Passing the Buck... To Whom?: Deconstructing Exclusion towards Reimagined Bilingual Education

• In Event: Reimagining the Future of Bilingual Teacher Education: Community and Field Visions, Policies, Pedagogies, and Praxis

Abstract

Currently, discussions within bilingual teacher education unwittingly endorse the compartmentalization of linguistically and neurodiverse student identities. This often means choosing one classification over another to access “appropriate” support, or avoiding diagnoses to retain bilingual education. While overidentification of English Learners (ELs) in special education has received attention, classification processes obscure who is responsible for which students. Employing a Critical Disability Raciolinguistic Perspective, we examine how models of personhood have shaped legislation, from the BEA and IDEA to the 2024 BEST Act, fracturing support services and assigning distinct deficits to students. This chapter uncovers legislative discourse that separates ELs and SWDs and imagines a holistic, critically conscious approach that supports all students. We close with actionable steps for local, cross-disciplinary implementation.

Authors

• María Cioe-Pena, University of Pennsylvania

• Diana Lalata, University of Pennsylvania

• Guadalupe Barrientos, University of Pennsylvania