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This article examines recent U.S. language education policies regarding English learners (ELs) and their teachers using an interpretive policy analysis theoretical lens (Wagenaar  2011 ) incorporating a sensemaking perspective on organizational dynamics (Weick, Sutcliffe, and Obstfeld  2005 ). We portray U.S. EL policies as shaped by varying macro, meso, and micro-local sociohistorical contexts and conflicting discourses regarding language and education. We identify major tensions between (a) centripetal versus centrifugal policy influences; (b) monolingual English-only versus multilingual policy influences; (c) policies that address ELs’ specific instructional needs versus policies addressing equitable access to the mainstream curriculum. We argue that EL policy must be considered in tandem with language teacher education policies since educators’ sensemaking of these tensions depends on their professional training, dispositions, and beliefs. We identify significant gaps in U.S. language teacher education policies including (a) low and inconsistent levels of teacher preparation, (b) little training for mainstream educators, and (c) inadequate recruitment of educators from EL students’ ethnolinguistic communities. Based on our analysis, we argue for rigorous comparative interpretive policy analyses (Appe and Telch  2020 ) of EL and language teacher education policies both within and across English-dominant societies to elucidate common challenges, advocate and work for equity, and make institutional change.

English learner education and teacher preparation in the U.S.: an interpretive language education policy analysis