Two decades after it was approved by Arizona voters, a law mandating an English-only education for non-native speakers may be repealed in 2020.
The Arizona Capitol Times reports Democratic Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman intends to make a repeal a priority, an idea getting support from some Republicans as well.
Known as Proposition 203, the 2000 ballot measure forced English-language learners to speak only English and spend a year in immersion classes.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say recent data indicates the English-only approach is not easing students' struggles. According to the state Department of Education, the 2017 graduation rate of students with limited English proficiency was around 40%.
Critics say non-native speakers end up lagging in their other classes while struggling with learning English.