Asm. Murastuchi, Asm. Alvarez, Californians Together, and CABE celebrate the signing of their bill, AB 2074 (English Learner Roadmap Policy: Statewide Implementation Plan)
For Immediate Release
CONTACT:
Cristina Salazar, Californians Together, [email protected]
Jennifer Baker, CABE, [email protected]
SACRAMENTO, CA – September 29, 2024 –Today, advocates for English learners and multilingual education are celebrating the signing of AB 2074 into law. This legislation, proposed by Asm. Al Muratsuchi and Asm. David Alvarez, is an important step forward in implementing the California English Learner Roadmap—a visionary policy meant to provide guidance to districts and county offices of education throughout California. Though it was approved in 2017 by the California State Board of Education, many districts have not put the English Learner Roadmap’s policies into practice. AB 2074 establishes a clear pathway for ensuring the roadmap’s policies are put into practice across the state, holding local education agencies accountable through measurable goals and progress tracking.
The newly signed law will require the California Department of Education (CDE) to assemble an advisory committee that will include district and county leaders, educators, family representatives, and policy experts. The Department will submit a final implementation plan for the legislature’s review by November 1, 2026. Local education agencies will then put the plan into action in January 2027. Nearly ten years after its approval, schools and districts can meaningfully implement the California English Learner Roadmap.
“The approval of the California English Learner Roadmap marked a monumental shift from the days of Proposition 227 and English-only classrooms for multilingual learners. Today marks another important milestone as we work toward creating a truly equitable education system. Californians Together applauds the governor and the legislature for supporting English learners and those who serve them. We look forward to supporting the CDE as it works to build an implementation plan that is both meaningful and actionable for schools and districts.”
—Martha Hernandez, Executive Director, Californians Together
“CABE commends the governor’s continued support of California’s English learners with his signature on this critical legislation. Necessary technical support will now be provided to help districts implement the comprehensive English Learner Roadmap while also creating a mechanism to monitor which districts are implementing its four core principles. CABE thanks the Governor for his support and looks forward to future ways California can continue to provide greater services and support to our more than 1.1 million English learners.”
—Dr. Edgar Lampkin, CEO, CABE
Advocates, educators, and policymakers have reason to celebrate, but today should also serve as a stark reminder that there is more work to be done. An earlier version of AB 2074 included a provision to create three new positions at CDE to develop an implementation plan and provide direct support to districts as they implement it locally. We will continue to work with the legislature and the administration to ensure local leaders and educators get the support they need.
We thank Governor Newsom for his signature, Asm. Al Muratsuchi and Asm. David Alvarez for authoring this legislation, and the California legislature for working to improve education for our state’s 1.1 million English learners.
Californians Together is a coalition of education, civil rights, parent/caregiver, community, and advocacy organizations that champions the educational success of California’s more than 1.1 million English learners. Californians Together serves as a trusted voice, source of expertise, and steadfast advocate standing for the educational rights of access for California’s English learners, immigrants, and linguistically and culturally diverse students. We seek to overcome and transform the harms of systemic racial, language, and cultural inequality in education and to close opportunity gaps from early childhood through post-secondary education.
The California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE) is a non-profit organization incorporated in 1976 to promote bilingual education and quality educational experiences for all students in California. CABE has chapters and members, along with partnerships with other state and national advocacy organizations, working to promote equity and student achievement for students with diverse cultural, racial, and linguistic backgrounds. CABE recognizes and honors the fact that we live in a rich, multicultural, global society and that respect for diversity makes us a stronger state and nation.