Untapped potential: the current state of dual language education in Chicago Public Schools

ABSTRACT In Chicago Public Schools (CPS), Spanish Dual Language (DL) programs are caught up in a school choice paradigm, marketed by schools as special features by which to lure prospective families. Out of concern that this approach does not position schools to serve the full breadth of Latina/o/x students, who possess the social, cultural and linguistic resources tied to Spanish language, we assumed a LatCrit lens to conduct a Critical Race Spatial Analysis of DL programs in relation to Latina/o/x and white populations at macro and micro levels. Findings demonstrate that, in terms of the linguistic, cultural and social resources necessary for DL programming, Chicago’s Latina/o/x communities present CPS with the potential to implement far more DL programs than those currently available. Furthermore, CPS does not provide adequate access to DL programming for their large population of Latina/o/x students, and the geospatial proximity of a majority of programs to white populations suggests that CPS should interrogate who these programs are positioned to serve. We suggest the need for researchers, educators and advocates to be vigilant about their Latina/o/x communities’ access to DL education.