President Trump declares English as the national language and makes deep cuts to the Department of Education, leaving English language learning students at a disadvantage.
President Donald Trump proposed a new round of budget cuts following the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) orders to reduce government spending. These cuts will come at the expense of federal public services including the Department of Education (DOE).
Ultimately, the goal is to cut $13 billion, about 15%, from the DOE. This will decrease the budget from $79.6 million to $66.7 million. Of which, is in Congressional limbo after Trump signed an executive order in March calling for its closure. While fulfilling the demands of DOGE, therein lies an undisclosed objective to defund English as a Second Language (ESL) education. Along with signing an executive order declaring English to be the official language of the country, Trump has also fired all but one staffer at the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA).
The OELA has served over five million ESL students and many others in public schools to attain success in English proficiency and multi-literacy, as well as professional development, among other goals. In part, by ensuring that funding is properly dispensed to these programs.
In a statement by the American Federation of Teachers, they described these efforts as Trump attempting “…to abolish the US Department of Education (ED) by executive order and [DOGE’s] Elon Musk takes a chainsaw to the federal government and the services and security it provides Americans.”
“If you are making it hard for me, how am I going to contribute to the country?” Asked a New Jersey teacher who wished to remain anonymous. “I think it is an asset to have people speaking another language, look around and you have people who speak multiple languages and it is a beautiful place.”
| Read: Trump Administration’s closure of the DOE brings up questions for the future of ESL students
A former student of ESL and dual-language classes, the teacher has a deeper understanding of the difficulties an English-language learner (ELL) faces in the U.S. They were able to attend Title 1 schools, which provided resources and assistance to allow them the confidence to communicate in the target language of English.
However, they noted that they felt like an “outcast” when put into mainstream classes. As a student who was still learning English, being in a classroom of fluent speakers can be both intimidating and overwhelming.
“And I think that’s probably how some of these kids might feel,” the educator empathized.
According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, there are 5.3 million English learners – 10% of the total U.S. student population – enrolled in public schools. Meaning, one in 10 American students are English learners.
Despite the rise in language instructional needs, there remains a critical shortage of ESL teachers as public institutions across the country deal with staffing shortages. Teachers, as well, are burdened with a growing number of ELL, while lacking the proper training and resources to assist them.
Placing ELL students into mainstream classes remains as schools adjust to demographic shifts. Again, lacking staff and resources to deal with such changes.
Also, there is the issue of adjustment to a new, different educational system for these students. This adaptation includes fitting in with their peers and learning a different culture and norms than what is familiar to them.
“They’re already trying to adapt to living in another country, adapt to new friends, new expectations, and to throw them in a classroom, whe[re] all the English is spoken, [even] the teacher doesn’t know how to communicate with them,” explained the teacher.
If the proposed cuts to the DOE follow through, and ELL students fail to get the help they need, the matter of how well they do will be on the line.
“It is going to be frustrating for educators and for newcomers and for people in transition and becoming fluent in the language… we are all in here for the American Dream,” the teacher responded to the Administration’s decisions.
Outcomes for ESL students
Even before Trump’s proposed downsizing of the DOE, ESL education faced persistent challenges. A key factor in this is the lack of staffing, including other issues such as limited resources, and the training and tools needed to adequately prepare educators to take on the role.
Delivering high-quality education in any subject requires substantial investment, but there is a heavier lift for those with specialized accommodations while they are simultaneously learning a new language. “Our job as ESL teachers is not easy,” said another ESL teacher who wished to remain unidentified. “It’s not [just] about learning English…it is [also] adapting to the culture.”
Aside from educators who have difficulties, ELL students struggle to keep up with their native English speaking peers academically.
According to a study out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, ELL student test scores have been on a decline since the COVID-19 pandemic. A Northwestern Evaluation Association report further revealed these students have a higher chance to become high school dropouts and have a lower chance to attend colleges compared to native speakers.
Not to mention, ESL encompasses a large number of varying backgrounds and languages that ESL teachers are not fluent in. Hence, making it all the more hard to communicate with, or properly gauge and advocate for, these students’ special needs–especially, if they have learning disabilities.
The Institute of Education Sciences reports that around 11% of ELL students are classified as having a learning disability. This sometimes results in them receiving delayed services or none at all.
In other cases, when students remain unassessed or under-assessed, it runs the risk of them not being classified as having a disability and miss out on receiving an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
Under the DOE prerequisites, evaluations have to be conducted in the students’ primary language with a child study team member who can interpret, with staffing concerns that may not always occur or come at a delay.
“There’s a lot of testing like ACCESS, STAR, and NJSLA, to help with the data in assessing ESL learners and putting them in appropriate levels, and there’s “sheltered” classes which are basically watered down versions of the other academic, honors and standards,” the educator clarifies on learning assessments administered in New Jersey and for ELL students.
Concerning matters, such as increased use of A.I. as a tool to translate schoolwork, makes educators feel that progress is challenging. For instance, advancing technology can now speak and solve comprehension work for English learners. Ultimately, undermining their autonomy and ability to do so.
However, the educator still believes improvements can be made. “A big focus will be on learning how to speak, read, write and listen in English depending on the WIDA model, smart use of AI, and SIOP strategies,” they observe.
Nevertheless, any improved outcomes for ESL students would be an investment requiring funding for research, development, technology and staff training – something seemingly at odds with the DOGE’s current mission.
“I think the whole thing is a money scheme,” the teacher opines regarding budget cuts.
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