Republican California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton said he will mandate English-only instruction in the state’s schools if voters send him to Sacramento in November.
Hilton made the pledge Sunday during an appearance on Fox’s “The Big Weekend Show.” Host Tomi Lahren raised the issue of “English second-language students” in California, pointing to the state’s large Latino population, and asked Hilton where he stands.
Hilton argued the problem goes well beyond students who speak another language at home.
“Well, look, the problem is it’s not just people with a second language, it’s hardly anyone can speak English properly because our schools are such a disaster,” he said.
He pointed out that fewer than half of California public school students meet basic standards in English, even though the state spends close to the highest amount in the nation on education.
“And so, we’ve got to get back to teaching kids to read. And this is our country! We speak English here!” Hilton said.
The British-born candidate, who described himself as a legal immigrant, framed the issue as one of opportunity.
“It’s denying opportunity to anyone — look, I’m a legal immigrant and I want every legal immigrant in California to have a shot of the California dream. That’s not going to happen if you can’t speak English properly,” Hilton said.
He also insisted the policy should not be viewed through a partisan lens. Hilton noted that years ago, Reed Hastings, a major Democratic backer who led the California State Board of Education, strongly pushed for English-only instruction in schools because he saw it as the way to open doors for students.
“And this is not a partisan issue,” Hilton said.
Fox correspondent Rich Edson pressed Hilton on what the state owes children who arrive in classrooms barely speaking any English.
“What responsibility does the California system have to teach those kids who show up barely speaking a word of English to make sure that they can learn in English?” Edson asked.
Hilton responded that those needs should be handled outside of regular class time.
“You can deal with that outside of the classroom,” he said.
He again pointed to the broader struggles across California classrooms, where fewer than half of all students meet basic English standards, regardless of whether they came from other countries.
“You can’t be diverting time and attention from the classroom just to serve those needs,” Hilton said. “They can be taken care of in different ways outside the classroom. But you’ve got to focus on teaching everyone the basics of English and math, for that matter, and it’s gotta be done in English.”
Hilton noted that English-only instruction was once the law in California. Voters approved it through a ballot initiative before it was later overturned, and he said the state should return to that approach.
“I totally agree with that, and I’d want to see that,” he said. “I think we should go back to that.”
Hilton, a former Fox News political commentator, is facing Democrat Xavier Becerra, an attorney, in the race to become California’s next governor.
Becerra currently holds a commanding lead in the contest, sitting 25 points ahead of Hilton as the November election approaches.
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