English-Language Learners News in Brief

Congress Pushes Back on Plan From DeVos to Scrap ELL Office

By Corey Mitchell — June 05, 2018 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Democratic members of Congress are pushing back against a proposal from U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos that would scrap the federal office that guides education policy and practice for millions of English-language-learner and immigrant students.

An estimated 5 million English-learners attend public schools in the United States, and their advocates have concerns that the proposal would undermine efforts to improve education for an already underserved group.

“Maintaining a separate office that addresses the unique needs of English-learners is also necessary to meet obligations under the landmark Supreme Court case Lau v. Nichols that ensures equal access to education for the country’s ELs. Without a seat at the table, the needs of ELs are likely to be ignored,” a May 24 letter to DeVos says.

Despite the concerns of Congress and advocacy groups, the department seems ready to forge ahead with plans to restructure the office.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the June 06, 2018 edition of Education Week as Congress Pushes Back on Plan From DeVos to Scrap ELL Office

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Reimagining Grading in K-12 Schools: A Conversation on the Value of Standards-Based Grading
Hear from K-12 educational leaders and explore standards-based grading benefits and implementation strategies and challenges
Content provided by Otus
Reading & Literacy Webinar How Background Knowledge Fits Into the ‘Science of Reading’ 
Join our webinar to learn research-backed strategies for enhancing reading comprehension and building cultural responsiveness in the classroom.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Innovative Strategies for Data & Assessments
Join our webinar to learn strategies for actionable instruction using assessment & analysis.
Content provided by Edulastic

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

English-Language Learners The Debate Over English Learner Terminology, Explained
As terms used to define students in need of English-language support evolve, experts explain why it's not just semantics.
8 min read
Illustration of chair falling into pit and chair suspended by balloon.
Stephanie Shafer for Education Week
English-Language Learners The Evolution of Terms Describing English Learners: An ELL Glossary
When it comes to describing students in need of support acquiring the English language, there's a long history of terminology involved.
8 min read
Illustration of teacher art whiteboard point to ELL terms.
Stephanie Shafer for Education Week
English-Language Learners A Dual Immersion Program That’s Unique—and Seeing Academic Returns
After launching in 2018, the program in Fresno, Calif., is already showing social-emotional and academic benefits.
Julianna Morano, The Fresno Bee
10 min read
Joyce Yang, center, and other students participate in Fresno Unified’s Hmong Dual Immersion program at Vang Pao Elementary on Feb. 23, 2023 in Fresno.
Joyce Yang, center, and other students participate in Fresno Unified’s Hmong Dual Immersion program at Vang Pao Elementary on Feb. 23, 2023 in Fresno.
Eric Paul Zamora/The Fresno Bee via TNS
English-Language Learners Q&A English Learners Could Gain Support and Clout Under Ed. Secretary's Plan, Expert Says
Kathleen Leos directed the Office of English Language Acquisition in the U.S. Department of Education when George W. Bush was president.
6 min read
Business woman with a laptop sitting on top of a large magnifying glass that is centered over a stack of money.
DigitalVision Vectors