Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the World Languages topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
SFUSD board adopts World Languages Council to coordinate language programs
Summary
The San Francisco Board of Education approved Resolution 18925A2 on Oct. 23 to create a World Languages Council to advise district staff on K‑12 language program articulation, recruitment and equity. The board recorded five aye votes; staff estimated the council will cost about $9,000 a year for two meetings.
The San Francisco Unified School District Board of Education voted on Oct. 23 to establish a World Languages Council aimed at coordinating the district’s diverse language programs and advising staff on articulation, recruitment and equity.
Commissioner Marasai presented the item, saying the draft had been refined following curriculum committee review. Staff provided a budget memorandum during the meeting and "the cost is estimated to be around $9,000 including staff time and materials and supplies for the 2 meetings per year that the resolution calls for," the presenting commissioner said.
Public speakers — including parents, teachers and students — urged passage. Vanessa Hutchinson Zeckley, who identified herself as an SFUSD employee and parent, said she supported the resolution’s goal of making language study a district norm rather than an option dependent on parent advocacy. Student speaker Evan Watari described how participation in bilingual programs led to a class trip to Japan and said earlier language instruction enriched his education.
Supporters argued the council would sustain and connect smaller language programs (examples cited included Japanese, Filipino and Italian pathways), improve K‑12 articulation and help expand biliteracy access. Commissioner Marasai and other board members discussed how the council would augment existing advisory bodies and noted the proposal calls for at least two full council meetings a year.
After discussion, the board took a roll‑call vote. The board recorded five ayes and the resolution passed; the meeting record lists multiple commissioners absent for portions of the session. The resolution tasks staff to convene a planning meeting by Dec. 15, 2018, and report council activities to the full board annually.
The action follows years of district work on bilingual pathways and seals of biliteracy; the resolution text cites SFUSD’s prior commitment to multilingual education and the district’s recognition for multiple pathways to biliteracy.
