TESOL Takes Action to Support the U.S. Department of Education

by Jeff Hutcheson, Director, Advocacy & Public Policy |

TESOL International Association, along with members, colleagues, communities, and fellow educators, is taking action in the face of unprecedented actions against the U.S. Department of Education. 

Through the reduction in workforce at the department, which in effect eliminated the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA), and the executive order that seeks to dismantle the department entirely, vital support is threatened for millions of multilingual learners of English (MLEs) at all levels of education and the English language professionals who serve them and their communities. 

The department serves crucial functions for MLEs, schools, and professionals through supplemental funding, accountability, and research. Additionally, the department has oversight and guidance to ensure and uphold the civil rights of all learners, which is especially important for MLEs and their right and access to meaningful education.

TESOL, in addressing the drastic reduction in workforce, called for Congress to restore the human resources of the department. We have updated that campaign to call on Congress to stand up and support the department, which it authorized and funds, to take action for the ELT field, MLEs, and our schools and communities.

TESOL has also joined 16 of our colleague associations in calling for Congress to "conduct immediate oversight and ensure that OELA's staff is rehired and its position as a standalone office is quickly restored." Collectively, our organizations submitted this letter to the House and Senate respective authorization committee chairs and ranking members overseeing education.

We invite you to join us in support of the department and contact your member of Congress today, calling for the restoration and protection of the agency for our field and the learners, schools, and communities we serve.

We also invite you to join us on 4 April at 4:00 pm EDT to hear from an expert panel on the implications for the ELT profession and MLEs of the actions against the department. More information and registration for this panel is available here.

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