How California Is Making Up for 20 Years of English-Only Education

A school district in New Mexico is finding success with a dual language education program. A regular school day for an elementary school student in a Gadsen school district school might entail reviewing their math or history in Spanish or English, depending on the assigned language that week. “Our bilingual programs are not just for English learners, they’re for all of our students," Mayra Valtierrez, the director of language and culture at the New Mexico Public Education Department, said. "That’s something that’s unique to our state."

Boulder Valley schools are working with Latino parents to create networks of community support, feedback, and insight about the success of Latino children in the district. Parents are working with the school district to make sure stereotypes and racial bias aren't limiting their children from receiving food services and quality education that fit their needs.

The Parent Educator Academy provides training in Spanish and English to help Latino parents in Arizona navigate a complex education system and advocate for their children at school. The program is now in its fifth cohort and has served parents from more than 30 schools in three counties.

Los Angeles Community Colleges are now offering subject-matter courses taught in students’ native languages, including Spanish, Russian, and Korean. The tuition-free vocational classes allow students to earn certificates in a trade or work toward a GED, all while learning in the language they’re most comfortable speaking.

At Su Casa Preschool in Memphis students are taught the usual curriculum plus second language development. The program focuses on helping Spanish-speaking immigrant children access quality education.

Gus the Bus, Magic Bus, El Busesito, and other traveling classrooms are working to fill the persistent preschool gap in Colorado's childcare deserts. Most days the mobile preschools park near apartment complexes or mobile home parks and offer instruction to neighborhood children. In the coming years, providers hope to be able to use the same quality ratings as stationary schools and expand from rural areas into Denver and other urban centers throughout the state.

The Migrant Education Program, which offers educational and social services to migrant worker families in Colorado’s San Luis Valley, is growing in popularity among the valley’s migrant worker population, and has recently begun to focus on getting migrant students geared up for college .

The ecosystem of D.C. charter schools that has evolved over the last two decades represents a cornucopia of creative and nontraditional approaches to education, in addition to fairly traditional college-prep schools, and is now producing some of the highest graduation rates, college acceptance rates, and average test scores in public schools in the nation.

Waltham’s Dual Language School provides immersive instruction in both English and Spanish, allowing Spanish-dominant students to maintain their home language and culture while learning English, while also providing an opportunity for English-dominant students to become proficient in a second language. The school was the only one in its district to be named a School of Recognition by the state education department in 2024.

The Wisdom Hub Nursery and Primary School enrolls students alongside those who are differently-abled, allowing them to learn in the classroom together. The combined classroom approach teaches students to embrace diversity, nurturing an inclusive educational environment where each child can thrive. The Wisdom Hub opened in 2013 and has since seen over 300 children with special needs cross into secondary school.