Language and Immersion Task Force

Task Force Mission:

Parents for Public Schools brings the voice of parents to school reform. We encourage public school enrollment and improvement. The Language and Immersion Task Force improves and supports quality programs and equal access to bilingual and immersion language programs in K-12.

Our Accomplishments:

2002 - We invited Mary Ellen Gallegos, the Excutive Director of the Multilingual Department of the SFUSD, to address parents whose children attend two-way immersion programs. We discussed the similarities and differences of the Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Tagalog two-way immersion programs and concluded that all programs should be supported equally.

2003 - We created a survey to assess te recruitment of qualified staff, alternative assessments, data collection, recruitment of students, program placement, professional development, parent training and site-specific challenges. After delivering our findings to the Superintendent, we were assigned quarter-time from the Special Assistant to the Superintendent and quarter-time from a Multilingual Depratment officer. By networking with over ninety parents, teachers, and principals from two-way programs, we had monthly principal meetings, and held quarterly professional development days.

Get involved:

In 2004-2006, we plan to develop and promote Spanish immersion programs in a high school. We will help English language learner families choose programs that best meet their needs by providing more parent education and specific national case studies on the benefits of two-way immersion programs. In addition, we prepare to work more with the African American community for second language acquisition.

With your help we can make it happen, so join today!