When parents can’t access educational services and information in their native language, children often fall into the role of ad hoc interpreters during conversations with other parents, parent-teacher conferences, and even discussions with school administrators. This creates immense pressure that impacts these children’s emotional and academic development. With schools already under-resourced, the current rollback of language access policies threatens to widen achievement gaps and deepen inequities. In this op-ed, Kristin Quinlan, a leading voice in language access, outlines concrete steps school districts, administrators, and policymakers must take to protect multilingual students and explains why evolving regulations pose such a threat to civil rights.
