New Bilingual Authorization Program Prepares Dual Language Immersion Teachers

After earning a master’s degree and spending years working with children in hospitals and other health care settings, Mayra Anguiano decided it was time for a career change. She wanted to become a teacher and bring her experience working with children into the classroom.

Making that transition required dedication. Mayra worked the night shift while attending school during the day, balancing her career, education, and family responsibilities as she prepared to enter the teaching profession.

After earning her credential in late 2025, but before applying for jobs, she heard that the Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE) was launching a new Bilingual Authorization (BILA) Program as part of the School of Education’s Center for Teacher Preparation (CTP) Program.

“I wanted to have a marketable skill and to better connect with the dual language immersion program at my children’s school,” Mayra said. “I did my research and looked into universities in the area and talked with others to see what I was missing.”

Mayra was one of the first cohorts in the RCOE program. Her cohort of 43 future bilingual educators was the largest to date, and 100% of the participants completed the 18-week intensive program.

“The reason I chose the RCOE BILA Program was that it had everything I was looking for. It offered the flexibility to participate while I was still working, it was accredited, and there was a grant to help cover some of the costs,” Mayra said.

Mayra shared that highlights of the program included group projects and virtual collaborations with educators throughout California.

In May of 2026, before even completing the program, she was hired to teach a dual language immersion third-grade class at Central Elementary School in the Banning Unified School District.

“The program helped us dig into our own upbringing, our educational experience, while reflecting on our adult life and careers,” Mayra said.

As a child, Mayra didn’t know she was considered an English learner when she and her brothers were born to parents who immigrated to the United States. She struggled with the challenge of learning a new language during the school day while Spanish was the only language spoken at home.

“I never had a teacher who spoke Spanish until high school, and we didn’t have the privilege to be part of a dual-language immersion program,” Mayra said. “Many elders in our culture don’t expect young students to engage and communicate in Spanish, but our program opens the door for students to have interactions with their grandparents, aunts, and uncles.”

On her first day of school as a dual-language immersion teacher in 2026, Mayra was focused on making her classroom feel like a safe and welcoming place.

“I wanted my classroom to feel like a beautiful, positive embrace,” Mayra said. “I kept thinking like a parent and asking myself what would make me feel comfortable knowing that my baby was going to be okay. On that first day, I received plenty of hugs from my students, so I knew I had accomplished what I set out to do.”

Mayra created welcome back letters for parents in English and Spanish, and all her Back-to-School Night slides were presented in both languages. In her daily lessons, she integrates lessons from RCOE’s BILA Program like anchor charts, color-coding, and bridging connections with both languages and cultures.

“I shared with my students and families that we are going to learn together and make mistakes together,” Mayra said. “We all learn from our experiences, and I want to establish a rapport to work as a team. I’m excited to be serving in my community, where I was born and raised.”

Learn more about the Bilingual Authorization (BILA) Program from the Center for Teacher Preparation in RCOE’s School of Education.