U.S. education department plans to close office for English learners, raises concerns for Virginia

[mahatmakanejeeves]

U.S. education department plans to close office for English learners, raises concerns for Virginia

The planned dissolution of the office is part of a larger plan by President Donald Trump’s administration to abolish the Department of Education.

By: Nathaniel Cline - May 22, 2026
5:26 am

The U.S. Department of Education’s move last week to dissolve an office dedicated to ensuring that English learners and immigrant students gain English proficiency and academic success has prompted uncertainty among Virginia’s schools and students. ... The Virginia Board of Education’s changes to learning accountability standards heightens the potential impact of the federal shift. About 11% of Virginia’s total students who are English learners could now face more state testing and be less equipped to succeed.

English learners have typically been excluded from accountability testing because some are learning English for the first time and may need more time to become proficient. Under the previous regulations, approximately 35,000 students were excluded. The federal government funds support for English learners through Title III funds, associated with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

“The VDOE remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting divisions and teachers meeting the needs of our multilingual students,” the agency said in a statement on Tuesday in response to news of the federal Office of English Language Acquisition’s coming closure. “The federal Title III funds are critical to ensuring this work remains uninterrupted.” ... K-12 Dive reported about the closure on May 14.

The planned dissolution of the office is part of a larger plan by President Donald Trump’s administration to abolish the Department of Education. ... “The American people elected President Trump with a clear mandate: to sunset a 46-year-old, $3 trillion failed federal education bureaucracy in Washington, D.C., and return authority to where it belongs, to parents, teachers and local leaders,” U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon told U.S. House education committee members May 14.

{snip}

Nathaniel Cline
Nathaniel is an award-winning journalist who's been covering news across the country since 2007, including politics at The Loudoun Times-Mirror and The Northern Neck News in Virginia as well as sports for The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, Ohio. He has also hosted podcasts, worked as a television analyst for Spectrum Sports, and appeared as a panelist for conferences and educational programs. A graduate of Bowie State University, Nathaniel grew up in Hawaii and the United Kingdom as a military brat. Five things he must have before leaving home: his cellphone, Black Panther water bottle, hand sanitizer, wedding ring and Philadelphia Eagles keychain.

Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

MORE FROM AUTHOR