acquisition, SPG encourages educators to elevate their methodologies with differentiated instruction—which may include educational visuals, audio materials, or language adjusted to individual levels—dedicated ESL or ELD development programs, culturally responsive teaching, encouraging peer interaction and group work, frequent assessments, and building relationships with families.  

This strategy’s impact is two-fold, empowering both students and teachers. María Elena reflects on teachers’ challenges she witnessed in the space: “Today, virtually every classroom in every city in every state has an ELL. A decade or two ago, it used to be more concentrated in certain areas. The need is nationwide, and it can only be met with the right support and materials.” 

SPG bridges that gap with resources that meet the precise standards of Spanish taught in US schools. Over the years, the company has worked with educational publishers, globally recognized nonprofits, state governments, and more, partnering with other passionate teams to make an impact.  

Today, these like-minded partners reflect on their relationships with SPG. Erin Wakshlag, Director of Curriculum at the leading learning experience platform Seesaw, shares: “Seesaw truly believes in equity in education and has a strong focus on supporting Multilingual Learners throughout our platform and content. We have worked with SPG to transadapt our foundational literacy content into Spanish. The folks at SPG are fabulous collaborators and their expertise allowed us to deliver a product that students are excited to use. Having access to content that supports the language they use at home, is culturally relevant, and is developed with them in mind, is meaningful to ELL students and families alike.” 

SPG has also worked alongside Hola Books, a company truly passionate about nurturing a love for reading while promoting language proficiency. Founder Lucía Rocha-Nestler comments: “SPG became a trustworthy and invaluable partner in helping us bring our curriculum to life. They didn’t just support us in designing our instructional materials—they helped us transform our vision into reality, ensuring that every book we create is both pedagogically sound and beautifully engaging. Their deep expertise in structured literacy, Spanish language development, and curriculum design allowed us to craft a truly exceptional collection of decodable books that reflect the richness of the bilingual experience. With their partnership, we’ve built a one-of-a-kind literacy resource that is both instructionally rigorous and culturally authentic. We are grateful for SPG’s partnership, their commitment to our work, and their shared belief in the power of bilingual literacy.” 

It is the founders’ diverse backgrounds that have allowed SPG to innovate and always adapt to the landscape. Miguel’s expertise in sound engineering complements María Elena’s literature knowledge and Tina’s science background, with their places of origin—Spain, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, respectively—equipping them with the necessary linguistic understanding to mirror the diversity across US schools. From three young professionals with a shared commitment to transforming a niche market, SPG did more than leave an impact; it raised the standard of Spanish educational resources and US education as a whole. 

As ELLs continue redefining the needs of public schools, SPG’s mission is to continue addressing them with passion, care, and expertise. Looking ahead, the company is advancing the use of cutting-edge technologies like AI both in content development and translation, to bring quality textbooks and materials to a wider audience more efficiently. “When we entered this space 23 years ago, Spanish textbooks were consistently missing the mark,” adds Miguel. “Our greatest achievement was pushing this standard to improve.” 

Led by passionate individuals with a shared vision of equitable education, SPG’s impact goes beyond school systems. “Every time we are translating, producing, writing, or adapting any materials, we think about the kids who will read them,” reflects Tina. “These kids aren’t just a number. They have a story behind them, often coming from vulnerable situations, poverty, or volatility that interrupted their education. We’re leveling the playing field so they can make the most of their potential; so they are able to tell their stories in any language.” 

Media Contact 

Name: Tom Burlin 

Email: [email protected]