Education World – Nicole Gorman
“In 2016, bilingual education received a spotlight treatment rarely given to a teaching method partly in thanks to Proposition 58. On November 8, California voters voted “yes” on a ballot initiative that effectively overturned a decades-old approach requiring the state’s English Language Learners (ELLs) to receive English-only instruction. Given the fact that California has one of the most linguistically diverse populations in the United States, the overwhelming decision to restore bilingual education in the state thrust the education of ELLs into the national conversation that will likely continue into 2017. For this reason, 2017 should be the year that state leaders, policymakers and other thought leaders use this momentum to push for investment in bilingual education—for the benefit of not only ELLs, but for English-speaking U.S. students as well.”(more)