The Expansion of Dual Language Bilingual Education into New Communities and Languages: The Case of Hebrew in a New York City Public Middle School

Abstract

This article describes a case study of dual language bilingual education (DLBE) that challenges the model’s traditional mold while offering important insights into its utility for communities of less commonly taught languages. We begin with an outline of the expansion of DLBE in New York City, part of a broader national trend. We then explore a new Hebrew-English DLBE program at a traditional New York City public middle school, documenting the program’s establishment and evolution over its first few years. Following this, we examine the school’s replacement of DLBE with a “heritage language program” model and show how both options are mismatched to the community’s actual needs or interests and ultimately restrict the possibilities for Hebrew learning. Specifically, we contribute to growing critiques of rigidity in program models, showing how at times adherence to the model is prioritized over the actual needs of students and their families—even when school leaders maintain they are implementing DLBE for the community. We argue that alternatives to DLBE with greater flexibility can serve crucial goals for local communities.