Dear Community,
City College’s English as a Second Language (ESL) classes–noncredit and credit–are the lifeblood of San Francisco’s immigrant community, and the demand for our classes is very high and growing. Yet, we’re writing today to share a hard truth: because of deep and unwarranted class cuts over the past five years, we are turning away hundreds of students every semester.
This semester alone, we have close to 500 students sitting on waitlists who will not get the classes they need. This number doesn’t reflect all of the students who faced full classes at the beginning of the semester and gave up. At Chinatown, Downtown, Mission, Ocean, and in our online programs, San Francisco immigrants are waiting for their chance to enroll, to improve their language skills, and integrate into our city’s workforce.
These students deserve a seat. CCSF ESL classes offer working immigrants and newcomers opportunities to strengthen their language and job skills to pursue careers in childcare, hospitality, custodial services, and many other vital professions to our local economy. That is why we must act now.
Time is of the essence, and we need to use our collective voice to urge the district to take action now. This is why CCSF students and teachers will be demanding change at the October 24 Board of Trustees meeting.
We need a CCSF Board that is willing to make smart investments in our mission–to do what is right for our students, our budget, and our city. We need a Board who listens to students and community in shaping the direction of our college. So, in this coming College Board election, AFT 2121 is urging our community to vote only for Alan Wong, a key ally in the fight for immigrant education in SF.
Read more about Alan and consider donating to his campaign HERE and support CCSF students and teachers at the October 24 Board of Trustees meeting.
Fanny Law & Holly Stevens, CCSF ESL faculty
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