Principal Newsletter: English Learner Program Updates for School Families
English learner programs are among the most misunderstood services in public schools. Non-EL families often do not know the program exists or what it involves. EL families often do not know their rights or what their children are receiving. Your newsletter is the tool that addresses both gaps simultaneously.
Explaining EL services to the whole school
Use your school-wide newsletter at the start of the year to explain what English learner services look like in your building. Who identifies students. What the service looks like: pull-out instruction, co-teaching, or a combination. How long students typically receive services. What happens when students reach proficiency.
Families who understand the program are more likely to support it and less likely to make assumptions about the students who participate in it.
Communicating with EL families in their home language
The school-wide newsletter is not sufficient for EL family communication. Federal law requires that communications to EL families be provided in a language they understand. Your newsletter to EL families should be translated into the relevant home languages and should cover all the information the English newsletter covers, plus the specific rights information that applies to EL students.
EL program outcomes and data
Share aggregate English language proficiency data in your newsletter: what percentage of EL students are on track for their proficiency level, how many students exited EL services this year because they reached proficiency, and what the school is doing for students who need additional support. Outcomes data is the most powerful argument for a well-funded EL program.
Family rights in the EL process
EL families have the right to understand the program, to participate in placement decisions, and to refuse EL services. Your newsletter should mention these rights and direct families to the EL coordinator for specific questions. Families who know their rights are better advocates for their children.
The role of EL staff in the school community
Introduce your EL teachers and program coordinator in the newsletter. Name them, describe their background and expertise, and include a quote about the program's approach. Families who know the people serving their children trust the program more than families who receive only policy descriptions.
Community events and cultural connections
When the school hosts events connected to EL families, including culturally relevant celebrations, translation services at community meetings, or EL family information nights, your newsletter should announce these to the whole school. Inclusion starts with visibility.
Get one newsletter idea every week.
Free. For teachers. No spam.
Frequently asked questions
What should a principal include in an English learner program newsletter?
What English learner services the school provides, how students are identified, what the program looks like for students at different proficiency levels, how progress is measured and communicated to families, and what rights EL families have under federal law. This context helps all families understand a program that is often invisible to non-participating families.
What rights do English learner families have and how should a principal communicate them?
EL families have the right to be notified of their child's identification as an English learner, to understand the program options available, to participate in program placement decisions, and to opt out of EL services if they choose. These rights must be communicated in the family's home language. Your newsletter to the whole school can explain the program; direct communications to EL families must happen in their language.
How do you communicate EL progress to families who may not be fluent in English themselves?
Translated communications are not optional. They are required under Title VI. Your newsletter to the whole school is one communication channel. Direct communications to EL families must be in their home language. The two channels serve different audiences.
How should a principal build understanding of EL services among non-EL families?
Explain the program in your whole-school newsletter as an asset to the school community. Students who develop bilingualism are strengthening a cognitive capacity. The EL program is a school resource, not a separate track. Families who understand this are more likely to support adequate program funding.
How can Daystage help principals communicate with diverse language communities?
Daystage lets principals send translated newsletters to specific family groups. A Spanish language version of the EL program update sent to Spanish-speaking families, alongside the English version sent to the rest of the school, ensures that the families most affected by the communication actually receive it in a language they can use.
Adi Ackerman
Author
Adi Ackerman is a former classroom teacher and curriculum writer with 8 years in K-8 schools. She writes about school communication, parent engagement, and what actually works in real classrooms.
More for Principals
Ready to send your first newsletter?
3 newsletters free. No credit card. First one ready in under 5 minutes.
Get started free