Here to Help You Build Instructional Confidence
with a language lens®
From classrooms to district offices, we help educators and leaders build the confidence and capacity to support every student—especially multilingual learners.
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Learn More About Confianza Founder, Sarah B. Ottow
From feeling stuck with English learners to inadequate PD, Sarah seen it all. Let’s get you equipped with clarity—so you, your team and your students rise together.
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“Sarah is a true champion for change; a champion for ALL learners. With her guidance, we’ve learned how to coach teachers in becoming educators who reflect on their own practice and adapt lessons to ensure they are culturally and linguistically relevant. ”
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— Instructional Coaches, Salem Public Schools, MA
Language Groups Taught
Schools & Districts Served
Educators Supported
Trusted Partner, Lighting the Way Towards Growth
Years Working in Education
The Confianza Team
Rooted in education. Refined by experience. Driven by impact.
At Confianza, leadership is a team effort—and we bring complementary strengths to everything we do.
Emil Krasić brings deep expertise in guiding diverse, multilingual, and neurodiverse teams across global spaces. From high-stakes software rollouts to leading inclusive team cultures, Emil’s ability to foster trust and deliver sustainable systems is the backbone of our operational strategy at Confianza. He holds a Leadership Certificate in Inclusionary Practices from Cornell University, which strengthens his commitment to access-driven, human-centered work. A seasoned technical leader whose first language is not English, Emil’s lived experience adds unique depth to everything we build.
Together, Emil and Sarah—educator, author, and Confianza’s founder and director—have built a partnership model that’s both visionary and grounded. Their shared commitment to excellence, access, and real results is what makes Confianza a different kind of support system for schools.
Keep reading to learn more about Sarah’s story and what inspired her to start Confianza.
Picture this: A young classroom teacher, eager to reach every student, especially those learning in a new language, English.
HOW I GOT HERE
I quickly realized good intentions weren’t enough. I tried everything—tweaking lessons, testing strategies, searching for what worked. I felt the pressure to get it right, without knowing if I was. Spoiler alert: I found my way—through plenty of missteps, doubts, and lessons learned.
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My Story
Where I Am Now:
Fast forward to today, I’ve had the privilege of partnering with over 20,000 educators and leaders worldwide—helping them replace uncertainty with clarity and drive lasting impact for multilingual learners, and, in turn, ALL learners. Through Confianza and my Language Lens® framework, I equip teams with practical, time-saving tools to strengthen instruction, measure their own growth, and see real results—in classrooms and schoolwide. I’m also honored to be invited to speak and share this work nationally and internationally, guiding others to lead with instructional confidence and make every student’s success possible.
How It All Started:
As a first generation college graduate, I stepped into a classroom filled with students from all backgrounds—many learning English as a new language. I had more heart than strategy. I juggled lesson plans, diverse needs and that sinking feeling I was missing something critical. Every day, I wondered: Am I doing enough for my students?
Long before that, I had already seen what it meant to navigate systems that didn’t always work for every child. Growing up alongside my sister with extreme special needs, I learned early on how much it matters to be seen, valued and supported—especially when the path isn’t clear. That’s where my commitment to making sure every student gets what they need truly began.
Over time, I realized success wasn’t about having all the answers—it was about knowing how to bring people together to grapple with them. My curiosity turned into confidence and others noticed. I was tapped by administration to lead professional development and coach fellow teachers—helping them navigate the same challenges I had faced. I saw that when educators worked collaboratively to teach both language and content, students—especially multilingual learners—made real gains. And when leaders championed that kind of growth across their schools? Everything changed.
The Turning Point:
What I Stand For
When it comes to instruction, I have a different approach.
Building trust through partnership—because progress happens when we listen, learn and lift each other up.
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Opportunity
Inquiry
Respect
Confidence
I believe that when educators lead with clarity and confidence, that impact flows directly to students—creating a cascade effect of growth and success. At Confianza, we start with English Learners, knowing that when they thrive, every student benefits. Our values guide us every step of the way.
Helping educators lead with confidence so that it cascades—then students believe in themselves, too.
Putting English Learners at the heart of teaching—so every classroom opens doors for all.
Fueling teacher growth and student success—because learning should energize, not drain.
Building Confianza:
My Journey
Every dedicated educator has a story. Mine is rooted in a passion for supporting multilingual learners and building up the confidence of those who teach them. From my early days in bilingual classrooms to founding Confianza, my work has always been about helping educators and students rise together. Here’s how it all came to life.
A trip down memory lane
2000
Embarking as a Classroom Teacher
I began my career as an urban classroom teacher, where I quickly saw that language is the key to unlocking learning for every student. This experience ignited my passion for building systems that give educators the tools and confidence to support all learners.During this time, I earned my master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction and was honored with multiple AmeriCorps awards for my commitment to service and education.
2003
Becoming a Voluntary Language Learner
I intentionally stepped into the role of a language learner myself, teaching children and adult professionals in Puerto Rico. Immersed in Spanish, I experienced firsthand the challenges and beauty of learning another language (and culture!)—an experience that forever shaped my worldview of excitement and empathy for multilingual learners, plus my approach to teaching and learning.
2005
Leading Teacher Learning as a Language Specialist
Tapped by administration, I stepped into a leadership role, coordinating English Learner programming from the ground up. I developed teacher training systems and created family literacy initiatives, working to ensure multilingual students had the support they needed while helping educators build their capacity to serve all learners, K-12 across all content areas.
2009
Expanding My Reach as a Literacy Coach and Graduate Instructor
As a bilingual reading specialist and instructional coach, I developed teacher mentoring systems and championed language-rich instruction across all content areas. During this time, I also began mentoring new teachers, studying instructional coaching and teaching graduate courses to help prepare the next generation of educators to serve multilingual learners.
2012
Developing Educator Preparation Pathways
I led educator preparation and residency initiatives designed to build teacher capacity to support growing English Learners populations. Partnering with state education agencies and large districts, I trained educators, helping them develop the skills and confidence to meet the needs of multilingual learners while strengthening pipelines to ensure schools had well-prepared teachers in high-need communities.
2015
Creating Confianza for Lasting Change
I founded Confianza to strengthen leadership, inspire educators and support all students. Partnering with districts, organizations, and agencies across the United States and internationally, I developed the Language Lens® approach to put English Learners at the center and create classrooms where every student can shine and reach towards their potential.
2019
Publishing The Language Lens® 1st Edition
I was invited to publish The Language Lens for Content Classrooms (1st ed.), bringing my framework to educators worldwide. It quickly became a trusted guide for supporting multilingual and academic language learners. Today, I’m proud that my book is used in preservice coursework, inservice workshops, book clubs, and professional learning communities—helping teachers, coaches and leaders create more inclusive and effective classrooms across the globe.
2023
Growing the Movement
With the second edition of The Language Lens released, my work continues to expand. Currently, Confianza enters its next chapter with a refreshed brand and a renewed focus on offering innovative, flexible professional learning experiences—meeting educators where they are and helping them reach new heights in a changing education landscape.
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Why I Do This Work
I’ve seen too many passionate educators doubt themselves and too many English Learners held back by systems that don’t meet their needs.
I’ve also watched leaders struggle to create the conditions where both educators and students can succeed. My mission? To change that. I help educators lead with confidence and equip leaders to build strong systems—so every student, especially those learning English, can shine. When we support teachers and leaders, we unlock potential in every classroom and school. Let’s rise together.
What Clients Are Saying
— Daniel Mayer, Assistant Superindent
Educators and leaders I’ve worked with aren’t just improving instruction—they’re driving real change in their classrooms and schools, leading teams with purpose, setting bold goals and finding renewed energy in their work. And they’re doing it with balance, not burnout.
"Working with Sarah enhanced the capacity of our district to teach all students with valuable observational data about our language and literacy practices."
— Victor F. Capellan, Former Superintendent
"Sarah helps educators get to know their students culturally and linguistically, while providing a very comprehensive set of competencies that support language."
— Tim Betty, Principal
"We are super appreciative of the protected time that we have had with Sarah. What a great sounding board in giving suggestions to improve our practice!"
Career Highlights & Accomplishments
Sarah has been an invited speaker, consultant and expert panelist for Harvard Graduate School of Education, Princeton University, WIDA, EdWeek, the National Association of English Learner Program Administrators (NAELPA) and dozens of other groups and higher education programs for educator development and best practices for language learning.
Sarah has led key initiatives with organizations such as state departments of education, publishers and non-profits, including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Arts and the Center for Applied Linguistics. She has contributed to national conversations on instructional innovation and equity through featured media, podcasts, and advisory boards, including improving civics education for bilingual learners with US Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor. Sarah has worked with schools across Latin America, Europe, Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Central Asia, while Confianza’s network connects and supports educators in dozens of countries worldwide.
As Founder & CEO, Confianza was nominated for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Woman Small Business of the Year Award for the Boston Area. Her work has helped thousands of educators and leaders apply real-world strategies for student success.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If you’re an instructional leader ready to move past self-doubt and step into your full potential, I’m here to support you. Let’s work together to strengthen your confidence, grow your leadership capacity, and create lasting change in your career—and your school.
Let's Hop on a Call & Chat!
