The award is given to individuals that have forged a strong path for bilingual education and promoting bi-literacy and equity in their work. Gallizzi was formerly the coordinator and then the director of Bilingual, Migrant and Immigrant programs for the Palmdale School District.

In this position, he operated a multi-million dollar federal grant to improve the quality of instruction and opportunities for English learners. He has served as President of the local CABE chapter and was a founding organizer of the very successful regional CABE Conference held every year in Palmdale.

“I am honored to be the recipient of this award. It is a pleasure to be acknowledged by my peers in the field of bilingual education,” Gallizzi said.

He previously served as the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, Principal of the Pueblo Learning Center, and was a classroom teacher. He is the founder of the Los Amigos Dual-Immersion Magnet School.

Gallizzi received his B.A. in Philosophy from the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. He received his M.A. in Educational Management from the University of La Verne, and completed three years of doctoral work at La Verne as well.

He has been a member of the Chapman/Brandman University faculty since 1998, and was the recipient of Graduate Adjunct Instructor of the Year Award in 2003. A frequent speaker on educational topics, he is also a passionate advocate for linguistic human rights.

The award will be conferred at CABE’s 2012 Conference in Sacramento, California on Thursday, March 8.