“She has no business in dual language:” A Critique of Current Inequitable (dis)Placement Trends in a Two-Way Dual Language Program.

• In Event: Critical (re)construction in Teacher Education: Inclusive Race, Disability, and Language

Abstract

This qualitative study investigates inequitable (dis)placement practices in a Two-Way Dual Language Program (TWDLP) at a Title I elementary school in Central Texas. Grounded in Latino Critical Race Theory, Ruiz’s Orientations in Language Planning, and the Paradox of Bilingualism, the research centers on interviews with two mothers—one Latinx and one white—whose children are enrolled in the same first-grade TWDLP classroom. Findings reveal how deficit-based ideologies and inconsistent policy enforcement marginalize transnational language learners while privileging English-dominant students. The study contributes to scholarship on language policy and educational equity by highlighting how racialized families resist exclusionary practices. Implications are offered for educators and policymakers committed to asset-based approaches and the equitable implementation of bilingual education.

Author

• Dora Diaz, University of Texas at Austin