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Candidates call for expanded multilingual services, dual-language programs and staffing
Summary
At the Waterbury Public Schools forum candidates urged greater investment in multilingual learners, expansion of dual-language classrooms and multilingual professional learning for all teachers, citing a large and growing ELL population.
Three superintendent finalists told a Waterbury community forum that multilingual learners need expanded services, more bilingual classrooms and district-level capacity-building.
Why it matters: Candidates said multilingual enrollment — described as roughly 4,000 students by one candidate — has grown substantially and that district staffing and program structures must expand to meet language and learning needs.
What candidates proposed: Dr. Schwartz argued the multilingual population has nearly doubled in 10 years and recommended expanding the multilingual department and reducing caseloads for supervisors who now oversee thousands of students. He said, “We have to do a better job for our multilingual learners.”
Dr. Lewis called for K–12 vertical articulation, stronger dual-language pathways and removal of barriers to advanced coursework for underrepresented students. He noted underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic students in AP courses and urged broader access to AP and dual-enrollment options.
Dr. White said multilingual instruction is a district-wide responsibility, not limited to bilingual teachers. He urged high-quality professional learning for all teachers and highlighted a recent classroom example: last year a bilingual kindergarten class had about 35 students in one classroom, a situation he sought to reduce by opening additional bilingual classes.
Implementation and staffing: Candidates recommended expanding the bilingual office, hiring more bilingual teachers and classroom capacity where needed, plus professional development for general-education teachers so they can better serve multilingual learners.
No decisions: The forum provided candidate positions and examples; the Board of Education has not adopted program changes. Candidates said any expansion would require targeted staffing, classroom space and budget planning.
