Glendale Unified School District (GUSD) proudly welcomed a delegation of education officials from Spain on Monday, October 27, for a special visit to see the district’s acclaimed Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs in action. 

The visiting dignitaries included officials from the Ministry of Education in Madrid, the Spanish Embassies in Washington, D.C and Ottawa, Canada, and consulate offices from Los Angeles, New York and Miami. 

The group began their visit at the GUSD District Office, where they met with GUSD Board President Ingrid Gunnell, Superintendent Dr. Darneika Watson, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Dr. Kelly King, and Director of GUSD’s Dual Language Immersion and English Learner Services Dr. Nancy Hong, to discuss the district’s long-standing commitment to multilingual education and its partnership with the Spanish Ministry of Education.

Following the morning meeting, the delegation visited Edison Elementary School and Eleanor J. Toll Middle School, two of GUSD’s exemplary Spanish Dual Language Immersion campuses. At Edison, three fifth-grade student guides, Louisa Bartlett, Luna Glen, and Parker D'Silva, led the visitors on a tour of classrooms, where they observed engaging bilingual instruction in action. At Toll, in addition to visiting the Spanish classes, two DLI students welcomed the group and shared what they were learning in the program, including two books they were currently reading by Spanish authors. 

At both sites, guests observed how GUSD’s DLI programs foster bilingualism, biliteracy, and cross-cultural understanding, preparing students to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world. The visit concluded with a debriefing at Toll Middle School, where participants exchanged insights about program design, teacher collaboration, and international partnerships with Principal Jennifer De Ladurantey and various teachers.

“This visit underscores the global value of our Dual Language Immersion programs and our shared mission to expand educational and cultural opportunities for students,” said Superintendent Dr. Darneika Watson. “We’re thrilled to host our friends from the Spanish delegation and introduce them to our amazing students who work so hard to learn, think, and communicate in two languages every day.”

Glendale Unified currently offers Dual Language Immersion programs in seven languages, including Spanish, Armenian, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Korean, serving students from transitional kindergarten through high school. Applications for our dual immersion and magnet programs open on November 1; please visit the applications page for more information.