Parents praise Chinese immersion at Scenic Park and Begich, urge attention to class sizes

Two parents testified during the Anchorage School District public‑comment period on Aug. 19 to praise the district’s Chinese immersion program and to urge continued support and attention to class sizes.

Francis McLaughlin, identified as a father with two children in Mandarin immersion (a sixth grader at Begich Middle School and a fourth grader at Scenic Park Elementary), said his family had “100% early registration” for a class of 36 third graders advancing to fourth grade and that the retention reflects families’ commitment to immersion. McLaughlin said the family is “very grateful to the school board and the school administration for supporting language immersion programs.”

Elizabeth Milliken, also identified as a Scenic Park parent, called the Chinese immersion program “a powerful example” of rigor, cultural learning and community engagement and said class sizes of 35 or more create “real barriers to learning.” Milliken urged equitable resource allocation and noted that large classes make teaching more difficult and can affect teacher retention.

Both parents asked the board to sustain school‑level decision‑making that prioritizes equity and manageable class sizes. Their remarks were part of a broader public‑comment period and did not trigger a board vote or a formal policy action.