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3/26/2025
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Sponsors, advocates host Multilingual Education Advocacy Day
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 STATE HOUSE — Sens. Mark McKenney and Lammis J. Vargas and Rep. David Morales were joined by students, educators and advocates with the Coalition for a Multilingual Rhode Island (CMRI) for the seventh annual Multilingual Education Advocacy Day Tuesday to call for the passage of legislation to invest in multilingual education in Rhode Island.
“Dual language programs are not only proving to be the most effective program for multilingual learners, they deliver academic improvements for all students, not only our multilingual students,” said Senator Vargas (D-Dist. 28, Cranston, Providence). “But our training and certification cannot keep up with the demand for the teachers these programs need. We need a sustainable bilingual teacher pipeline to grow our dual-language programs and stop our reliance on long-term substitutes.”
The first bill (2025-S 0785, 2025-H 5744), sponsored by Senator Vargas and Representative Morales (D-Dist. 7, Providence), would establish scholarship programs in urban core and urban ring schools for bilingual, dual language and world teacher certificates for college students and teachers.
“We know that multilingualism is a superpower and over the last decade we have watched that superpower double in our public schools: today Rhode Island public schools are home to over 18,000 multilingual students, from Cumberland to Providence to Newport,” said Representative Morales. “Despite this growth, we are not doing nearly enough to support our educators with the tools they need to fully serve our multilingual students. All of our educators and aspiring educators deserve the opportunity to pursue certifications in bilingual and dual language education free of cost.”
The second bill (2025-S 0457, 2025-H 5982), sponsored by Senator McKenney (D-Dist. 30, Warwick) and Rep. Leonela Felix (D-Dist. 61, Pawtucket), would establish a dual language program within the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to support dual language education programs in schools.
“This is one of the few silver bullets in education policy, along with expanding pre-kindergarten programs, in that it actually works. We know that dual language education benefits students of all ethnicities up and down the economic scale, and the programs are in fact cost-neutral once enacted after initial start-up costs of around $300,000,” said Senator McKenney. “In fact, I wish I spoke a second language. It is an incredible benefit in so many areas; especially today, the ability to speak a second language fluently is a huge competitive advantage for young people moving into the workforce.”
Rhode Island had the fastest growth of multilingual learners in the nation between 2011 and 2021 and had the 6th highest percentage of multilingual learners among U.S. states as of 2021. Some communities have experienced significantly higher increases: the Newport school districts reported a 327% increase in multilingual learners over the last decade.
“Rhode Island has always been a multilingual state. Yet, too often, we hear stories from Italian or Portuguese-American Rhode Islanders who cannot communicate with their grandparents or family back in the Azores,” said Erin Papa, assistant professor of World Languages Education at Rhode Island College and Executive Director of CMRI. “We refuse to let this continue. Language is a superpower — academic superpower, socio-emotional superpower and an economic superpower.”
The Coalition for a Multilingual Rhode Island is comprised of 32 organizations dedicated to creating a culturally sustaining educational environment where RI students learn in multiple languages.
The event was also attended by Sens. Jonathon Acosta (D-Dist. 16, Central Falls, Pawtucket), Peter A. Appollonio Jr. (D-Dist. 29, Warwick) and Lori Urso (D-Dist. 8, Pawtucket) and Reps. David A. Bennett (D-Dist. 20, Warwick, Cranston), Jennifer Boylan (D-Dist. 66, Barrington, East Providence) and Jenni A. Furtado (D-Dist. 64, East Providence, Pawtucket).
IN PHOTO: From left, Rep. David Morales and Sen. Lammis J. Vargas. Not pictured: Sen. Mark McKenney.
For more information, contact:
Tristan Grau, Publicist
State House Room B20
Providence, RI 02903
401.222.4935
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