For nearly a decade, Kevin Kelsey has taught English to Alachua County students. Now, as he begins another year at Gainesville High School, he fears federal policy changes are eroding protections for English language learners.
On Aug. 20, the U.S. Department of Education rescinded a 2015 guidance on English learner services. The guidance served as a roadmap for how these tools are provided to nearly 5 million students nationwide, including more than 1,000 in Alachua County.
Without the guidance, some educators worry English for Speakers of Other Languages, or ESOL, programs could fall further behind.
Three in eight children in Florida have at least one immigrant parent, which is slightly higher than the national average of two in eight, according to U.S. Census Bureau data from 2023. In Alachua County, 16.1% of residents speak a language other than English at home.
“It’s just one more dent in the armor that is protecting the rights of these students to get a quality education,” Kelsey said. “What I see it more doing is issues impacting ESOL students falling through the cracks, maybe intentionally, maybe unintentionally. They’re going to be more overlooked.”
In addition to teaching, Kelsey serves as the co-department chair for GHS’s ESOL program. The high school is one of three “center schools” in Alachua County, which provide specialized English learning classes. Students can attend center schools regardless of their zoning and are provided bussing. The other two schools are Parker Elementary and Westwood Middle School.
Kelsey said he doesn’t think much will change in the near future, partially because of how Alachua County has structured its support for English language learners, like the presence of ESOL programs at center schools.
But in the long run, the change could result in English as a second language classes having less funding, the district hiring less qualified ESOL teachers and placing students into English classes they aren’t prepared for, Kelsey said.
A decrease in federal accountability could especially impact underfunded and understaffed schools. When Kelsey started at GHS, the school didn’t have any curriculum textbooks for ESOL students, and he and his colleagues had to create many of their materials themselves, or else find them online.
As the federal government rolls back laws and guidelines, similar challenges for ESOL educators and students could continue to “fall through the cracks,” he said.
“The fact that you would make English the official language, and then you would start stripping away supports … it’s ironic that you would have both of those things play at the same time,” Kelsey said.
Alachua County Public Schools spokesperson Jackie Johnson said the change will not have an immediate effect in Alachua County. The county remains committed to supporting students learning English, she added.
“We have not received a formal notification, either through our ESOL office or the superintendent’s office, from the U.S. Department of Education,” she said.
Alachua County has ESOL support at every school, and each student is taught by a certified ESOL teacher who typically has hundreds of hours of training, Johnson said. She added that all English-learning students also receive specific learning plans, which lay out the services that students are provided.
Samantha Goldstein, a 35-year-old UF health behavior doctoral student and a parent of a voluntary pre-K student, said the change alarmed her.
“As a parent, I feel such empathy for those families who are now wondering if their child’s school will continue to support their child’s English language development and learning,” Goldstein wrote in an email. “This could rip away opportunities because of what they might miss during formative years. It also promotes an environment of fear and uncertainty.”
Goldstein also noted Gainesville has taken steps to value multilingualism, citing the dual language immersion program at Myra A. Terwilliger Elementary and its effects on cultural, cognitive and social learning.
“Florida, in general, seems to preemptively implement policies that the conservative federal government releases well in advance,” she wrote. “My hope is that Alachua will hold to their values and support their communities to provide quality education to all children, so they are able to thrive.”
Contact Logan McBride at lmcbride@alligator.org. Follow him on X @LoganDMcBride
Contact Maria Jose Cordero at mcastillo@alligator.org. Follow her on X @marprofundo___
María José Cordero is The Alligator’s Fall 2025 Caimán reporter and a political scientist currently in her first year of a master’s program in Women’s Studies, Gender and Sexualities. She has a keen interest in feminist perspectives and the intersections of politics and social change. In her free time, she enjoys outdoor activities, soaking up the sun and spending time in nature.
Logan McBride is a journalism junior and the Summer 2025 city commission reporter. In his free time, he enjoys watching TV shows or playing basketball at Southwest Rec. He is also a big football fan and will die for Dak Prescott.
