Last Updated May 4, 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stay informed with advocacy-related news updates that impact multilingual learners, educators, schools, and TESOL programs across Ohio and the nation. This page highlights important policy developments, legislative updates, advocacy opportunities, and current issues connected to the TESOL profession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 2026 Ohio TESOL Legislative Priorities outline key recommendations and advocacy goals that support educators, schools, multilingual learners, and families across Ohio. This document highlights Ohio TESOL\u2019s commitment to meaningful educational opportunities, strong instructional supports, and policies that strengthen success for English learners and multilingual communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DEW <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In alignment with the principles outlined in the U.S. Department of Education\u2019s July 29, 2025, Dear Colleague letter, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce is requesting a waiver from select provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This request is designed to better coordinate state and federal requirements by focusing on evidence-based practices that support student success and strengthen school improvement efforts <\/p>\n\n\n\n
*Credit to Joseph Weitz at the ESCCO <\/strong>for compiling this update<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n DEW*<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n To strengthen this mission, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce is requesting flexibility from certain federal requirements under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)<\/p>\n\n\n\n *Credit to Joseph Weitz at the ESCCO <\/strong>for compiling this update<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Date: <\/strong>June 22-24, 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Update from TESOL International<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n U.S. federal support for English learners at all levels and the English language teaching profession is being diminished. From proposed funding cuts to the weakening of the U.S. Department of Education and its Office of English Language Acquisition, your voice has never been more important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n TESOL International Association, in partnership with the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE), invites you to join the 2026 TESOL\u2013NABE Advocacy Action Days on 22\u201324 June.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Together, we will navigate this evolving policy landscape through timely federal policy briefings and take action through coordinated meetings with congressional offices. This is your opportunity to stand alongside a national community of advocates working to protect and strengthen support for multilingual learners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 EdWeek<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The U.S. Department of Education took roughly $1 billion Congress appropriated for specific education programs during the first months of President Donald Trump\u2019s second term and either spent it differently than how lawmakers intended or hasn\u2019t spent it at all, the agency acknowledged in recently published budget documents <\/p>\n\n\n\n *Credit to Joseph Weitz at the ESCCO<\/strong> for compiling this update<\/p>\n\n\n\n Update from JOINT NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR LANGUAGES<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n April 21, 2026 | Washington Post<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n One year ago, the Trump administration gutted the Education Department\u2019s Office of English Language Acquisition, which is supposed to help about 5 million students in public schools \u201cattain English proficiency and achieve academic success.\u201d By \u201cgutted,\u201d I mean cut 14 of the 15 staff positions in that office<\/strong>. Now the department has given Congress official notice that it plans to dissolve the office entirely.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As of 2021, students identified as English learners made up 10.6 percent<\/strong> of the total K-12 population, and they are considered<\/strong> \u201cthe fastest growing population of students in K-12 schools.\u201d As you might expect, a lot of these kids are children of immigrants, both legal and illegal, and speak a language other than English at home.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Regardless of your opinion on illegal immigration, it\u2019s a good idea to help these kids become as proficient in English as possible. Particularly if you support President Donald Trump\u2019s executive order<\/strong> designating English \u201cthe official language of the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Trump administration offers several justifications for its effort to eliminate the Office of English Language Acquisition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Update from JOINT NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR LANGUAGES<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n April 6, 2026 | Jon Bernstein<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n On Friday, the White House released its proposed FY27 budget<\/strong><\/a>, which consists largely of top line goals and select program increases and eliminations. Overall, the Trump Administration is seeking to increase defense spending by $1.5 trillion \u2013 a whopping 44% increase \u2013 and to partially pay for this increase through a 10% cut in non-defense programs, including education. Interestingly, the budget proposes relatively limited cuts to the Department of Education, seeking to reduce spending by 2.9% (or $2.3 billion) in total. The two largest K-12 programs are protected under the budget, though, with Title I receiving level funding and special education receiving a $539 million increase. Full details about the exact funding levels for each program were not provided. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Already Congressional Democrats are assailing the budget, suggesting a long fight on funding awaits. Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) said in a statement: \u201cAfter passing the largest cuts to health care in American history, all to fund billionaire tax breaks and give ICE more money than most militaries, President Trump now wants Congress to defund dozens of programs that help students so that he can send other people\u2019s kids to fight a war with no justification.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Department of Education\u2019s FY27 budget again takes aim at language education programs. In K-12, it would eliminate Title III English Language Acquisition and Migrant Education<\/strong>, both of which last year\u2019s budget sought to zero-out. The budget justifies deleting the $890 million Title III program and $428 million Migrant Education program using a mix of rhetoric related to illegal immigration, low test scores and federal overreach as grounds. For Title III, the budget documents state:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last Updated May 4, 2026 Advocacy News & Updates Stay informed with advocacy-related news updates that impact multilingual learners, educators, schools, and TESOL programs across Ohio and the nation. This page highlights important policy developments, legislative updates, advocacy opportunities, and current issues …. Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-41629","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ohiotesol.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/41629","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ohiotesol.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ohiotesol.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ohiotesol.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ohiotesol.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41629"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/ohiotesol.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/41629\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41639,"href":"https:\/\/ohiotesol.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/41629\/revisions\/41639"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ohiotesol.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41629"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Public Comment Opportunity: ESEA Waiver Request and Proposed ESSA Amendment<\/a><\/strong>s<\/strong><\/a>\u2013 <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nFederal Updates<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n2026 TESOL-NABE Advocacy Action Days<\/strong><\/a>– <\/strong>TESOLers Taking Their Voices to Congress<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\u201cTrump Sidestepped Congress on More Than $1 Billion in Ed. Spending Last Year<\/strong><\/a>\u201d\u00a0 <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nTrump Steps Up a Campaign Against Teaching English to Immigrant Kids<\/strong><\/a> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
White House Releases FY27 Budget with More Cuts for Language Education Priorities<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n