October 2025 Newsletter

Dear TACT Friends,

Lots have happened over the summer and this fall. Here are some updates:

1. Since spring 2025, TACT along with AAAA (The Association of Asian American Administrators) and other community organizations have worked with San Francisco State University to secure the continuation of the Cantonese Bilingual Authorization Program. The goal is to grow and sustain a high-quality pipeline of Chinese educators who can teach in bilingual & immersion classrooms. All candidates who apply will be able to take classes tuition-free with the support of a state grant. We are happy to announce that the first batch of students are set to start spring 2026 and finish in the summer of 2026. Succeeding candidates will take the 2 required courses in the fall and spring of each school year. For more information, please contact Darlene Lim.

   

2. On Saturday, August 23, TACT held our annual retreat to plan for this year’s work. Here are some photos from that day. As you can see, we worked hard and greatly enjoyed each other’s company. Interested in joining TACT and be a part of this amazing community of educators? Check us out here.

   

3. TACT & AAAA held a joint Kickoff Event at Alice Fong Yu Alternative School on Friday, Aug. 29th. Attendees got a chance to learn more about our organizations’ goals for this year. Superintendent Su and Commissioners Kim and Gupta were present to answer questions from the audience. You may watch the Q & A session if you missed it. See more photos & recordings here.

   

   1. For 2025-2026, TACT has 2 simple goals:

      1. TACT will continue to work with SFUSD to ensure that our Chinese language programs for both Cantonese and Mandarin as well as our services for newcomer and multilingual learner students are rigorous, vibrant, and supportive of students, families and staff.

      2. TACT will continue to support teachers, create professional development and networking opportunities (both serious and fun), and uplift and acknowledge our deserving teachers, counselors, para professionals, and staff.

4. TACT members volunteered at the 1990 Institute Youth Symposium: Roots & Wings - Celebrating Asian American Youth on Saturday, September 6, 2025 at the College of San Mateo.

   

5. TACT was at the SFUSD Chinese Bilingual Education Initiative 2025 Launch Event on Friday, October 3, 2025 @Yes SF Headquarters. This gathering brought together local champions of bilingual education to connect and celebrate. See photos from that evening.

6. Updates from the Curriculum Committee:

   

   1. ***New***:

      1. In the last few months, our committee has been working on developing curricular resources to support the teaching of I Am An American: The Wong Kim Ark Story, an important book about a Chinese man who challenged the justice system for birthright citizenship all the way back in 1898. Yes, Chinese Americans have always been at the forefront of advocacy, holding our nation accountable to its laws and founding principles!

         1. We have created:

            1. A modified version of the book adapted for English Language Learners in English.

            2. Translated that modified version into reading texts with simplified and traditional characters as well as in Spanish using images from the book.

            3. Created read alouds of the modified Chinese texts in both Cantonese and Mandarin.

            4. Shared instructional guides and questions for using the book in the classroom.

         2. Access that folder of resources here. More resources for this book will be added as they become available.

   2. ***Reminders***:

      1. You’re invited to share a simple lesson plan for your favorite book or unit with fellow educators! 📚✨ If accepted, your lesson plan will be featured in a new resource folder on TACT’s website, giving members access to fresh ideas for their classrooms.

      2. TACT has an on-going fundraising account to support Cantonese Biliteracy teachers who would like to purchase supplemental materials to enrich their classrooms. This program will continue as long as there is sufficient funding. To support this effort, donate here. TACT is offering grants, up to $200, for teachers in the Cantonese Biliteracy Program who are TACT members (only $20/year: https://www.tactsf.org/membership). Please complete this simple grant application if you are interested.

   3. Other resources that you might be interested in:

      

      1. Back to School Series on Asian American Trailblazers from Immigrant History Initiative (3 series)

         1. Wong Chin Foo (activist, defined Chinese American)

         2. Patsy Mink (1st Asian American US Representative)

         3. Mabel Ping Hua Lee (Chinese American who led a suffrage parade)

         4. Hong Yen Chang (1st Chinese American lawyer)

         5. Dith Pran (Cambodian photojournalist who shed light on a war)

         6. Wong Ark Kim video from their Asian American series

      2. Education Literature & More:

         1. “What to Know About California’s English Learners”

         2. “English Learners Retain Rights, Despite Trump”

         3. “Literacy Practices that Support Multilingual Student Success Across Content Areas” webinar recording from WestEd (August 7,2025).

   4. If you have resources and feedback for the TACT Curriculum Committee, please email us at curriculum@tactsf.org and visit our page at https://www.tactsf.org/curriculum.

7. Are you interested in stepping into leadership roles? The Association of Asian American Administrators is here to support. See information about the upcoming Aspiring Administrators Symposium on November 15, 2025. RSVP by October 31st.

   

8. Links

   1. Donate to TACT.

   2. Affiliate organizations info:

      1. Latin American Teachers Association (LATA)

         1. https://www.facebook.com/groups/LATASF

      2. San Francisco Association of Bilingual Education (SFABE)

         1. https://www.facebook.com/CABESanFrancisco

      3. San Francisco Alliance of Black School Educators (SFABSE)

      4. Teachers for Social Justice (T4SJ)