MITESOL Advocacy Update: March 2025
Advocates,
The time is now to communicate with your elected representatives. You are constituents who need to educate policymakers on what you see and experience in your teaching environments - You are the experts!
- Use the MITESOL Advocacy Packet to find your state and federal representatives' contact information, call scripts, and other resources to stay informed and engaged.
- Join the MITESOL Advocacy Facebook group for frequent updates and resources!
SOLIDARITY WITH IMMIGRANTS in our Schools and Communities
Please use these resources to become informed and share with other educators so we are equipped to assist students and community members:
- Share these ACLU Know Your Rights videos in Spanish, Urdu, Arabic, Haitian Creole, Russian, & Mandarin to empower students and their families on how to deal with ICE
- School Self-Assessment Checklist for Legal Rights of Immigrant Students / Michigan Immigrant Rights Center
- Immigration Rights Schools Need to Know / Michigan Department of Education
- Preparation & Rapid Response Resources for Immigrants & Community Allies / Welcoming America
- Sanctuary School Toolkit: A Guide for Parents, Students, and Stakeholders in Local School Districts / GR Rapid Response to ICE
- School Crisis Playbook: Navigating Deportation Policies with Practical Tools and Preparedness / Fugees Family
Fugees Family Webinars, Trainings and Immigration Resources to Equip Schools and Families for Uncertainty
- TESOL's Community and Colleague Resources (scroll halfway down the page)
STATE ADVOCACY
How much federal education aid could Michigan lose?
If the Trump administration follows through on threats to cut federal money for public education, states could lose significant funding.
This tool from the Education Law Center provides projected revenue losses in each state by federal funding source. The tool also shows the number of entry-level teaching positions that would be lost if state education resources must fill the gap left by funding cuts.
As the 103rd Michigan legislature begins, stay up-to-date on state education news using these resources:
Bridge Michigan Talent & Education
Chalkbeat Detroit
Michigan Advance Education
and
Michigan Department of Education English Learners (ELs) site
FEDERAL ADVOCACY
2025 TESOL Advocacy Action Days
The virtual 2025 TESOL Advocacy Action Days that occurred February 24-25 were filled with important legislative information you can transform into action by asking your congressional policymakers to:
Advocate for the FY2025 Appropriations for Education
and
Support the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act – HR 1061 and S 455
Got 5 minutes? Go to the TESOL Advocacy Action Center and easily advocate for both these campaigns!
(Be sure to add your educational context and how it affects you/educators/students/community to the prepared message.)
You can also call your federal senators' and representative's offices using the directory in the MITESOL Advocacy Packet.
There were many valuable resources gleaned from Advocacy Days -- Educate yourself and your policymakers!
TESOL Advocacy HUB
Visit TESOL's page filled with resources to support learners, schools and communities under the current U.S. administration.
TESOL Webinar - Impact of Current U.S. Administration Actions on the ELT Field
The U.S. administration has begun efficiency reviews throughout the federal government that have direct and indirect impacts upon education, especially upon the ELT field and multilingual learners of English. (relevant as of February 5, 2025)
Please contact me with any information or questions you’d like to share!
Sharon Umlor
MITESOL Advocacy Coordinator
TESOL Advocacy Action Center
You do not need to be a TESOL member to use the TESOL Advocacy Action Center site!… Join in and support English learners and teachers today! 
The Action Center is also available via mobile app: Download the Voter Voice app & search for “TESOL International Association” in the organization field.
