Trump and rest of the Republican party should love this plan.
California Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton is proposing a significant change to the way students are taught in the state’s public schools, calling for classroom instruction to be conducted primarily in English.
Hilton, the Republican nominee for governor, says California needs to put a stronger emphasis on English proficiency, reading and mathematics as part of a broader effort to improve public education. Fox News identifies Hilton as the GOP candidate in California’s 2026 governor’s race.
His proposal could revive a longstanding debate over bilingual education, English-language instruction and how California schools should serve students who arrive in the classroom with limited English skills.
Hilton Calls for Greater Focus on English
During an appearance on Fox News’ The Big Weekend Show, Hilton argued that California public schools should make proficiency in English one of their highest academic priorities.
Hilton said students need strong English skills to succeed in school, enter the workforce and pursue economic opportunities later in life.
The British-born Republican also pointed to his own experience as an immigrant while arguing that English proficiency can help newcomers participate more fully in American society.
“We’ve got to get back to teaching kids to read,” Hilton said during the discussion, adding that he believes classroom instruction should be conducted in English.
His proposal would represent a major education policy debate in a state where schools serve large numbers of students from multilingual households.
What Would Happen to Students Still Learning English?
One of the biggest questions surrounding Hilton’s proposal involves students who enter California schools speaking little or no English.
During the Fox discussion, Hilton was asked what responsibility public schools have to help those children become proficient in English.
Hilton said those students should receive assistance, but argued that additional language services could be provided outside the regular classroom rather than allowing them to take attention away from core instruction.
His position places the focus on keeping classroom time centered on subjects such as English and mathematics.
California’s current system takes a different approach.
State law requires school districts to provide English learners with language-development services and, at minimum, a structured English immersion program. California also permits other language-acquisition programs, including certain bilingual and dual-language models.
California Has Fought This Battle Before
The controversy surrounding English-language instruction is not new.
California voters approved Proposition 227 in 1998, which significantly restricted bilingual education and generally moved English learners toward English immersion.
That policy was later changed by Proposition 58, also known as the California Education for a Global Economy Initiative.
Proposition 58 took effect in 2017 and gave school districts greater flexibility to establish language-acquisition programs while retaining the goal that students become proficient in English.
Hilton said he believes California should move back toward the earlier English-centered approach.
That would reopen a debate that has shaped California education policy for decades.
Supporters and Critics See the Issue Differently
Supporters of an English-focused approach generally argue that students benefit when schools concentrate on helping them become proficient in the language used throughout most American higher education, government and business.
Hilton has framed his proposal in terms of educational and economic opportunity, arguing that students who struggle with English could face disadvantages later in life.
Supporters of bilingual and dual-language programs take a different view. They argue that students can develop strong English skills while also receiving instruction that uses another language.
California’s existing rules reflect that broader approach. State education officials say language programs should help students achieve English proficiency and meet grade-level academic standards.
The disagreement therefore is not simply over whether students should learn English. California law already requires schools to work toward English proficiency.
The larger question is how schools should accomplish that goal.
Reading, Math and Academic Standards Take Center Stage
Hilton is also connecting his English proposal to a broader argument about academic achievement.
He says California schools need to devote more attention to fundamental subjects, particularly reading, writing and mathematics.
That message could resonate with parents and voters who want public schools to emphasize traditional academic skills and measurable classroom results.
At the same time, changing California’s language-education policies would involve complicated questions about teachers, curriculum, local school districts, parental choice and existing state requirements.
Any major change could therefore extend well beyond simply declaring English the primary language of instruction.
Public Schools Could Become a Major Campaign Issue
Education gives Hilton another issue on which to distinguish his campaign during the 2026 governor’s race.
His proposal touches several subjects that frequently generate debate in California politics, including public-school performance, immigration, parental involvement and the role state government should play in local education.
For families, however, the practical questions may be more straightforward:
Should nearly all regular classroom instruction take place in English?
How should schools help children who arrive without strong English skills?
And should parents and local districts continue to have flexibility in choosing bilingual or dual-language programs?
Hilton has made his position clear: he wants California schools to place English at the center of classroom instruction.
Whether California voters want the state to return to a more restrictive English-language model could become an important education-policy question as the governor’s race continues.