The Case for Dual Language Programs as the Future of Public Education

The U.S. spends far more on education than any other country in the world (OECD, 2011); yet, continues to produce vastly inequitable outcomes, especially for English Learners (ELs). In this article we explore the reasons for, and consequences of, the U.S. system's continued failure to support ELs. The term, in itself, is part of the problem as it frames students' native language as a deficit upon which many linguistic models have been built. After articulating and problematizing this context, we aim to make an evidence-based argument for a concrete policy solution: the national implementation of two-way dual language programs as the model, not the exception, for the future of PK-8 education in the United States.