ABSTRACT
Already most school districts have experienced an increase in the diversity of their student population and a decline in the diversity of the teaching workforce. Furthermore, research has shown that schools with large numbers of students of non-mainstream language backgrounds fall victim to low standardized test results, reduced resources, and reductionist approaches to instruction. At no time has the need for diversity training for teachers been so great. Studies of language attitudes have much to contribute to our understanding of what teachers need to know and be able to do to reduce the persistent and pernicious disparities in educational achievement. Simply put, in language diverse classrooms, attitudes toward language affect what is taught, how it is taught, and how well it is taught.
