English language development specialists' views on emergency remote teaching

For teachers of English learners (ELs), especially English language development (ELD) specialists, navigating federal, state, and local policies guiding the content and language education of ELs is a regular part of their professional role. However, during the swift move to emergency remote teaching amid the COVID‐19 pandemic in early 2020, the policy structures that normally ensure equitable education for ELs were severely challenged. In the present study the researchers sought to understand how ELD specialists implemented and interpreted policy to uphold the educational rights of ELs during the emergency remote teaching. Four major themes emerged in the analysis: instructional and assessment decisions, the multifaceted role of an ELD specialist, commitment to equitable instruction, and multistakeholder accountability. Across all themes, ELD specialists expressed an equity‐focused orientation and the desire for more explicit policy and guidance to support ELs. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.