PHOENIX – In classrooms across Arizona, students are learning math and science in both English and Spanish, a routine that feels normal to them, but sits at the in between legal and political battle. Ten Arizona school districts are moving forward with dual-language programs this year, despite pushback from the Arizona Department of Education.
At the center of the conflict is Proposition 203, a 2000 voter initiative that requires English-only instruction for students learning the language. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne argued that dual-language models violate the measure and has pushed districts to scale them back.
Earlier this year, Horne filed a lawsuit against school districts that allowed English language learners to participate in dual-language programs. The Arizona Court of Appeals later dismissed the case, ruling that the Arizona Board of Education has the authority to approve English immersion models.
Many school districts, including Phoenix and Chandler, have resisted this pushback, pointing to state board guidance that permits dual-language models as a form of Structured English Immersion (SEI), according to the Arizona Board of Education.
Districts have since established Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs, which split instruction evenly between English and a partner language, most commonly Spanish. Students spend 50% of their academic day learning in English and the other 50% in another language, building bilingualism and biliteracy.
“There is no such thing as dual language emergent,” Horne said. “Students in dual language are not immersed in anything. The word was invented to make it sound like structured English immersion, which is required by an initiative passed by the voters overwhelmingly.”
Although the programs face political pushback, many districts report strong outcomes for students.
“They are so helpful for both non-English and English speakers,” Kerrington Taillon, a teacher at Great Hearts After School Program, said. “I don’t think forcing young kids to adopt a whole new language without extra help is fair, and English speakers get exposed early on to other cultures.”
At the Phoenix Elementary School District, the DLI program takes place in Lowell Elementary School. The vision for this program is “to empower a community of learners through bicultural studies to promote innovation for future leaders,” Mary Lou Gonzales, the coordinator of language acquisition at Phoenix Elementary School District, said.
Not only do these programs offer academic support, but they also help students develop empathy for other cultures, Gonzales said. Children are more aware and more appreciative of their peers’ backgrounds.
“There is so much I would not have learned if I were not surrounded by students who speak other languages. Learning Spanish has made me a better teacher and just an overall kinder person. I can only imagine what it does for young students,” Taillon said.
The future of these programs, though, remains uncertain as state officials continue to challenge them.
“We (the Department of Education and a parent plaintiff) are currently in litigation to eliminate the dual language programs that exist in 10 districts that are defying the law. It does not appear to be in the cards for these programs to expand,” Horne said.
Edited by Shi Bradley
