Our Impact
Californians Together’s 25 years of legacy is represented through its fearless commitment and care for the educational conditions and experiences of the state’s English learners and their families. It is a shared vision for all of us—a vision that motivates us to continue to work together, to celebrate together, and one which will continue to coalesce us in order to ensure that our joint endeavors of policy, action and justice carry on.
25 Years
of influencing state policy to support multilingual learner success
30
cutting-edge research and policy publications released to date
Thousands
of individuals engaged to take action in support of English learners
Hundreds
of English learner education leaders and advocates developed
26
pieces of legislation passed supporting English learner success
Millions
raised in support of multilingual learner success
Our 2023 Key Wins for California’s English Learners
In 2023, Californians Together successfully led four sponsored pieces of legislation to the governor’s desk where they were signed into law:
This bill updates the criteria to obtain the State Seal of Biliteracy (SSB) in order to make it equitable for all students to obtain. AB 370 increases the options for meeting the criteria for the State Seal of Biliteracy in English and a world language thereby ensuring parallel proficiency levels in each language.
Directs the California Department Education, in consultation with the California Department of Social Services, to develop and issue instructional guidance to support newcomer students and school districts. By reporting on the enrollment of newcomer students, the state and local agencies will have a better idea of how to meet the needs of newcomers and the resources necessary to ensure their success. Sent to Governor’s Office.
Builds upon the work of AB 1363 in expanding asset-based DLL identification to general childcare programs (CCTR) in working towards the goals of the Master Plan to support DLLs.
Allocates 20 million dollars to reinstate the Bilingual Teacher Professional Development Program to increase the number of bilingual authorized teachers.
Alongside our legislative wins were these additional wins:
After more than 10 years working to modify the state accountability system for English learners, the Governor approved important elements in the State Budget to be addressed in 2024 in new three year Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAP).
Californians Together partnered with EdTrust—West and collaborated with the Center for Equity for English Learners (CEEL), and a broad based coalition to ensure that English learners’ needs were addressed in the new California Mathematics Framework.