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Alice Fong Yu community welcomes district commitment to pilot revised immersion composition
Summary
Parents, alumni and students from Alice Fong Yu told the board they appreciate the district’s agreement to pilot a student-composition model (one-third English learners, two-thirds English proficient) designed to preserve immersion integrity; the board and district staff will convene a working group to finalize details.
Members of the Alice Fong Yu (AFY) community used public comment on Jan. 24 to press the board to preserve the school’s dual-immersion mission and to thank district leaders for agreeing to pilot a compromise student-composition model.
Deborah Kwan, president of the Alice Fong U Parents Association, said the community had presented concerns in prior meetings and that district staff agreed to pilot a new model with “a student composition of 1/3 English learners and 2/3 English proficient students.” She said the pilot will accept applications from all students and aims to preserve immersion integrity.
Multiple student speakers and alumni described the program’s impact on language ability, cultural understanding, and life opportunities. A 2010 graduate, Hilary Buffum, recounted becoming “almost fluent in two dialects of Chinese” and said the program changed her life. Student leaders described peer mediation, international trips and community programs that grew from the immersion curriculum.
Board members and staff said they appreciated the AFY community’s participation and confirmed a working group meeting would begin the next day to discuss implementation details. The district named Deputy Superintendent Carranza as a staff contact for the working group.
What’s next: The AFY working group will meet with district staff to finalize pilot parameters, outreach and application procedures. The board did not take a separate vote on this pilot during the Jan. 24 meeting; the step was presented as an agreed pilot and working-group action.
