Bilingual Teacher Leadership: Supporting Linguistically Responsive Practices and Parent Engagement in Schools

The United States is facing a bilingual teacher shortage, a fact that is particularly troubling as the emergent bilingual population continues to grow nationwide. Prior research suggests that the shortage of bilingual teachers may affect the quality of instruction emergent bilinguals receive, yet little is known about the potential effects of this shortage on schools more broadly. In this article, we draw on the concept of teacher leadership to explore whether and how bilingual teachers contribute outside the classroom. Our mixed methods approach drew on surveys and interviews with elementary teachers in eight school districts across three states and identified the ways in which bilingual teachers acted as informal teacher-leaders who supported colleagues' professional development and parent engagement. Findings have important policy implications for policy in terms of supporting bilingual teachers' recruitment and retention, as well as for research on bilingual teacher leadership.