California’s Struggle to Rebuild Bilingual Education After Decades of Setbacks

Despite lifting a 1998 ban in 2016, California faces teacher shortages, underfunding, and slow progress in restoring bilingual education programs.

California banned bilingual education for nearly 20 years, with the prohibition only reversed by voters in 2016 through Proposition 58.
The state’s efforts to reintroduce bilingual education have been hampered by a severe shortage of trained bilingual teachers, a lingering effect of the ban.
While research shows dual-language programs improve academic outcomes and English proficiency, only 10% of English learners in California are enrolled in such programs, compared to 40% in Texas.
The California Legislature has provided limited funding for bilingual education, with only $10 million allocated to expand dual-language programs, far less than other states like Massachusetts with smaller immigrant populations.
Advocates call for systemic reforms, including increased funding, streamlined teacher credentialing, and statewide mandates, to meet the state’s goal of fostering bilingualism in half of its students by 2030.