Dive Brief:
- Will Jawando, a former Obama administration aide and education department employee, has filed a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights, arguing the Montgomery County school district discriminates against black and Latino families in its popular language immersion program.
- The Washington Post reports Jawando accuses the district of violating federal law through inequitable recruitment processes, leaving black and Latino parents without the information they need to consider the program.
- The complaint also criticizes the selection process, which guarantees admission to any younger siblings of current language immersion students and perpetuates a disproportionately white student demographic.
Dive Insight:
In some school districts, language immersion programs have been implemented as a forward-thinking way to teach English language learners and promote globalism for English natives. These “dual language” programs encourage students to keep their first language while learning a second, emphasizing the benefits of bilingualism early rather than pushing students to learn English as quickly as possible. They have been shown as the only program for ELLs that can close the achievement gap.
In wealthier districts, however, language immersion programs have been demanded by (and dominated by) families who recognize how much of an advantage bilingualism will give to their children who grow up to seek employment in a globalized economy. Administrators are left to balance the demands from one group with the needs of another.