By Laura Gómez | Arizona Mirror
Arizona lawmakers widely support a measure that would repeal a voter-approved policy forbidding bilingual education.
House Concurrent Resolution 2026, sponsored by Rep. John Fillmore, R-Apache Junction, passed 59-1 in the House of Representatives on Feb. 28, and the Senate Education Committee gave it unanimous approval Tuesday.
HCR2026 would repeal Arizona’s English-only standards. It would allow schools to mix in the same classroom native English-speakers and students learning English, a method known as dual-immersion. While the main goal of English-only programs is proficiency and literacy in English, dual-immersion aims for students to be bilingual and biliterate in English and another language.
Voter approval of Proposition 203 in 2000 set up Arizona’s English-only model, officially known as Structured English Immersion. All children who have a home language other than English are classified as English learners. Under the English-only standard, the students’ home language can’t be used to teach English and they are placed in English-only classrooms.
