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TESOL Letters and Alerts
Home : Issues : Advocacy Resources : Letters and Alerts

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Access the Latest TESOL Letters and Alerts Documents:

• TESOL Submits ESEA Reauthorization Comments to the U.S. Senate (May 2010; PDF)
  As the U.S. Congress prepares for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), TESOL has submitted its recommendations to the leaders of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.
• TESOL Submits ESEA Reauthorization Comments to the U.S. House of Representatives (March 2010; PDF)
  As the U.S. Congress prepares for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), TESOL has submitted its recommendations to the leaders of the House Education and Labor Committee.
• TESOL Comments on Proposed Accommodations for NAEP (November 2009; PDF)
  In response to a solicitation by the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), TESOL submitted comments on the proposed uniform national rules for participation of English language learners in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), a nationally representative and continuing assessment of student achievement in the U.S.
• TESOL Supports the Strengthen and Unite Communities with Civics Education and English Skills Act (July 2009; PDF)
  TESOL wrote a letter in support of the Strengthen and Unite Communities with Civics Education and English Skills Act (S 1478/HR 3249), a bill that would provide much needed resources for adult ESL and civics education in the United States. This document contains copies of the letters sent to sponsors in the both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.
• TESOL Supports the Adult Education and Economic Growth Act (July 2009; PDF)
  TESOL has written a letter of support for the Adult Education and Economic Growth Act of 2009 (HR 3238/S 1468), a bill that would bring needed improvements to the adult education system in the United States, including critical enhancements for adult ESL programs. The attached includes letters to sponsors in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
• TESOL Submits Written Testimony on Adult ESL under WIA (PDF; May 2009)
  On May 5, the Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness Subcommittee in the U.S. House of Representatives held a hearing on programs and development under Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which is the primary funding vehicle for adult education in the U.S. Following the hearing, TESOL submitted written testimony on adult ESL under WIA.
• TESOL Letter in Support of the DREAM Act (April 2009; PDF)
  TESOL letters to the lead sponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate of the Defense, Relief, and Education of Alien Minors (DREAM) Act. This bill would create pathways to citizenship and lowers barriers to postsecondary education to undocument students who have lived in the U.S. for five years or more.
• TESOL letter to Presidential Transition Team (December 2008; PDF)
  In a letter to the transition team of U.S. President-elect Barack Obama, TESOL outlines its key issues for the next administration regarding issues affecting the field.
• TESOL co-signs letter opposing Title III grant administration restructuring (October 2008; PDF)
  In June 2008, the US Department of Education announced that it was restructuring the administration of the Title III grants under No Child Left Behind so that it would be combined with the Title I office effective the fall of 2008. (It previously was administered in the Office of English Language Acquisition.) TESOL co-signed this letter with other leading education groups expressing its objections to this restructuring.
• TESOL Responds to Passage of the Higher Education Opportunity Act (August 2008; PDF)
  After significant delays, the U.S. Congress has passed H.R. 4137, the Higher Education Opportunity Act. This important legislation reauthorizes the Higher Education Act, and includes many positive outcomes geared towards improving teacher quality, including new graduate fellowships in bilingual education and second language acquisition. TESOL responded to the passage of this legislation with a letter to Congressional leaders thanking them for their efforts to pass this important legislation and including important initiatives for the TESOL field.
• TESOL Supports the Strengthening Communities through English and Integration Act (July 2008; PDF)
  TESOL's letter of support for the Strengthening Communities through English and Integration Act, a new bill that would provide critically needed resources for ESL in the United States. The bill was introduced by Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA) and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY).
• TESOL Comments on Proposed SEVIS Fee Increase (June 2008; PDF)
  TESOL responds to the proposed fee increase for the Student Exchange and Visitor Information System (SEVIS) by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
• TESOL thanks Sen. Kennedy for support of EL/Civics (March 2008; PDF)
  Letter sent to Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) thanking him for his sponsorship of a budget amendment that would increase federal funding for classes that combine adult ESL and civics instruction.
• TESOL urges veto of Florida HB 0491/SB 0286 (March 2008; PDF)
  Letter from TESOL urging Florida Gov. Charlie Crist to veto HB 0491/SB 0286, which would curtail teacher training for reading instructors working with English language learners.
• TESOL supports PRIDE Act (March 2008; PDF)
  Letter in support of the the Providing Resources to Improve Dual-Language Education (PRIDE) Act, a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would provide resources for dual-immersion programs.
• Letter to Florida Gov. Crist Urging Veto of HB1219 (May 2007; 34 KB PDF)
  The Florida legislature has passed a bill (HB1219/S2512) that will reduce the number of inservice ESOL training hours for reading teachers from 300 to 60 hours, in violation of a 1990 Office of Civil Rights Consent Decree. In support of Sunshine State TESOL, a letter was sent to Gov. Charlie Crist urging his veto of the bill.
• TESOL Letter in Support of Coleman Amendment (May 2006; PDF)
  As the U.S. Senate again picks up the issue of immigration reform, TESOL urges Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to support an impending amendment by Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) that would ease student visa restritions.
• TESOL Co-signs letter in support of the DREAM Act (March 2006; PDF)
  TESOL joins 28 other organizations in supporting the DREAM Act in the U.S. Congress and thanking Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) for his leadership in sponsoring the legislation.
• Joint Organizational Statement on the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)
  TESOL, along with over 90 other education, civil rights, children’s, disability, and citizens’ organizations, has co-signed a joint organizational statement advocating changes to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
• TESOL Comments on Institute of Education Sciences Priorities (August 2005; PDF)
  The Institute of Education Sciences, the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education, recently asked the public to comment on its proposed priorities for research in education. TESOL's comments on the proposed priorities are available here.
• TESOL Letter in Support of Graduate Opportunities in Higher Education Act of 2005 (July 2005; PDF)
  On June 15, 2005, the Subcommittee on Education Reform in the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 510, the Graduate Opportunities in Higher Education Act of 2005. The bill reauthorizes the Higher Education Act, and identifies postbaccalaureate study related to teacher preparation and dissertation research in the fields of second language pedagogy and second language acquisition as priority areas for grants and graduate fellowships under the Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need program.
• TESOL Letter in Response to Change in Naturalization Test Redesign Process (May 2005; PDF)
  On March 29, 2005 the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) announced a sudden change in direction for the redesign of the United States naturalization exam, a process that had been underway since 2001. As TESOL had been a participant stakeholder in this process, the following letter expressing TESOL's concern on this decision was sent as a response.
• TESOL Urges Veto of West Virginia English Only Bill (April 2005; PDF)
  On the last day of its legislative session, the West Virginia legislature approved a bill that included a last-minute amendment making English the official language of the state. The letter from TEOSL President Elliot Judd urging the governor to veto the bill is available here.
• TESOL Comments on Proposed Title I Regulations of No Child Left Behind (August 2004; PDF)
  August 9, 2004--TESOL's response to the request for comments from the U.S. Department of Education on proposed regulation changes for the assessment of and accountability for English language learners under Title I of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB).
• Continuing Support for the DREAM Act
  (October 22, 2003) TESOL's letter to Senators Orrin Hatch and Patrick Leahy in support of S. 1545, the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act of 2003.
• TESOL Response to Arizona Dept. of Education Study (August 2004; PDF)
  TESOL's response to the Arizona Department of Education's draft report, The Effects of Bilingual Education Programs and Structured English Immersion Programs on Student Achievement: A Large-Scale Comparison, comparing the 2002-2003 performance on the Stanford 9 achievement test of students in bilingual education programs with those in structured English immersion programs.
• Opposition to the Repeal of Foreign Income Exclusion
  (May 15, 2003) TESOL's letter to Senator John Warner opposing the repeal of the foreign income exclusion for individuals (Section 911, Internal Revenue Code) in S. 1054, the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003.
• Comment on Proposal to Dismantle the ERIC Clearinghouses
  (May 1, 2003) TESOL's letter to Secretary of Education Rod Paige in response to the request for comment on the Statement of Work (SOW) for the next round of competition for the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), which calls for the termination of ERIC’s 16 subject-specific clearinghouses and the subsequent elimination of the substantial services they provide.
• Recommendations for the Reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act
  (April 23, 2003) Letter co-signed by TESOL to members of the Senate with recommendations for the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act.
• Initial Support for the DREAM Act
  (April 10, 2003) Letter co-signed by TESOL to Senators Orrin Hatch and Richard Durbin in support of the DREAM Act, which will provide paths to citizenship for children of illegal immigrants and opportunities for higher education in the United States.
• Comment on Proposed SEVIS Fee (PDF)
  TESOL's December 22, 2003 response to the request for comments on the proposed SEVIS student visa fee.
• Support for Hispanic Education Amendment
  (July 15, 2003) TESOL's letter to Senator Bill Frist in support the Hispanic Education Amendment to S. 1356, the appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education for FY04.

 

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