Mandarin Immersion Parents Council

It’s a no-go for proposed Mandarin immersion school

by Staff Writer on February 25, 2011

Disappointing news has hit supporters of the proposed Boston Chinese Immersion Charter School (BCICS).  On February 17, Massachusetts education commissioner Mitchell Chester recommended that seventeen applications be granted charters by the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.  Yet, such an endorsement does not include BCICS.

“Needless to say, we are very disappointed… We have been on this journey for more than a year.  It’s been a wonderful adventure.  Thanks so much for your encouragement and support,” wrote Helen Chin Schlichte, one of twelve founding members of BCICS, in a statement.

The recommendations include fourteen Commonwealth charter schools and three Horace Mann, or so-called “in-district,” charter schools in Boston, Chelsea, Lawrence, Lynn, New Beford, Salem and Springfield.
“I have every expectation that these seventeen charter schools, if granted a charter by the Board later this month, will be well positioned to succeed academically and become high performing organizations,” Chester said in a statement, “This year’s group of applicants was impressive in terms of the volume of interested parties; the quality of the proposals; and the potential to provide students with a strong academic program.”

Read more here.

Here’s the web site for the parent group who tried to start the school: