Lots of students, growth, but not enough teachers: A comprehensive look at dual language immersion in the San Gabriel Valley
For some kindergartners starting school this year in the San Gabriel Valley, their first teachers are just as likely to greet them with “hola” or “ni hao” as “hello.”
These are the experiences thousands of students encounter as they start their journey in a dual language immersion program — experiences that will put them on a path to fluently speak, write and read two or more languages.
The number of these programs are at an all-time high, said Ruth Baskett, a project director for the Multilingual Academic Support Unit at the Los Angeles County Office of Education.
“The demand for these programs is everywhere: across the county, across the state, across the nation,” she said. “Parents are asking for these programs for their communities, and school districts are clearly responding. Bilingual education is very much a priority.
“That is not changing any time soon.”
In San Gabriel Valley, a region known for its diverse demographics and immigrant communities, the demand may even be higher. It’s home to 20 school districts that offer dual language immersion programs, including two new ones. Both Rowland Unified and Garvey School District are coming off two years of planning and just launched programs for the 2018-2019 school year.
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Mandarin Immersion Parents Council 
But all these efforts still might not be enough — the number of bilingually authorized teachers in California has significantly decreased the past decade, making those who are certified hot commodities that have school officials across the Valley competing against each other to lure them to their districts.