This proposition comes from SB 1174 (De Leon) that opens up local decisions about how non-English speaking children will be taught the English language. It repeals the restrictive portion of Proposition 227 (1998) that requires immigrant children to be in English-only classes in all subjects. Since 1.4 million children are English learners, but only 5 percent of schools use the 5-6 year bilingual programs, non-English speaking children have faced serious barriers to overall educational success. Proposition 58 leaves the determination of English-only, bi-lingual education, or a mix of the two up to schools. The schools are also directed to engage with parents on what options exist and to obtain feedback from families on their children’s success. There is virtually no fiscal impact to this change.
RSS Feed
