Zachary Pietrantoni

This chapter examines the systemic barriers faced by multilingual learners (MLs) in U.S. schools and highlights the essential role of interdisciplinary collaboration in fostering equitable, culturally, and linguistically relevant practices for enhancing academic, career, and social-emotional development. The chapter demonstrates how monolingual expectations can obscure students’ strengths, hinder academic performance, and negatively affect social‑emotional well‑being. The chapter reviews the historical roots of monolingual policies, the persistent shortage of multilingual educators, and the deficit mindsets that contribute to inappropriate educational placement and inadequate social-emotional learning (SEL) support for MLs. This chapter emphasizes the importance of multilingual approaches by including accurate assessment practices, family engagement grounded in reciprocal partnerships, and the implementation of translanguaging pedagogy. The chapter further explores how interdisciplinary collaboration and a culturally responsive multi‑tiered system of supports can address academic, behavioral, and mental health needs across tiers. Finally, it offers recommendations for school counselors and school psychologists to promote academic, career, SEL, mental health, and family‑community strategies that affirm students’ linguistic identities and dismantle institutional barriers.