Salem, Oregon- The Coalition of Oregon School Administrators recognized Charlie Bauer with the Lau Leadership Impact Award  last week at the 50th Annual Seaside Conference for his career work in advocating for migrant, bilingual and multilingual programs . The Lau Leadership Impact Award is selected by the Oregon Central Office Administrators Association (OACOA) for leaders who embody the dedication to meeting the needs of language learners and multilingual students.

April Harrison, OACOA President reflected, “when discussing nominees for the Lau Leadership Impact Award, one name kept rising to the front of everyone’s mind: Charlie Bauer. Charlie’s work has made an impact across our state. His dedication, patience, and driven commitment to improving the lives of our students is unmatched. We are forever grateful for his service.”

Bauer began as a teacher in bilingual education and has served as a mentor statewide for those in the field of bilingual education and English language development. "Charlie brings humility, courage, and heart to his work. He inspires others to do better, know better, and be better-- always pushing for better ways to humanize our system in service of migrant and multilingual children,” shared ODE Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, Jennifer Patterson. “Charlie's genuine desire to support and serve others lives deeply in his ethos, along with a drive to push systems toward improvement and innovation. He has a marvelous sense of humor and helps others around him feel seen, important, and empowered.”

This year marks an important date in history, as 50 years ago the federal government formally recognized that students learning English had rights in public schools. Kenny Lau was the student named in the landmark Lau v. Nichols US Supreme Court case and because of this, multilingual students and English learners have civil rights in schools.

Prior to taking his current role at the Oregon Department of Education (ODE), Bauer spent nearly two decades working as the Migrant and Indian Education Coordinator for the Southern Oregon Education Service District. He spent much of his career in southern Oregon as well as teaching in Quito, Ecuador early in his career. Bauer currently serves as the Interim Director of the Title I-C High Risk Response Team at the Oregon Department of Education.