State Superintendent Chris Reykdal announced Aug. 25 that he would be looking to expand dual-language education programs across Washington state in a push to build bilingualism in the state.
There are 42 school districts and state-tribal schools in Washington that currently offer dual-language programs to more than 35,000 students, and Reykdal aims to increase that number so that all K-8 students in the state have access to those programs by 2040.The program aims to invest $189 million from the state legislature in the next three years into these programs by investing in bilingual educators, plus annual stipends for teachers in dual-language programs.
“Well, I want our kids to be the most competitive in the world, in every bit of research we’ve done says that we make a couple of mistakes in the United States, we only give kids a world language option once they’re in high school, and that is way too late for them to actually master a language in any meaningful way,” Reykdal said.