Dr. Yvonne Caamal Canul is director of the Office of School Improvement for the Michigan Department of Education. Before taking this position, she was a "turn-around specialist" working with schools identified for improvement. Previously, in the Lansing School District, Canul served as director of curriculum, developing grade-level pacing guides. She also distinguished herself as principal of The Center for Language, Culture and Communication Arts. The school's mission, Canul explained, was "to create a unique global learning environment based on the premise that diversity enriches the lives of everyone." World language instruction was among the many innovative programs Canul helped to develop and implement, and was the only elementary school program of its kind in the U.S. Both as the school's principal and as the district's director of programs for linguistic and cultural diversity, Canul established programs and yearly activities focused upon multiculturalism, parental and community involvement, and multilingualism.
