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Californians Together

Championing the Success of English Learners

Press Releases

The California Campaign for Biliteracy is Launched and Two Districts are Honored with a New Prestigious Award

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In front of 3,500 teachers, administrators, parents and board members at the annual California Association for Bilingual Education Conference, Californians Together announced the beginning of the California Campaign for Biliteracy.  “It is time for a new Campaign across Californian to develop preschool through high school programs that will prepare students with proficiency in two or more languages so they may speak to, from and across multiple communities and nations.
The California Campaign for Biliteracy seeks to engage educators, policy makers ,parents and students who share the vision for multilingualism, and all understand the enormous benefits to individuals, society and the economy
Glendale Unified School District EL Programs Press Release San Francisco Unified School District EL ProgramsCampaign Publication

Brownley Puts the California Seal of Biliteracy on the National Stage

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Representative Julia Brownley (D – Westlake Village) introduced the Biliteracy Education Seal and Teaching (BEST Act, legislation that would help states create a State Seal of Bilteracy to recognize high school students graduating with proficiency in both English and a second language.  The BEST Act would establish a grant program at the Department of Education supporting states to establish and improve their own Biliteracy Seal programs.  Read the press release, the text of the bill and our letter of support below.
Press Release HR 2549 Bill text Californians Together letter of support

Commission Poised to Raise California Standards for Teacher Interns – English Learners to Benefit

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Students who are currently learning English will soon have teachers-in-training with substantially improved preparation and parents will be better informed about teachers’ level of training.  That’s if the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) votes as expected on a series of reforms at its meeting this Thursday April 18.  English learner students comprise 1.4 million of the state’s public school students, or approximately 1 in 4 students.
Teacher Interns and EL Students Press Release

Californians Together Won the Migration Policy Institute 2012 E Pluribus Unum Prize – Awardees Discuss Immigrant Integration

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The winners of the Migration Policy Institute’s 2012 E Pluribus Unum Prizes,honoring exceptional immigrant integration work happening in the United States,discussed their initiatives during a plenary luncheon on September 24, 2012 at the National Immigrant Integration Conference held in Baltimore, MD. During a Q&A with MPI Senior Vice President Michael Fix, leaders with ACCESS (theArab Community Center for Economic and Social Services), Building Skills Partnership, Californians Together, and Citi Community Development discussed key aspects of their work. At discussion’s end, the winners received their EPluribus Unum Prizes from Brad Davidson, a trustee of the J.M. Kaplan Fund,which generously funds the prizes program.
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Californians Together Earns National Award for Exceptional Immigrant Integration Initiatives

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WASHINGTON– The Migration Policy Institute (MPI) on Thursday announced that Californians Together is one of four recipients of its 2012 E Pluribus Unum Prize for exceptional immigrant integration initiatives. The national award honors Californians Together for its work promoting biliteracy and reforms that improve student language learning and address the needs of English language learners.  (more)

New York State Seal of Biliteracy – Cuomo Signs Legislation

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Albany, NY (July 31, 2012)
Governor Cuomo today signed into law a bill to recognize New York State high school graduates who demonstrate academic excellence in attaining proficiency in one or more languages other than English with a state seal of biliteracy. The seal will be attached to diplomas and transcripts of graduates who excel in listening, speaking, reading and writing in multiple languages.”New York state should recognize the outstanding achievements of our students who have dedicated themselves to learning different languages,” Governor Cuomo said.  “Acknowledging those students who haves pushed themselves to do their very best and learn another language will provide them with an advantage when dealing with future employers and academic institutions.”

Governor Cuomo Signs Seal of Biliteracy Legislation