"No one knows who I am": What school leaders can learn from ESL teachers

Abstract

Studies have indicated that English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers face many challenges in meeting the needs of
emergent bilinguals (EBs). Yet, little scholarship has addressed what actions school leaders can take to resolve teachers’
concerns. Through the voices of five ESL teachers from a district with a high number of EBs, this case study moves beyond
listing the challenges ESL teachers face to discussing actions school leaders can take to address the needs of ESL teachers.
More specifically, the participants describe a lack of leadership in promoting collaborations between teachers, ineffective
implementation of a push-in model, and issues of time and assessment policy. Suggestions of actions include
collaborative leadership with ESL teachers, distributing teaching of EBs a core responsibility for all teachers, valuing
multiculturalism and multilingualism, and thinking beyond standardized testing.