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Teachers, students and advocates urge SFUSD to protect space at San Francisco International High School
Summary
Teachers, staff and community groups told the SFUSD board that proposed reallocation of classrooms to a new school would harm newcomer instruction and supports at San Francisco International High School, which serves recent immigrant English learners.
Staff and community members from San Francisco International High School told the Board of Education on Jan. 15 they oppose reallocating classrooms at the school to make space for another school, saying that would undermine programs for recently arrived immigrant students.
Paul McCarthy, an 11th-grade teacher at San Francisco International High School, said the campus is a model for newcomer instruction and warned that losing space would "really impact our students' learning" and make it difficult to deliver advisory, credit recovery and small-group supports. "If our space is being taken away from us, it's going to really impact our students' learning," McCarthy said.
Nicholas Chan, another SFIHS teacher, said the school relies on small advisory groups and dedicated classrooms to provide social, emotional and academic support for students who arrive after traumatic migration experiences. "We need that physical space as much as we can," Chan said, describing literacy and credit-recovery classes that rely on current rooms being considered for reallocation.
Vlada Tepper, a literacy and college-and-career teacher and peace-club advisor at SFIHS, urged the board to preserve uninterrupted instructional space for recent immigrants, noting the school is expanding to include eighth grade this year and relies on specialized rooms for internships, advisory and counseling activities.
Several community groups, including Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth, expressed solidarity with SFIHS staff and students and urged the board to prioritize space for the district's most vulnerable students.
The concerns were raised during the public-comment period; the board did not take a final vote on facility allocation at the Jan. 15 meeting. The district and board members said they will continue engagement with school staff as space decisions proceed.
