How LAUSD equips early educators to create welcoming schools for all children

California is home to the largest number of dual language learners (DLLs) ages 0-5 in the nation, with more than 1.5 million children learning multiple languages at the same time. As President Trump's executive orders continue to threaten immigrant communities across the country, including a designation of English as the official language of the United States, California must keep fostering welcoming and safe schools for every child. We must recognize the diversity of home languages and cultures as valuable assets that strengthen our state. 

One way to do this is by equipping Transitional Kindergarten (TK) teachers, instructional aides, and their school site principals with the tools they need to provide developmentally appropriate and culturally and linguistically affirming practices that recognize children’s home languages and cultures as strengths. The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) serves as an example. 

The district’s Early Childhood Education (ECE) Division provides ongoing professional development to support TK implementation and preschool to third grade alignment, including sessions on Sobrato Early Academic Language (SEAL) strategies and Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Practices (CLRP). These sessions include TK teachers, instructional aides, state preschool and other early childhood teachers, jointly participating alongside principals and staff to build shared spaces to learn from one another and build cohesion. As of March 2025, 9,640 participants have joined the division’s training. High interest in this training has resulted in waitlists. Below are open-source links to a few of the recorded trainings that can be used as part of a professional development series for TK and early learning professionals:

• Quality Oral Language: Preschool Strategies and Practice Part 1/3
• Quality Oral Language: Preschool Strategies and Practice Part 2/3
• Quality Oral Language: Preschool Strategies and Practice Part 3/3
• Racial Sensitivity Training 1/2
• Racial Sensitivity Training 2/2
• Classroom Environment as a Powerful Teaching Tool (ECCERS)

Dr. Dean Tagawa, Executive Director of the ECE Division, recognizes the importance of children’s language and culture, and their connection to children’s healthy growth and development.

“It is so important for young children to hear and see their home languages and cultures reflected and valued in their classrooms, where their families are welcomed into their learning, and they can make meaningful connections to their community’s cultures and languages," Tagawa said. "We have seen the incredible benefits that our early childhood dual language immersion programs have had on our students’ positive self-identity development and a strong foundation for their long-term academic outcomes. Parents feel their child is supported to meet their full potential.”

Research also shows that dual language programs can benefit both DLL and monolingual students.

LAUSD has a long record of providing early learning experiences through the School Readiness Language Development Program, Expanded TK, and dual language immersion programs in early childhood.

As of March 2025, LAUSD enrolls more than 16,000 children in TK at 521 elementary schools. Sixty-one schools have dual language immersion TK programs, and more schools seek to expand dual immersion programs to meet families’ growing demand. Cultivating classrooms that nurture children’s home languages not only helps to create welcoming spaces but also builds trust, strengthening relationships between schools and families. Reactions from parents: 

• “I love the positive school climate that is implemented in the program. My son looks forward to going to school everyday and that brings me joy and peace of mind as a parent."
• “My child's grandparents are so touched and proud that their grandson can interact in Mandarin with them.”

Catalyst California’s statewide survey and listening sessions with families of color and historical underserved communities in 2022 similarly reflects this strong desire of parents and caregivers to find early childhood programs that embrace the language, culture and identity of their children, and that have educators who are well-trained to create such learning environments.

Since July 2024, the district’s ECE division has partnered with the Multilingual Multicultural Education Department (MMED) to integrate the newly released Preschool/Transitional Kindergarten Learning Foundations (PTKLF) into their planning for standards alignment across Preschool, TK and K, and related professional development.

The PTKLF is a revision to the California Preschool Learning Foundations from 2008. It describes the learning and development of children ages 3-5 1/2. The new PTKLF has a greater emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion, highlighting examples of how children from different cultural backgrounds, languages, and abilities can be supported.

Notably, the Language and Literacy Domain of the PTKLF includes examples of child speech in more than 15 home languages. The division is currently finalizing a standards alignment resource that will support TK and early childhood educators to build culturally and linguistically affirming classrooms from Preschool through K. 

Governor Newsom has committed to fully implementing universal TK, and the research is clear that children learn best when they feel safe and welcome in a space with cultural and language touch points they can connect to in their learning.

As districts across the state implement TK, and as we navigate ongoing attacks from the Trump administration, districts will need to create developmentally appropriate learning experiences that affirm the whole child and provide safe, welcoming environments. We must reject the hostile agenda of discrimination and exclusion coming from Washington and strengthen our efforts to build on the diverse cultures and rich home languages that young children bring into the classroom, so we can support them to thrive.

This blog series was created in partnership with the Dual Language Learner Master Plan Advocates to showcase the powerful work happening across districts. It highlights efforts such as partnerships with universities and other programs to support bilingual Transitional Kindergarten (TK) educators, the development of Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs in TK, and how districts are creating welcoming, inclusive schools for all children. This is the fourth post in the Dual Language Learners in Transitional Kindergarten blog series.