TESOL International recently shared important updates regarding shifts in U.S. federal priorities that impact funding, civil rights, and support for multilingual learners of English and the ELT profession. With these changes, advocacy has become more urgent than ever, and we wanted to share opportunities for action with you.
Opportunities for Advocacy Engagement:
Federal Funding of Education - FY26 Appropriations. The President's Proposal and the House Appropriations Subcommittee seek to eliminate funding for ELT education and for English learners in public and adult education. The Senate Appropriations Committee, though, has advanced its proposal that would level-fund these programs (keep funding at the same level as the prior year). You can read more about the process and share with your members the opportunity to contact their Members of Congress in voicing support for the federal funding of education here:
https://www.votervoice.net/TESOL/campaigns/126890/respond
Rescission of the 2015 Dear Colleague Letter supporting Civil Rights for English learners and their families.
Read TESOL's statement and supporting information here. Please disseminate this information through your networks.
TESOL's statement on the rescission: News item: https://www.tesol.org/news/tesol-statement-on-the-rescission-of-guidance-on-serving-multilingual-learners-of-english-in-us-public-schools/
Direct link to the larger document: https://www.tesol.org/media/ijbmmjs4/statement-on-the-rescission-of-jan-2015-dcl-for-publication-2-sept-2025.pdf
Letter to USED and USDOJ - National English Learner Roundtable (NELR).
TESOL is working with colleague associations in drafting a letter to ED and DOJ demanding the reinstatement of the DCL. We will have opportunity for Affiliate Sign On - and your voice as an association is needed. Please be on the lookout for a call for sign ons - more information to come!
Additional Resources:
Including the Community and Family Toolkit, State/Fed Leg Tracker, and Supporting Learners in Current U.S. Admin Actions
Upcoming Event: AEFLA Week
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to multilingual learners and to advocacy on their behalf. Together, our voices can make a difference.