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Bilingual Community Council urges SFUSD to fix translation, outreach and EL reclassification gaps
Summary
The Bilingual Community Council presented a 2012‑13 observation report to the Board highlighting improvements (EL Parent Guide) and continuing concerns: understaffed translation services, uneven ELAC/DLAC communication, risks to representation on the BCC and the need for ongoing staff training on reclassification procedures.
The San Francisco Unified School District’s Bilingual Community Council (BCC) presented its 2012‑13 observations to the Board on Oct. 16, praising improvements in district outreach for English learners while pressing for additional action on translation capacity, committee representation and the reclassification process.
BCC co‑chairs and members reported that site visits to immersion and English Learner pathways revealed stronger family engagement in some schools and recommended broader staff use of the EL Parent Program Guide. The council noted successes with a UCSF partnership and highlighted the district’s EL report‑card tools but warned that limited BCC membership (9 of 14 seats filled) and understaffed translation services have constrained outreach during open enrollment and other peak periods.
BCC members asked the Board to clarify terms for current BCC members and the process to fill and sustain seats, to expand translations for the enrollment website and to provide additional in‑service training for staff who administer tests and counsel EL families. They also raised concerns that some school‑level DLAC/ELAC meetings appear inconsistent in quality and translation access.
Board members acknowledged the report and proposed to route related issues to rules (appointments) and curriculum (ELAC/DLAC supports and training) committees for deeper review. Commissioner Marasek and others praised the council’s work and offered district resources (including volunteer interpreters from the San Francisco Education Fund) to help with translation bottlenecks.
