The AAAL Executive Committee Statement on the U.S. Department of Education Workforce Reduction

The U.S. Department of Education announced on March 11, 2025 that it would reduce the Department’s workforce by nearly 50%. As a professional organization dedicated to advancing language education, multilingualism, and international engagement, the AAAL Executive Committee is deeply concerned about reports suggesting that two major offices under the purview of the Department – the International and Foreign Language Education (IFLE) office and Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) – could be eliminated, in line with the Department’s proposed reorganization. The IFLE office administers Title VI and Fulbright-Hays grant and fellowship programs that prepare U.S. students, teachers, and citizens to address global challenges by fostering a deeper understanding of languages, cultures, places, and peoples. OELA provides national leadership to help ensure that English learners (ELs) and immigrant students attain English proficiency and achieve academic success. While no formal announcement regarding the shutdown of the two offices has been made, we urge policymakers to reaffirm their commitment to the essential programs run by these two offices whose elimination will have a direct and long-lasting impact on language education and research designed to better serve multilingual communities. The AAAL Executive Committee will work with peer language professional organizations and through our representative at the Joint National Committee for Languages-National Council for Languages and International Studies (JNCL-NCLIS), which is committed to ensuring that Americans have the opportunity to learn English and at least one other language, in order to affirm the importance of multilingualism and multiculturalism both abroad and within the United States, and to protect all individuals’ rights to language education.

Acknowledgement:
The AAAL Executive Committee would like to thank Amelia Tseng, the AAAL representative to JNCL-NCLIS, for her initial input on this statement.

Note: AAAL stands in solidarity with the organizations listed below that have issued statements at the following links:

American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)
https://www.actfl.org/news/actfl-statement-supporting-us-department-of-education

Joint National Committee for Languages-National Council for Languages and International Studies (JNCL-NCLIS)
https://www.votervoice.net/JNCL/campaigns/123403/respond

Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
https://www.tesol.org/news/tesol-statement-supporting-the-us-department-of-education/