Parents at Rose City Park Elementary School in Portland, Ore., are concerned about the Vietnamese Dual Language Immersion program, which has only one teacher this year instead of the usual two due to budget cuts. The teacher, Chau Vo, is fluent in Vietnamese but not English, leading to inadequate English instruction for first-graders.

The Ypsilanti Puentes Multilingual School has opened in Michigan, offering a Spanish-English dual-language immersion program from kindergarten through fourth grade. Principal Celeste Green highlights the value of bilingualism for students' future careers, and the program has grown to 125 students since its 2021 inception.

Teachers can enhance their practice by leveraging generative AI, particularly when providing written feedback, writes David Cutler, an independent school teacher David Cutler. "Generative AI doesn't replace my judgment, but it does help me return your work faster, which we all value for better learning and engagement," Cutler writes. "I promise, I read everything you write and carefully review what AI generates about your work."

US colleges are awarding fewer education degrees as more teachers approach retirement, potentially affecting the teacher pipeline, according to the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. More teachers are entering the profession with alternative preparation programs, which have increased educator diversity but often provide less training and limited student-teaching.

The Grossmont Union High School District in California is facing backlash after eliminating all teacher-librarian positions, replacing them with library technicians who lack the same qualifications. This shift has resulted in limited library access and a decline in library services, students and teachers say. The district has created one district librarian position to oversee all libraries, a move critics say is insufficient.

Florida is moving to end decades of childhood vaccination mandates, a decision supported by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo. This shift marks a significant policy change in a state that already has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the US, with only about 89% of kindergartners fully vaccinated. The move has sparked concerns about potential increases in vaccine-preventable diseases.

ACTFL 2025 in New Orleans is the can't miss professional development event for language educators. With keynotes Miguel Cervantes and Steve Boyes bookending the over 800 sessions, attendees will carry the enthusiasm back to the classroom. Don't wait, the last day for advanced registration is tomorrow, Oct. 29. Register today.

Considering getting a certification? Registration has opened for Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and Modified Oral Proficiency Interview (MOPI) workshops, the first step to certification, taking place in early 2026. Learn more about which workshop is right for you.