Presently in the United States there are 4.4 million English language learners (ELLs) in public schools, with California public schools being home to more than 40% of these students (Rumberger & Gandara, 2004). Research indicates that it takes an individual up to seven years to fully develop a second language (Collier, 1987; Krashen, 1994). However, in many schools across the country students are being required to speak only English and be mainstreamed into English classrooms "as quickly as possible" (Kerper Mora, 2000). Such programs occur not based on best pedagogy, but are due in part to policies that claim "English for the Children" and "No Child Left Behind" As a result of such policies many classroom teachers feel they have little no voice or power when policy mandates impact the curriculum and teaching processes in their classrooms (Darder, 2002). To address this feeling of powerlessness requires the development of spaces where teachers have the opportunity to discuss policy and begin to understand the politics and policies which directly impact their everyday lives as teachers. One space for this to occur is in a graduate level education class titled--Language Policies and Practices. This article outlines the processes, materials and outcomes of the 16-week course and the impact of this learning on classroom practice and their engagement with fellow teachers and administrators at school sites. The outcome and implications of this experience can be applied to both teacher education and school professional development seminars. The outcomes and implications articulated in this article are based on journal responses and research projects that reflect student perceptions, attitudes and actions as a result of their learning processes.