Chinese American International School

Chinese American International School
Address
Map
3250 19th Avenue

San Francisco

US
Information
TypePrivate
Established1981
Head of SchoolJeff Bissell (Chinese name: 毕杰夫 Bì Jiéfū), Ph.D.
Websitewww.cais.org

Chinese American International School (CAIS) is an independent preschool through Grade 8 co-educational Chinese-English dual language immersion school located in San Francisco, California.[1] Preschool is full immersion, Kindergarten through Grade 5 are alternating days in conducted in Chinese.[2] The school was the first in the United States to have Mandarin immersion education.[3]

CAIS also offers international travel programs for current students, faculty, and staff.[4] The school organizes trips to Taipei and Guilin in the fifth, seventh, and eighth grades.[5]

History

In 1981, San Francisco Supervisor Carol Ruth Silver searched unsuccessfully for a Mandarin-English school where she could enroll her adopted Taiwanese son. She decided to start her own with the help of district attorney Mimi Luk, Justice Harry Low,[6] Bernard Ivaldi (then Head of the French American International School), Maurice Tseng, Yvon d'Argence (then curator of the Asian Art Museum, Joe Chen, Mike Chiu, Donna Furth, Diana Chan, Francisco Hsieh, George Cheng, and Alice Carnes.[citation needed]

In September 1981, the school, then known as the Chinese American Bilingual School, began as a Mandarin-English school. It had an enrollment of four kindergarten students and was operating in the basement of the French American International School. Shirley Lee, a faculty member of the Chinese department at San Francisco State University joined as founding teacher and principal, and remained head of school until her retirement in 2000.

In 1989, the school moved to the Presidio of San Francisco.[7] In 1992, a middle school was added (which moved to a new campus in 2015).[8] In 1997 CAIS moved into its campus at 150 Oak St, the former Caltrans headquarters,[9] in partnership with the French American International School.

CAIS has received national recognition for its program. In 1987 the US Department of Education designated CAIS the "national prototype for Chinese language education in elementary schools."[citation needed] In 2004, CAIS was awarded the Goldman Sachs Prize for Excellence in International Education.[10]

In 2021, CAIS secured the former property of Mercy High School for $40 million, which has now become the new location of the campus.[11]

Accreditations

References

  1. ^ Mercer Human Res Consulting, Inc. (20 March 2009). Global Manager's Guide to Living and Working Abroad, The: Western Europe and the Americas: Western Europe and the Americas. ABC-CLIO. p. 271. ISBN 978-0-313-35884-5.
  2. ^ Kane, Yukari Iwatani (24 March 2011). "Growing Diversity Fuels Chinese School". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  3. ^ Elizabeth S. Demers Ph.D.; Victor W. Geraci (8 March 2011). Icons of American Cooking. ABC-CLIO. p. 57. ISBN 978-0-313-38133-1.
  4. ^ "Chinese American International School (CAIS), San Francisco, California". Asia Society. Asia Society.
  5. ^ Clydesdale, Heather. "Students Experience the Breadth of China". Asia Society. Asia Society.
  6. ^ "Founders Remember". CAIS. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-11-03.
  7. ^ Koenig, Karen (23 June 1995). "Jewish ex-supe, mother of Chinese boy, helps found school". JWeekly.com. San Francisco Jewish Community Publications Inc.
  8. ^ Butler, Jennie (9 July 2015). "Chinese American International School To Debut New Middle School At Turk & Gough". Hoodline.
  9. ^ Adams, Gerald (6 January 1995). "Chinese, French schools will join at City Center". SFGate. Hearst Communications, Inc.
  10. ^ "2004 Prizes for Excellence in International Education". Asia Society. Asia Society.
  11. ^ "Private School Secures New Campus Location in San Francisco". CoStar. 2021-11-19. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  12. ^ "ISTP listing on CAIS' website".
  13. ^ "ISTP listing on WASC's website" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-11-03.