Teachers are widely considered one of the most influential factors affecting student learning in the U.S. public school classroom, but research exploring how and why teachers make specific instructional decisions in their classrooms is limited, especially in the area of English learner (EL) education. Existing research literature also lacks systematic studies of teachers' responses to education policy in local contexts. The research study described in this paper used Dervin's (2003) sense-making theoretical framework to answer the question: How do teachers of EL students make sense of current EL education policy? The sample included 17 general education and ESL teachers in one elementary school with a large proportion of EL students. Semi-structured interviews using Dervin's (2003) Micro-Moment Time Line approach focused on teachers' explicit responses to policy requirements and explored the influence of policy on teachers' instructional decisions. Data were analyzed using iterative In Vivo and Pattern Coding. Findings did not indicate a connection between teachers' instruction and their policy responses. Although teachers' interpretations of policy requirements almost completely aligned with policy messages in EL education policy text, teachers appeared to be unconsciously complying with policy expectations. Furthermore, teachers seemed to rely heavily on people rather than paperwork or professional development for their policy information. Contrary to other researchers' conclusions, the results from this study suggest local policy makers and education leaders should consider teachers' sources of policy information when teachers appear to misunderstand or resist policy expectations.