The federal government could soon require Head Start classes to be taught in English only. Head Start is a federally funded program for low-income families.
The government’s current standards require providers to support bilingualism. They say preschool instruction should help kids both learn English and continue developing their home language.
That’s the approach teachers take at a Head Start program in Vista. Their preschool classroom is lined with bilingual posters with names of shapes, emotions and weather. During story time, teachers read books in English and Spanish. As kids return from playing outside, teachers tell them to wash their hands in both languages.
“Being able to speak to them in English and Spanish allows them to have a voice in the classroom,” said lead teacher Jennifer Cabrera. “They feel more integrated, they feel comfortable and their self-confidence level is a lot more when they can interact with what we’re doing in the classroom.”
Now, the Administration for Children and Families says that’s at odds with President Trump’s executive order designating English as the country’s official language. It has proposed requiring instruction to be in English only.
The nonprofit MAAC runs Head Start programs throughout San Diego County. Sixty percent of the families MAAC serves speak Spanish at home, said Susan Arias, MAAC’s interim vice president and chief growth officer.
“A lot of times, this is their child’s first experience in a classroom, in a school, and so we want that transition to be as easy as possible,” she said.
A multilingual environment can set kids up for success in learning English, she said.
“Our goal is to prepare them for kindergarten,” she said. “That means, by the time they leave our program and transition to kindergarten, they’re fluent in English and they’re able to transition easily into a kindergarten classroom.”
Head Start programs would still have to support students who are just starting to learn English, according to the proposed rule change. They’d also need to communicate with parents in other languages if it’s necessary and possible.
But classroom instruction would only be in English. The Administration for Children and Families estimates it would affect one-third of non-tribal Head Start classrooms nationwide.
Cabrera said taking Spanish out of the classroom would make it harder to connect with all of her students.
“I would have kids who are not engaged,” she said, “who are not excited about learning.”
This is just one of many proposed changes to Head Start. Others include requiring families to prove whether they’re experiencing homelessness, reducing how much providers can spend on administrative costs and letting states set student-teacher ratios.
“Everyone across the country is figuring out how best to navigate this while doing what’s best for the children and families that we serve,” Arias said.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is accepting public comments on the full list through October 6.
