Lawmakers Urged to Secure Support for Education of English-speaking Learners within Congress
In a significant shift, the Trump administration has proposed the elimination of Title III funding for the 2026 fiscal year, a move that could potentially impact over $890 million in grants aimed at helping school districts hire bilingual tutors, purchase supplemental curricular materials, and offer professional development for teachers.
This proposal, outlined in the administration's May budget proposal, has sparked an urgent need for grassroots and national outreach to protect these federal dollars. Panelists at a recent webinar emphasized the importance of advocacy work, citing their efforts over the summer as instrumental in the Trump administration's decision to unfreeze federal education dollars in late July.
With the responsibility shifting from federal to state level, states are now tasked with ensuring schools safeguard students' rights. This includes disseminating clear guidance to Local Education Agencies (LEAs) about expectations for serving English learners and their families.
In response, states could potentially pass laws that mirror existing federal civil rights provisions to ensure these protections are enshrined in state policy. They could also help school districts use data to properly target the funding they have, fostering cooperation to share resources and expertise with other states and local agencies.
States could also create communities of practice to help districts conduct evaluations and review data of English learners, and maintain their data systems properly. Such communities could provide a platform for sharing best practices and addressing challenges in a collaborative manner.
However, the search results do not provide specific names of states planning to protect Title III funds for the 2026-27 school year in case of lack of appropriations. It is crucial for states to have plans in place should Title III funds go unappropriated for the 2026-27 school year.
The Trump administration's decision to quietly rescind the 2015 Dear Colleague Letter, which outlines how schools can meet federal requirements for teaching English learners, has added to concerns about the future of education for these students. The administration is also signaling a desire to no longer use the U.S. Department of Education's office for civil rights, nor the U.S. Department of Justice, to oversee and enforce civil rights rules for English learners and immigrant students.
On a positive note, key senators from both sides of the aisle voted to advance a federal budget bill for education, labor, and health that rejected the Trump administrationβs proposals to slash K-12 education investments, including the elimination of Title III. The bill still needs support from 60 members in the full Senate, and the public continues to wait for a House version.
As the situation evolves, it is essential that states take proactive steps to protect Title III funding for English learners. This includes creating clear guidelines, fostering cooperation, and ensuring proper use of data to safeguard the rights and education of these students.
