ELL News Headlines

English-as-a-second-language (ESL) teachers are more likely than any other group of educators to say their morale would get a significant boost if their schools hired more mental health counselors, according to a new analysis of national survey data. The EdWeek Research Center administered an online survey in September and October to a nationally representative sample of more than 2,500 teachers. It asked what it would take to boost their morale in the workplace.

What might improve the morale of teachers of English learners around the country? The EdWeek Research Center administered an online survey in September and October to a nationally representative sample of more than 2,500 teachers of all grades and subjects, and asked what it would take to boost their morale in the workplace. This analysis focused on the attitudes of teachers of English learners.

The Trump administration plans to release more than $5 billion in funding to public schools that it has withheld for nearly a month, a senior administration official said Friday, ending weeks of anxiety and uncertainty for school leaders who had said the freeze jeopardized programs and staffing for the upcoming academic year.

Larry Ferlazzo is retiring this year after teaching social studies and English classes for 22 years at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento. He’s long been a teacher of English learners and new immigrant students. He has also written 10 books for teachers and maintains a popular blog and a column for teachers, where he shares resources and tips.

The U.S. Department of Justice released guidance to federal agencies on July 14 on how to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order from March declaring English the nation’s official language. While experts on English-learner education saw no immediate effects for K-12 schools, they say the new guidance, alongside several recent federal policy changes this year affecting English learners, raises concerns about the executive order’s broader implications for public education.

Dr. Brittany Daley is the principal of Hamilton Elementary School in San Diego, California. She writes, "I’m constantly thinking about how to center family engagement in staff meetings, in attendance meetings, in literacy and math plans, in behavioral and counseling plans and in meetings about school procedures and budgets. It’s a strategy that not only involves families but also supports academic achievement and student well-being. For me, family engagement is the ultimate strategy for academics."

Some Head Start programs could be forced to close because of the steep cost of complying with a new Trump administration policy that requires them to verify the immigration status of students and parents, 21 Democratic attorneys general argue in a new lawsuit.

This final piece in The Century Foundation’s focus group series with teachers of English learners (ELs) discusses the evolving practices around literacy.

Immigrants play a crucial role in home-based child care, as well as America’s broader child care system of more than 2 million predominantly female workers. Caregivers are notoriously difficult to find and keep, not only because the work is difficult, but because of poverty-level wages and limited benefits. Nationwide, immigrants make up nearly 20 percent of the child care workforce.

A school leader explains how he uses the summer to reflect on what has worked well and how to adjust where necessary.