56 Educators Earn Their Bilingual Authorization

At a time when California needs more bilingual teachers, the Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE), a SEAL partner, recently celebrated 56 educators who earned their Bilingual Authorization (BILA).

RCOE Administrator Rosalba G. Rodriguez has helped lead efforts to strengthen the bilingual educator pipeline.

“These 56 educators represent more than a graduating cohort,” Rodriguez shared. “They are part of a growing movement to ensure our schools have highly qualified bilingual teachers who can honor and build upon the linguistic and cultural assets of our students.”

The shortage of qualified bilingual teachers is drawing broader attention. As recently reported in the Los Angeles Times, Assemblymember David Alvarez said school districts’ struggles to find qualified bilingual teachers helped inspire proposed legislation aimed at expanding pathways into the profession.

Partnerships like these are already helping address that need. The cohort included educators supported through RCOE’s partnerships with SEAL and the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools. SEAL provided books, supplies, coaching, and professional learning alongside RCOE’s bilingual authorization coursework. This support was made possible through California’s Bilingual Teacher Professional Development Program grants awarded to Azusa Unified School District and the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools.

Each of these 56 educators will now bring their preparation into schools and classrooms, strengthening California’s bilingual educator pipeline and creating more opportunities for multilingual learners to thrive.

Congratulations to the entire cohort. We are proud to partner with RCOE in this work and grateful to Azusa Unified School District and the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools for helping make SEAL’s support possible.

Interested in creating a pathway for more bilingual educators in your district or region? Learn more about SEAL’s Bilingual Teacher Pathway.