This paper reports findings from interviews conducted in two states in the American Northwest, Oregon and Washington, to explore how standards-based educational reform affects English language learners (ELLs) and the educational professionals who serve them. This paper focuses on two sets of multifaceted tensions: (1) organizational tensions that recoil when schools attempt to incorporate simultaneously extreme standardization in a highly diverse internal environment; and (2) political tensions that ensue when schools must respond to highly charged external public issues. Lengthy interviews were conducted with educators in Washington and Oregon in 1998. Interview questions were open-ended, and covered a range of issues including perceptions about the consequences of state legislation regarding standards and ESL programmes, the nature of building and district-level politics as well as the impact of politics at the state and national level, the readiness and willingness of teachers who work effectively with ELLs, and educators observations about the effects of standards-based assessment on students. This research highlights important challenges presented by the responsibility to educate ELLs in a reform environment dominated by statewide assessments and higher standards. The respondents believe that state-mandated and state-managed high-stakes assessments will remain one of the most important elements of the new school reform initiative and they welcome the inclusion of ELLs in the assessments in hopes that the assessments will be used to identify the needs and conditions of ELLs. (Contains 2 tables.)