During a focus group in Sunnyvale, California, a Latina mother shared an unforgettable story. Because she was learning English as a young child, she recalled being dragged to the back of the classroom and kept apart from her peers while they read and engaged in lessons.
She recalled the silent humiliation of it, the feeling of being cut off from something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. “I was so jealous,” she said. Her own child attends a public school decades later. Whether anything has truly changed is the question.
Key Facts & Reference
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Topic Focus | Multilingual & bilingual education in U.S. public schools |
| Lead Research Institution | The Century Foundation (TCF) |
| English Learners in U.S. Schools | 5.2 million students (10.6% of all K–12 enrollment) |
| Children with Immigrant Parent(s) | One in four U.S. children under 18 (as of 2023) |
| Latino Parent Preference (Bilingual Ed) | 70% would choose bilingual schools if available |
| California EL Population | Over 1 million English learners; 82% are Latino students |
| Focus Group Locations | Los Angeles, Fresno, and Sunnyvale, California |
| Federal Policy Threat | Trump administration proposes eliminating Title III funding for English learners |
| Bilingual Ed Interest Score (Survey) | 7.9 out of 10 (dual-language immersion: 7.8 out of 10) |
| Multilingual Economic Premium (CA) | Bilingual earners make an estimated $15,519 more annually than monolinguals |
| Languages Spoken by U.S. School Children | Over 400 distinct languages represented nationwide |
Depending on where you live, the short answer is: not nearly enough. Researchers in the US have worked for years to develop a reasonably clear picture of how English language learners perform best in the classroom. Over time, bilingual classrooms—especially two-way dual-language immersion programs—produce improved academic results, higher middle school English proficiency rates, and closer ties to students’ native cultures. On this point, the research doesn’t really falter. However, the political landscape surrounding bilingual education has changed so frequently that many families are unable to locate these programs in their local communities.
That tension has increased significantly this year. With plans to do away with Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the main federal funding source for academic support for English language learners, the Trump administration has shifted toward an English-only philosophy for K–12 education and public services in general. Many researchers and educators who have been observing this issue for years feel that this move is more like erasing the problem than solving it.
It’s worthwhile to consider the figures underlying that erasure. Approximately one in ten children in American public schools, or 5.2 million students, are officially classified as English learners. Over the past 20 years, the percentage of American children under the age of 18 who have at least one immigrant parent has steadily increased to about one in four. Forty percent of K–12 students in California alone speak a language other than English at home. These are not examples of edge cases. This is the real makeup of public education in the United States.
Strangely, though, very few people ask these families what they would like. In an effort to bridge that gap, the Century Foundation and FM3 Research recently conducted focus groups in Sunnyvale, Fresno, and Los Angeles before polling 1,000 families in California. Nearly 70% of Latino respondents indicated they would choose bilingual education if it were available, which is a startlingly clear finding. Family interest in bilingual education averaged 7.9 on a scale of 1 to 10. The score for dual-language immersion was 7.8. These figures don’t imply ambivalence or apathy.
Reading this research gives the impression that the discussions taking place in California kitchens and school parking lots are nearly entirely unrelated to the debate taking place in Washington. While 94% of parents with multilingual children stated that it was “extremely” or “very” important that their children maintain their home language as they become proficient in English, a father in one of the focus groups acknowledged that he worried about his children juggling two languages before mastering one—a legitimate and understandable concern. Most parents stated that bilingualism was important, even if their children only spoke English. There is an appetite. Often, the programs aren’t.
It’s also important to remember that this isn’t just a sentimental or cultural discussion. A bilingual employee in California makes an estimated $15,519 more per year than a monolingual counterpart. The number of multilingual job postings in the state increased fourfold from 23,000 to 97,000 between 2010 and 2023. It turns out that language is not only an identity variable but also an economic one. Families who have been told for years that their native tongues are barriers are increasingly being asked to treat them as assets, at least by the job market.
In the end, this study demonstrates that policymakers are not forcing the multilingual transition in American schools on unwilling families. Families are subtly and persistently requesting it, but they don’t always get it. It is still genuinely unclear if American public education will be able to meet them there. It’s probably long overdue for that kid who used to sit in the back of the class.
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