The restrictive consequences of promoting tolerance

Abstract

The field of educational language policy (ELP) analysis has long argued about the need for reform to combat the restrictive nature of English Only policies. However, the tolerance orientation or absence of actionable steps to combat linguistic oppression through ELP is problematic in its implicit limitations for multilingual learners of English (MLEs). We argue that an ELP that orients toward tolerance of language learning is perhaps as oppressive for MLEs as a restrictive ELP and even more insidious because of the covert nature of neglecting opportunities for MLEs. In this mixed-methods study (corpus linguistics involving a case study analysis) of two districts and a state that all have explicit ELP, we evaluate both the orientations of the policies and their implications. In the two districts, we found that tolerance ELP has negative consequences in the support for MLEs (in spending, programmatic decision-making, and graduation rates). The study concludes with a call to action for district-level leaders and leader/teacher preparation programs to consider the subtle messaging of ELP orientations as a heuristic for critically evaluating how districts can meaningfully engage with and support MLE leader/teacher preparation, thereby subsequently supporting MLEs to reach their fullest potential in our schools.

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