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3/25/2026
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Sponsors, advocates call on General Assembly to invest in multilingual education
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 STATE HOUSE — Sen. Mark McKenney and Rep. David Morales were joined by students, educators and advocates with the Coalition for a Multilingual Rhode Island for the eighth annual Multilingual Education Advocacy Day Tuesday to call for the passage of legislation to invest in multilingual education in Rhode Island.
“I am proud to stand with our students and educators who are here to fight for their future, a future where we say that public education should reflect the needs of all our communities across Rhode Island,” said Representative Morales (D-Dist. 7, Providence). “There is a growing demand for multilingual educators: 20% of our students are multilingual learners yet only 5% of educators are certified in multilingual education. We have the talent we need already living in Rhode Island to meet this demand; what we need is to pass a state budget that recognizes the importance of bilingual education and invests accordingly. We must make the proper investments to make sure that our students receive the level of support that they need to thrive. This has to be the moment for action.”
Senator McKenney and Representative Morales are the sponsors of the Support and Access to Bilingual Education (SABE) Act (2026-S 2555, 2026-H 7389), which would establish a bilingual education support fund within the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to support dual language education programs in schools.
The fund would be used to help implement dual language programs in public schools and to expand bilingual, dual language and world language teaching certifications for teachers through scholarships to cover certification costs for teachers in areas of high need.
“Dual-lingual education is one of the few silver bullets in education policy, along with expanding pre-kindergarten programs, in that it actually works. Research on dual language education shows that it has a number of benefits for students: social, academic, cognitive and economic,” said Senator McKenney (D-Dist. 30, Warwick). “And while there is a start-up cost associated with these programs, they are cost-neutral once they are running, making this a small investment for an incredible return. We need it, it’s urgent, let’s get it done this year.”
Rhode Island had the fastest growth of multilingual learners in the nation between 2011 and 2021 and had the sixth 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 the vision, the tools and the momentum to lead in multilingual education. Passing the SABE Act will expand opportunities for students, support multilingual educators and build a stronger, more equitable Rhode Island,” said Erin L. Papa, cofounder and executive director of the Coalition for a Multilingual Rhode Island.
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.
IN PHOTO: Rep. David Morales (first from left) and Sen. Mark McKenney (second from right) with members of the Coalition for a Multilingual Rhode Island after the event.
For more information, contact:
Tristan Grau, Publicist
State House Room B20
Providence, RI 02903
401.222.4935
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