SFUSD Blocks Mandarin Charter School

School board unanimously rejects parent-led effort to expand Chinese-language education as district launches competing program.

The Facts

The San Francisco Unified School District Board of Education unanimously rejected the Dragon Gate Academy charter school proposal Tuesday in a 7-0 vote, ending a months-long effort by parents to create a new Mandarin-immersion school. The parent coalition, led by Brian Hollinger, plans to appeal the decision to the state.

SFUSD criticized the school proposal over failing to "demonstrate a clear educational program," and for being unlikely "to serve the interests of the entire community in which the school is proposing to locate." Currently, only two elementary schools and one middle school within SFUSD offer Mandarin immersion programs, leaving parents with expensive private Mandarin immersion options as their only other choice.

The Context

The charter rejection came as no surprise in union-controlled SFUSD, which hasn't approved a new charter school since 2014.

Shortly after parents submitted the Dragon Gate petition, Superintendent Maria Su proposed the district's own Mandarin-immersion program. Advocates for the school allege that the timing was designed to undercut the charter effort, but Superintendent Su denied this connection, stating the district plan had been in development for months.

The vote shows that what parents want and what the district is prepared to offer are not always in sync. The booming demand for private Mandarin schools shows parents seek alternatives to limited district options, but only if they can afford it.

The GrowSF Take

While we sympathize with the budget constraints, we believe that expanding educational options should be a priority.

The real losers are San Francisco families who want high quality and affordable Mandarin education for their children.