Four California universities receive $3 million awards for training teachers of English learners

Four universities in California will receive awards from the U.S. Department of Education to support training for teachers of English learners.

The Department of Education’s Office of English Language Acquisition announced 44 awards nationwide, of nearly $120 million over five years. The awardees in California are the San Diego State University Foundation, the regents of the University of California Los Angeles, the State University San Marcos Corp. and the California State University, Dominguez Hills Foundation. Each will receive close to $3 million over five years for different projects, in which they work with school districts or student teachers.

The grants are for implementing professional development to improve instruction for English learners, defined as students who speak a language other than English at home and are learning English in school.

“I grew up speaking Spanish at home and thrived as an English learner in school thanks to great teachers who helped me realize that my bilingualism and my biculturalism would someday be my superpower,” said Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona in a news release. “As our nation grows more diverse than ever before, we must level up our investments in educators who can provide students from all backgrounds with equitable opportunities to succeed. This $120 million, five-year investment will support high-quality professional development and teacher-preparation programs across the country. It will also help us grow a pipeline of diverse and talented educators who can help more English learners realize their own bilingual and multilingual superpowers.”