She doesn't believe there will be a demand for bilingual programs once students and parents get a taste of English immersion. Annis expects they will succeed since the programs generally have strong parent support. Starting from kindergarten, students spend increasing amounts of time learning the non-native language until, by fifth grade, they can be taught in either. Valley Center Superintendent Jeff Mulford said some parents may simply opt to give English immersion a try rather than go through the waiver process. But he believes his district's two-way bilingual program will survive.
Some districts have low numbers of students who speak limited English.
These offer English as a Second Language programs, where students learn English as part of their school day. Since they don't offer traditional bilingual education, these districts are unsure how they will be affected by the initiative. But Annis said that while ESL is a strong base to build on, the initiative requires that its practices be expanded throughout the entire day. Teachers trained to do ESL would be the perfect candidates to teach an English immersion class. Meanwhile, to prepare for implementing the initiative, school districts such as Escondido Union are holding classes for former bilingual education teachers to get them up to speed on techniques similar to those used in ESL courses.