Parents press SFUSD for public French immersion; Parents for Public Schools marks 10 years

SAN FRANCISCO — A group of parents urged the San Francisco Unified School District board on Thursday to establish a public French immersion program, arguing it would broaden access to bilingual education and help close achievement gaps.

At least three parents described local interest and volunteer capacity. "We are planning a meeting next week to gauge interest," Frank Murphy told trustees, outlining research and listing U.S. school districts and charter schools that run French immersion programs. Joe Acayan said the program would attract families who cannot afford private French schools, and Karen Panich, an ESL teacher and parent, emphasized the language's global utility and ties to diverse communities.

"French and English are the only two languages spoken on all five inhabited continents," Panich said, urging the district to consider French as the next immersion language that could reach underserved families.

The board did not take immediate action on the request during general public comment, but commissioners thanked parents for their outreach and indicated the topic would be part of future discussions about program expansion and student assignment.

Separately, trustees and Superintendent Garcia recognized the 10th anniversary of Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco. Dina Zacherin, the district director of school-family partnership, read a national resolution praising the chapters efforts; Ellie Rossiter and Matt Kellerman accepted recognition on behalf of the organization.

The recognition highlighted Parents for Public Schools' role in enrollment fairs, parent ambassador programs and site-council training as part of broader parent-engagement efforts.

Sources: Public comment and recognition ceremony recorded at SFUSD board meeting.