Nithya Raman, a Los Angeles City Councilmember and mayoral candidate, expressed strong opposition to a proposed federal rule by the Trump administration. This proposal aims to mandate English-only instruction in Head Start programs nationwide. Raman argued against this change, highlighting its potential negative impact on multilingual instruction. In Los Angeles, many children enter classrooms speaking a language other than English at home. This proposal could disproportionately affect such communities.
Raman vowed to combat the proposal. She stated her commitment to using the power of the mayor’s office to fight this policy and, if necessary, to collaborate with the school district to file a joint lawsuit. She described the mandate as ‘cruel’ and emphasized the need to protect the rights of families in Los Angeles.
“As mayor, I will fight back against Trump’s plan to gut a program that gives every LA child a strong start,” she said.
Corey DeAngelis, a research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, responded to Raman’s criticism. He argued that the debate on language instruction signifies broader issues within the federal Head Start program. DeAngelis suggested that the program should be ended, citing a federal evaluation that determined it does not effectively improve student outcomes despite its high cost to taxpayers.
The Trump administration announced the planned overhaul of Head Start through the HHS in August. The initiative includes giving states more authority over preschool standards and reducing administrative expenses. While it mandates English-only instruction, certain programs for American Indian and Alaska Native communities that use tribal languages would be exempt.
DeAngelis countered Raman’s stance, stating that the proposal could better prepare children in Head Start for English-language classrooms. He emphasized that English is integral to American schools and families suffer when classrooms must be adapted to accommodate non-English speakers.
“Nithya Raman is attacking the Trump administration for requiring Head Start to teach English,” he said.
According to HHS, the proposed change is intended to align Head Start with President Trump’s executive order that declares English the official language of the United States. An HHS spokesperson asserted that a strong foundation in English is crucial for preparing children to succeed as they enter school.
Roxanne Hoge, Chairwoman of the Los Angeles County Republican Party, supported the English-language requirement. She argued it’s in the federal government’s interest to ensure that children in taxpayer-funded programs achieve English proficiency.
“English is the way Americans communicate with each other, and the government has an interest in everyone becoming proficient in our country’s language,” she said.
Current Head Start regulations advocate for supporting the acquisition of both English and children’s home languages. Federal officials estimated a significant impact from the change in approximately one-third of non-Tribal Head Start classrooms.
According to the federal Office of Head Start, California received about $1.5 billion in funding for Head Start and Early Head Start operations in fiscal year 2024. The state supported 68,126 federally funded enrollment slots, excluding programs for American Indian, Alaska Native, and migrant and seasonal workers. Nationally, data from the Office of Head Start for the 2024-25 program year shows over 283,000 participants lived in homes where a non-English language was dominant or learned another language alongside English.
Hoge highlighted the variety of language-learning opportunities available in Los Angeles, noting parents have choices to teach languages such as Armenian, Hebrew, or Spanish in addition to English.
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