In this article, we address the ongoing call for research to be more relevant to educational policy and practice by focusing on the public controversy regarding bilingual education. To show how ethnographic research can be relevant, we present findings of two independent but parallel studies of how teachers implement bilingual education policies based on Proposition 227 in California. Findings from both studies indicate that the use of ethnographic methods yields a rich account of various factors that play a crucial role in determining how educational policy is implemented. In reporting on these ethnographic studies, we seek to provide an alternative voice in the ongoing discussion about the role of research in educational policy and practice.