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Official Statement from JNCL-NCLIS on the U.S. Supreme Court Decision Regarding the Department of Education
July 16, 2025
Official Statement
The Supreme Court's decision to allow the President and the Secretary of Education to fire nearly half of the Department of Education’s expert staff will have terrible consequences for our country. It creates a clear and dangerous pathway toward prohibiting or preventing the type of educational access that every student in this nation deserves—especially and including English language learners.
As a national advocacy organization focused on language education, JNCL is particularly disturbed by the impact this decision will have on opportunities for all learners to acquire English and at least one additional language—central to our mission. The Supreme Court’s ruling will allow the Department to remove 14 of the 15 employees of the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA), effectively eliminating the only dedicated federal entity focused on supporting the academic achievement and English proficiency of multilingual learners. If literacy is truly a concern of this administration, then closing the office charged with collecting data and guiding national efforts to advance literacy for all learners will only create a fragmented and inequitable patchwork of educational experiences across states, dependent on local infrastructure and political will.
Likewise, the Supreme Court’s decision allows the Department to move forward with terminating employees who staffed the Office of International and Foreign Language Education (IFLE), which supports study abroad, international education, and advanced foreign language study in higher education, marks a major setback to our nation’s global readiness. Without a dedicated office to ensure that students in higher education have the opportunity to engage in study abroad and international learning, we severely impede our country’s ability to lead globally. These experiences are essential to building a workforce that understands the cultural foundations underpinning every interaction and language. Removing this federal support places American students at a distinct disadvantage in the global economy and weakens our national capacity in diplomacy, security, and innovation. Our nation has a responsibility to prepare students not only with core content knowledge but with the skills to understand and communicate with people from across the world. Language education is at the heart of full literacy, and multilingualism is an essential and critical skill for our economy, national security, and our children's ability to compete and collaborate in a globalized world.
JNCL and its national group of 300,000 advocates call on every person who cares about our children and their education - every student's education - to speak up. Whether you are a professional, a parent, a student, a Congressional leader, or a Supreme Court Justice, it is important for every single person to share their stories and perspectives about how important educational opportunity for all learners is to us as a national community.
JNCL will continue to advance the values and goals that support comprehensive, globally-focused education for all learners in the United States. This includes a strong commitment to English language learners, sustained support for language education, and the prioritization of multilingualism—a hallmark of our nation’s strength.
AFLTA joins ACTFL and regional language organizations in policy statements
July 14, 2025
Dear Secretary McMahon and Director Vought,
On behalf of nonpartisan organizations representing millions of communities, school districts, educators, families, and learners, we urge you to immediately disburse legally obligated funds to states for the following programs: Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants (Title II-A); 21st Century Community Learning Centers (Title IV-B); Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (Title IVA); English Language Acquisition (Title III-A); Migrant Education (Title I-C); and Adult Basic and Literacy Education State Grants (including Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education State Grants). Communities rely on the timely disbursement of these dollars, particularly with school opening in just a few weeks, and the Department of Education’s (“USED” or “the Department”) failure to allocate them is deeply damaging to our schools, our students, and our educators. To date, the Department has offered no rationale for these allocation delays, no explanation of what the Department and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) are reviewing, and no date when states can expect to receive these critical funds. As a result, educational institutions are being forced to layoff staff, cancel programs, and terminate contracts that will impact more than 95,000 schools, nearly 55 million K-12 students, and 1.2 million adult learners across the nation. Even if funds are released imminently, damage has already been done. July 1 disbursements to the states are critical for the institutions that educate and support young people and adult learners across the country––state and local education agencies, school districts, out of school time programs, adult education classes, programs for English Language Learners, professional development programs, mental health services and more. The grants amount to more than $6.8B in support for these programs, including $6.2B for K-12 educational entities. The Department of Education’s refusal to disburse funds threatens the delivery of critical services and erodes the trust districts and community based organizations place in the federal government. This has been catastrophic for on-going education programming, including currently operating summer programs that are trying to help keep young people healthy, safe, and learning. And in states across the country, schools are preparing to open their doors for the 2025-2026 school year in the coming weeks but are doing it short hundreds of thousands, and in some cases, millions of dollars that they expected to have in hand this month. Withholding these funds sabotages the education and wellbeing of learners in all districts and all states in our country, regardless of their political affiliation or representation. It is on behalf of students, families, and educators that we urge OMB and the Department immediately release these funds.
AFLTA joins ACTFL in policy statements
ACTFL Statement Supporting the U.S. Department of Education
March 12, 2025
ACTFL condemns in no uncertain terms the elimination of nearly half of the staff of the United States Department of Education, as announced by the department on direction from the White House on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. We stand beside our members, U.S. educators and administrators, students of language, organizational partners, and multilingual communities across the country in opposing this misguided and shortsighted attempt to decimate an agency that is vital to our nation’s youth.
The U.S. Department of Education provides critical resources, support, and guidance to ensure that all of our children—including the most vulnerable and those disadvantaged—have access to the funding and services they need to grow into engaged participants of our society. Losing close to 2,000 U.S. Department of Education employees since the start of the Trump Administration means that the students and teachers served by this agency will face considerable—and avoidable—challenges in their ability to receive and provide a world-class education.
“This destruction of the Department of Education will remove national accountability that ensures the services and resources that our ACTFL members, their learners, and families rely upon. We are closely monitoring these events and fully support our U.S. Department of Education colleagues in the important work that they do,” said ACTFL Executive Director Lawrence M. Paska, Ph.D., CAE.
The Trump Administration has not veiled its intent to ultimately return the responsibilities of a centralized education agency to the state level. Further cuts to the U.S. Department of Education, which has already been significantly thinned of employees with pauses to some grants and civil rights initiatives prior to this mass elimination, will have devastating effects on the future success of more than a generation of U.S. youth, from pre-Kindergarten to college.
U.S. Department of Education programs annually support more than 50 million elementary and secondary students nationwide.
Nearly 12 million K-12 and postsecondary students are enrolled in career and technical education programs—a federally supported subject for the past century.
7.5 million special education students (the highest number to date) relied on Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) services in 2022-23.
One third of U.S. college students receive Pell Grant funding to support their higher education, without which lower-income students may not be able to continue their studies. Likewise, federal grants also provide vital funding to institutions to ensure that universities can build and expand U.S. expertise and capacity for understanding other world regions, cultures, and languages.
ACTFL President Milton Alan Turner shared, “Language learners come from all backgrounds, abilities, and family settings. It is difficult to imagine the dangerous and widespread impact that this action will have on all of our children and their families.”
Along with our partners, ACTFL firmly opposes steps by the White House and U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to return the responsibilities of a national Department of Education to individual states, which would actively prevent millions of children and families from accessing resources critical to their learning and well-being.
Moreover, the misconception that education can simply be returned to the states is false: Education has always been structured at the state level; state and local education agencies often rely on the U.S. Department of Education to support their programs. This falsehood is devastating to our national interests in higher education, the workforce, security, and global interaction.
The U.S. Department of Education provides vital support that enables states to provide essential programs and services to all students, and ensures that the United States has a world-class education system nationwide. The prospect of leaving learners in some states without comprehensive educational support—due to an inability to staff the programs on which they rely—is unacceptable.
We ask the White House to reverse this damaging decision and urge Congress to fulfill its Constitutional duty to ensure that the programs it authorizes and funds through appropriation are maintained and safeguarded. Finally, we ask that the courts resist this attempt to undermine our nation’s educational system by upholding the Constitutional intent of the three equal branches of government.
ACTFL Statement on English Designated as the Official Language of the United States
March 7, 2025
ACTFL stands against the recent White House Executive Order designating English as the official language of the United States, a concerning development that sends an exclusionary message to millions of Americans. Indeed, the President's Executive Order rescinds Executive Order 13166 of August 11, 2000, which was specifically written to "[Improve] Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency." While there is little doubt that English proficiency is valuable for communication and economic opportunity, policies that formally elevate one language at the expense of others fail to recognize the rich linguistic diversity that has long been a strength of our nation.
ACTFL President Milton Alan Turner notes, “Designating English as an official language is intended to have a chilling effect on speakers of other languages. We should be affirming the multilingual heritage of our country and ensuring that all citizens and residents can fully participate in society. Official English almost always equals English Only.”
From its founding, the United States has been a linguistically diverse country. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 67 million people in the United States speak a language other than English at home. These languages are not just remnants of cultural heritage; they are active, living foundation of communities that contribute to the economic, educational, and social fabric of our country. To designate English as the official language sends a message that certain communities are less valued, which is both divisive and counterproductive.
From an educational perspective, this policy may also contribute to the erosion of bilingual education programs and language access initiatives that help students from diverse linguistic backgrounds succeed. Studies have consistently shown that bilingualism offers cognitive, economic, and social benefits—and that such language and accompanying social skills are highly sought by U.S. employers. ACTFL urges that, instead of limiting language access, the United States should be investing in programs that encourage multilingualism as a skill that enhances economic opportunity, strengthens national security, and fosters international diplomacy.
“Our research shows that 90% of American employers actively rely on individuals with skills in languages other than English, and that demand is on the rise. This is not the time to focus on how we as American citizens can be made more alike, but rather how we can celebrate the unique talents we each contribute to uplifting and enhancing our society,” shares ACTFL Executive Director Lawrence M. Paska, Ph.D., CAE.
We should embrace an approach that values all languages spoken in the United States. While English proficiency should be encouraged and supported, this should not be done in a way that marginalizes those who speak other languages.
We urge policymakers to reconsider the implications of this Executive Order and to pursue initiatives that support, rather than diminish, linguistic diversity. Recognizing multiple languages is not a sign of weakness or division—it is a testament to our country’s strength, resilience, and enduring commitment to a strong future.
JNCL-NCLIS Delivers Policy and Funding Recommendations on Language Education to the Trump-Vance Administration
WASHINGTON, D.C, January 16, 2025 - As the 119th Congress opens and the Trump-Vance Administration prepares to take office, JNCL-NCLIS is already working to ensure that key players in the Trump-Vance Transition Team are aware of the value of language education. To that end, we have prepared a detailed Transition Memo that outlines the language education value proposition and explains our specific legislative and funding priorities. We encourage you to review this document and circulate it throughout our community.
The JNCL-NCLIS Transition Memo is aimed not just at the Trump-Vance Transition Team charged with the Department of Education’s transition to the new Administration but also at the Trump-Vance Transition Teams that have landed at the Departments and Federal Agencies responsible for Homeland Security, Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, and State. We have done this because language education is critical to fulfilling their missions, duties and obligations to citizens and residents of the United States.
Specifically, we make the following key points about language education in this memo:
The U.S. continues to experience a language education crisis that has significant ramifications for many facets of American life.
Compared to other nations, the United States government provides only limited support for language education.
In the U.S., language education is under attack at each and every education level – from higher education, where programs and entire Departments are sustaining cuts and eliminations, to K-12, where schools face critical language educator shortages and reduced language education requirements.
The lack of Americans’ language skills is having a deleterious impact on our nation’s economy, with businesses unable to find multilingual employees and losing business as a result.
This language crisis also has very real implications for communication in the workplace and can cause safety issues.
Language proficiency continues to be a problem for protecting our nation from attack and prosecuting its military and intelligence missions abroad.
The inability of Americans to speak a language other than English creates significant issues in a health care setting as medical staff cannot communicate with the millions of U.S. residents who do not speak English at all or have limited English proficiency.
The limited number of U.S. citizens with language skills is compromising the effectiveness of the State Department’s embassy and diplomatic work.
To help ameliorate these issues, JNCL-NCLIS’s Transition Memo offers a wide-array of legislative and regulatory proposals to multiple Federal Agencies:
1. Department of Education
Support federal programs such as ESEA Titles II-A, III, and IV-A for professional development and dual language programs.
Pass the World Language Education Assistance Program (World LEAP) to establish K-12 language grants.
Support the Biliteracy Educational Seal and Testing (BEST) Act to expand Seal of Biliteracy programs.
Invest in higher education language programs under Title VI of the Higher Education Act.
Mandate language education data collection through updates to the Educational Sciences and Reform Act.
2. Department of Defense
Restore WLARA funding to at least $15 million and expand eligibility to all school districts.
Reinstate or replace the STARTALK program to support critical language teacher training.
Restore funding to The Language Flagship program.
3. Department of Homeland Security
Expand federal investment in language training for personnel involved in homeland security and intelligence.
Increase funding for the Defense Language Institute and The Language Flagship Program.
4. Department of Labor
Support initiatives through the National Apprenticeship Act, the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act or other new or existing programs that provide credentials to apprentices or CTE students that demonstrate proficiency in languages other than English.
Translate workplace manuals and develop training materials in frequently spoken non-English languages.
Fund language education for supervisors and employers to improve workplace communication.
5. Department of Health and Human Services
Develop programs to train interpreters and translators with specialized medical knowledge.
Support initiatives to improve access to language services in healthcare settings.
6. Department of State
Pass the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Act to expand study abroad opportunities and encourage language learning.
Increase funding for scholarships and exchange programs like the Gilman International Scholarship and Critical Language Scholarship
This Transition Memo is but the start of our efforts to protect the federal language education programs that already exist and create new policy and funding streams that will address America’s language crisis. Stay tuned for more news of our work on all of these fronts.
The full memo can be downloaded at the following link: https://bit.ly/4fUQPL7
About JNCL-NCLIS: Established in 1972, the Joint National Committee for Languages (JNCL) and the National Council for Languages and International Studies (NCLIS) unites a national network of leading organizations and businesses comprised of over 300,000 language professionals to advocate for equitable language learning opportunities. Our mission is to ensure that Americans have the opportunity to learn English and at least one other language.
Contact: info@languagepolicy.org
The 50th Anniversary Conference
About the Conference
Dear AFLTA Colleagues,
The October 2024 Annual Conference was a big success! Not only did we celebrate 50 years of the organization’s leadership in second language education in Arkansas, but we also focused on new opportunities to build programs throughout the state, focusing on the development of dual language programs. Our keynote presenter, Brandon Locke., who has a variety of experiences in developing and maintaining dual language / immersion programs (DUI) provided rationales for such programs as well as practical strategies for their development in schools and school districts.
Watch for information here about AFLTA approaches to developing quality DUI programs in Arkansas schools.
Job opportunities
As we receive information regarding openings for teachers, they will be posted here. If you have questions, please contact the area offering the job directly.
Spanish Roadmap
A project initiated by UA, Fayetteville designed to address profound growth of Spanish-speaking populations in our community, state and nation through pioneering research and public programming.
“This project has the potential to make Arkansas a model in Spanish language teaching through a research program that will harness widely dispersed data in hopes of shaping policy and symposia with public school teachers, university faculty and community leaders.”
Here’s a link to the website for more information and details.