Update as of February 13, 2026: 

Great news for English learners and multilingual communities - Title III is level-funded at $890 M in the newly approved federal education budget! This means continued support for language acquisition and academic achievement nationwide. Let’s celebrate and keep advocating for equitable education funding! Read more in EdWeeks article. ACLUs press release also covers how the Department of Education is backing down on its unlawful directive targeting educational equity.

EL student and teacher funding is in danger again! Congress needs to hear from you before the end of the month.

Congress is currently in FY 26 budget talks regarding education funding, with appropriations potentially happening as early as this week. Last year the Senate Appropriations Committee put forth a bill that keeps most program funding at the same level. However, the House Appropriations Subcommittee moved forward a markup that would eliminate or reduce funding supporting educators and ELs at all levels.

If the House version passes, this would impact schools' ability to:

• Provide language instruction programs and targeted academic support
  
• Offer critical professional development for teachers of ELs
  
• Ensure proper planning, staffing, and budgeting for the 2025-26 school year

Help Protect EL Federal Funding

We need you to act now! The bill now goes to the Senate for debate and, hopefully, passage next week before January 30, when the current continuing resolution funding the government expires. Express your support for the Senate Version of the Education Appropriations Bill and tell them funds for EL students and educators must be protected.  Thank you to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and Illinois Resource Center (IRC) for leading the charge on this campaign. Cross-posted on Public Statements page.