The new 2017-2022 DC Public School Strategic Plan was released this month. We are proud and excited that, after years of advocacy and community engagement, multilingual education is finally one of DC Public School’s Strategic Priorities, along with increasing pipelines for bilingual teachers.
To all the parents and community members who have proposed, advocated, and begged, thank you. Your desires were listened to. To everyone in DCPS who advocated for this huge step forward, and to Chancellor Wilson who wants “DC to be known for [our desire to grow bilingual education]”, we heart you.
In the next five years, DCPS will focus on the socio-emotional wellness of District’s students, equity and excellence. The expansion of multilingual programs goes to the heart of these goals.
DC Immersion made a number of recommendations about the detailed plan that needs to support this expansion, and we look forward to seeing this work unfold. By making multilingual education a priority, DCPS has put themselves in a position on the brink of becoming a national leader in dual language education.