English-learners, he said in a meeting with reporters, come to school with a major asset—their home languages—that educators should capitalize on, especially in the early grades.
"[It] is clearly an asset that these kids are coming to school with," and one that should be "maintained" so that English-learners can become truly bilingual, Duncan said.
"The fact that our kids don't grow up [bilingual] puts them at a competitive disadvantage," he said, noting that it's common practice in many other countries for students to learn at least one other language.
Author: Lesli A. Maxwell
Source: EdWeek