TAKE ACTION: TELL CUSD YOU WANT THE NEW PROGRAM
Complete New Program Request Form

*Signing requirement: You must be a CUSD parent interested in enrolling your children in the New Program.

*No payment required for signing petition. Paying for change.org promotion of petition is discouraged as this is a local petition.

呼吁大家采取行动：告诉CUSD您要新项目
填写新项目申请表

*签/填表要求：您必须是 CUSD 家长，并有意让您的孩子参加新项目。

*签署请愿书无需付费。不鼓励为了change.org推广请愿书付费，因为这是本地请愿书。

__________________

It is an exciting time for this initiative! CMIPO is advocating for a new dual language immersion program in English and Mandarin at CUSD that offers Simplified Chinese starting at TK (hereafter "New Program").

New Program Summary

中文

The New Program is a response to significant parental demand and recognition that Simplified Chinese (hereafter “SC”) can help prepare students to thrive in a global and culturally diverse world. 

Background
SC is the official written language in China and widely used in Singapore and Malaysia. More than 96% of Mandarin/Chinese speakers worldwide, or more than 1.3 billion people, as well as many local families use SC. However, the existing dual language immersion program in English and Mandarin at CUSD, CLIP, only offers Traditional Chinese (hereafter "TC”) from kindergarten to 5th grade for the Mandarin portion of the program. Given the wide use of SC, the New Program would provide students with broader access to Chinese language and culture and further their academic and career opportunities.

Proposed New Program Framework
The primary objectives of the New Program would be to prepare students to thrive and become compassionate and respectful leaders in a global and culturally diverse world, achieve academic excellence and attain fluency in English and Chinese.

The New Program would be a unique program different from all the schools and alternative programs currently offered by CUSD. The New Program would be the only dual language immersion program in English and Mandarin (hereafter "Mandarin Immersion Program") at CUSD that offers SC starting from transitional kindergarten.

Just as significant, it would be the only CUSD program with the following educational philosophy: 1) rigorous, innovative and whole-child-based to promote learning and love of learning; 2) build upon CUSD’s educational philosophy and the best components of existing Mandarin Immersion Programs; and 3) open to improvements to promote learning and a love of learning.

Legal Support for the New Program
California Education Code ("CEC") section 310 provides that if parents of 30 or more students at a school request a language acquisition program, the school must provide it to the extent possible. Additionally, section 11311(h) of the California Code of Regulations (“CCR”) requires the school district to assess the feasibility of the program within 60 days from the date the 30-student threshold is met. Pursuant to CCR section 11311(i), a school district must conduct the feasibility assessment under CCR section 11311(h), even when the requested program already exists at another school in the district, as long as the 30-student threshold is met.

The New Program can also be established as an alternative program under CEC sections 58500-58512. CEC section 58512 provides that the parent or guardian of any student may request the governing board of a school district to establish an alternative school or program in the district. Under CEC section 58500, the governing board of a school district has the authority to establish and maintain one or more alternative schools or programs within the school district.

*The proposed New Program is subject to change depending on parent and CUSD feedback. 

__________________

Original Petition:

The Cupertino Language Immersion Program (CLIP) offers a bilingual curriculum in Mandarin and English for students from kindergarten through 8th grade. However, there is a significant gap in this program: lack of instruction in Simplified Chinese. Instruction is currently only in Traditional Chinese for the Mandarin portion of the program until grades 6-8, during which Simplified Chinese characters are introduced.

Simplified Chinese will help prepare our students for the globally connected world. Simplified Chinese is used in China and Singapore, and at least 1.3 billion people as well as many local families use Simplified Chinese. Simplified Chinese will provide our students with more opportunities for communication and will open doors for further academic and career opportunities.  

It is time to include Simplified Chinese in CLIP at all grade levels, and we seek to do so in a manner that is inclusive and respectful: for the Mandarin portion of the program, lessons would be provided to students in both Simplified and Traditional Chinese. Then students complete assignments and take tests in either Simplified or Traditional Chinese based on their parents' choice. This teaching model is an excellent answer to parental demands for Simplified and Traditional Chinese. This model has also been proven successful in nearby educational institutions, including a well-established international school and two after-school programs.

Therefore, we call on the administrators of CLIP to expand the program's offerings to include Simplified Chinese as a core component of CLIP at all grade levels.