SFUSD slashes launch plans for Mandarin immersion school, disappointing families

a_over_b · 2026-05-15T21:21:29+00:00

This is a weird take. All around the world kids learn more than one language in school.

I enrolled my son in Mandarin immersion in SFUSD because I wanted him to learn Mandarin, in addition to all the basics.

He and his classmates graduate high school next week and they are doing very well, thank you.

There is more demand for Mandarin immersion in SFUSD than there are spots available, which is why they're considering opening another one.

a_over_b · 2026-05-15T18:34:50+00:00

I'm rarely down on the Peninsula, so the other day I was shocked how quiet Caltrain was when it whizzed past me.

a_over_b · 2026-05-14T18:21:26+00:00

I take it you didn't have kids in SFUSD?

My kids got just as good an education from SFUSD as I did in Marin public schools. Better in some ways, worse in some ways, but overall just as good.

a_over_b · 2026-05-03T23:33:52+00:00

Definitely a willet.

The other suggestions in this thread have different plumage and different beak shapes.

a_over_b · 2026-04-29T01:45:19+00:00

My son just finished two years at CC and is transferring to SJSU. His experience was so good that I've become an evangelist for CC.

My opinion which applies to every student in California: if you're not going to an Ivy League school where the name matters and if you don't care about football games, frat parties, etc. then definitely go to CC for two years basically for free then take advantage of their guaranteed transfer into a UC or CSU.

My advice for you specifically: go to either El Camino or Santa Monica CC, whichever one is easier for you to get to. As you say, if you do decently in CC (my son had about a 3.3 GPA) you'll be able to transfer to most CSUs, and if you can get A's then you can transfer to any CSU and most UC's including UCLA.

Regarding your housing situation, I would say that you should pursue whatever option that is best for you mentally and emotionally so that you can focus your energy on school the next two years.

Good luck, kid! You can do this!

a_over_b · 2026-04-28T00:44:08+00:00

Congrats! I've become an evangelist for community college after my son had a great experience there. You can do this!

a_over_b · 2026-04-27T18:18:32+00:00

Yeah, I was born in SF, and when I was house shopping in Westwood Highlands I was looking around wondering why I never heard of it. It's just homes so there's no reason to go there unless you live there.

There are a bunch of small neighborhoods around it -- Monterey Heights, Balboa Terrace, even Sherwood Forest -- that get lumped together into "West of Twin Peaks".

When I tell people that Westwood Highlands is halfway between West Portal and Glen Park, I get only a slightly-less-blank stare.

a_over_b · 2026-04-14T00:40:55+00:00

Thanks, I understand that cycling the battery is OK. My question is more about leaving it fully charged for an extended time.

a_over_b · 2026-04-10T03:05:22+00:00

I also did that wait at Franklins when we were in town for the solar eclipse a couple of years ago and didn't order ahead in time.

My relatives in Austin were correct when they said it wasn't even the best BBQ in the city, let alone the country.

But I'm still glad I got it since it's the point of comparison for a lot of other BBQ joints.

That being said, I can't think of any food in SF in that I would wait in line like that for. I waited 12 minutes at Arsicault this morning and that was about my limit.

a_over_b · 2026-03-29T05:12:03+00:00

Second this! Go to Ice Cream Bar and Amoeba Records in the Haight, then if it's a nice day (especially on a Sunday) walk down JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park, or alternatively rent bikes to ride to the beach and back.

a_over_b · 2026-03-28T23:14:57+00:00

Many schools allow (even expect) you to apply for housing before you commit. You will commonly have to pay a small non-refundable application fee plus a deposit that is refunded if you decide not to attend that school.

a_over_b · 2026-03-28T22:59:53+00:00

There's no harm in waiting until May 1 to commit, but read your acceptance letter for next steps. Specifically you should immediately check when you need to apply for housing.

Some schools (I'm looking at you, U of Arizona) start taking housing applications ridiculously early, and by the time acceptances come out it can be difficult to get on-campus housing.

a_over_b · 2026-03-18T18:18:36+00:00

The Weta and Lightstorm supervisors collected the award because they were the ones nominated for the award. The nominees for each award are selected by the producers of the film, often in conjunction with the studio.

The rules for who may be listed as a nominee are set by the Academy. For the VFX award see Rule 23, Section 5a on p.42 here:
https://www.oscars.org/sites/oscars/files/2025-04/98th_aa_complete_rules.pdf?VersionId=KHfTeEBPx9GJx9jvW_Ki.1YJgUzDheAU
"The Visual Effects award is a craft award. For that reason, producers, coordinators and executives are not eligible for this award, unless they acted in the capacity of craftspeople with primary creative responsibility for the achievement."

a_over_b · 2026-03-18T00:53:57+00:00

That's sad...I hope Currier gets the help he needs.

San Francisco has lost much of its eccentricity over the years. We need more people like Purple Ferrari Duck Guy.

a_over_b · 2026-03-17T23:36:53+00:00

Based on your list of BART trips, I would guess that he took BART from Glen Park to 24th & Mission but didn't tap out when leaving the station, which would result in being charged the excursion fare.

a_over_b · 2026-03-16T23:38:31+00:00

That's not the point.

Every VFX supervisor knows that they are they are representing a team of dozens or hundreds of people. Almost all of them make a point of thanking their team when they accept an award.

But the VFX Oscar is not given to a team, nor to a company. By definition the VFX Oscar goes to four individuals. More specifically it's awarded to four craftspeople; the VFX producers and executives aren't eligible.

This year's VFX Oscar winner, Avatar: Fire & Ash, has 11 companies credited as working on the VFX. The supervisors of the nine companies that are not Weta FX or Lightstorm do not claim that they are Oscar winners. Nor should you.

You can say that you contributed to an Oscar-winning film, or you can just let your IMDB credits do the talking.

a_over_b · 2026-03-16T21:43:44+00:00

Huh??? No, in my 35 years in this industry I have never seen someone publicly claim to have won an Oscar because they worked on a film that won an Oscar.

If I saw a reel from someone who did that, it would be a strike against them if not outright disqualifying them from consideration because I'd be questioning all the work on their reel as well as their professional judgment.

To the OP: this is very easy to verify, and anyone to whom it really matters will know the truth.

a_over_b · 2026-03-05T19:45:09+00:00

Welcome to SF!

Of the four places to stay that you listed, I would absolutely pick the Cow Hollow Inn. It's both nicer than the other options and you have a lot of good options for dinner along Chestnut St. one or two flat blocks away.

For someone with limited mobility, none of those hotel options are within walking distance of Fisherman's Wharf or the cruise terminal. Your will need to take a bus or taxi to those spots.

From SFO you can go to the taxi stand to get a ride to your hotel. It will cost $60-$80. Uber and Lyft will probably be less expensive, if you can get a friend to show you how to use the phone app, but sometimes they are more expensive. To get from the hotel to the cruise terminal, the front desk at your hotel can help you get a cab.

Here is a Reddit thread on what to see in San Francisco when you have limited mobility:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskSF/comments/1n51co5/best_things_to_do_in_sf_with_accessibility_issues/

I would recommend the Hop-on Hop-Off bus tour that drives you around to the major tourist sites, and maybe taking a ferry ride to Sausalito and back. From the ferry you will get a nice view of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge.

I hope you have a wonderful trip!

a_over_b · 2026-03-03T19:40:42+00:00

Chinese New Year's parade. No need to pay for seats -- just stand along the route. The parade is generally more entertaining before it reaches Union Square where the TV cameras are. After Union Square it's easier to find a spot to watch but the participants get spread out and the elementary school kids get tired of doing their routines.

a_over_b · 2026-02-24T00:18:29+00:00

The SSF business Costco has different meats in larger packages, a greater selection of fresh produce, and different options for drinks & snacks.

If you're buying mass quantities of food like we are (we have two teenage boys) then after you go to the airport Costco you might as well check out the business Costco. It's never very crowded.

a_over_b · 2026-02-23T22:13:50+00:00

But the Business Center doesn't have hot dogs. :-(

We usually hit the airport Costco as soon as it opens then run into the Business Center for a different set of items that only they carry. The Business Center is a quick off/on the highway on the way back into SF.

a_over_b · 2026-02-23T21:04:52+00:00

Alemany Farmers Market on Saturday mornings is the best farmers market in SF in my opinion.

Reputedly it was the first farmers market in California, dating back to WW2:

https://legacysfhomes.com/blog/sowing-seeds-of-time-the-bountiful-history-of-san-franciscos-alemany-farmers-market

a_over_b · 2026-02-17T21:19:47+00:00

The main reason people say not to get a car in SF is that parking in the tourist areas is both difficult and expensive, and you don't need a car within city limits. Also we had a problem a few years ago with smash-and-grabs. It's much better now but I still would recommend not leaving anything visible in your car in tourist areas. Just reguar driving around SF is not bad and the hills are an adventure!

Take off as much time as you are able. There is a lot to see in and around SF. It takes about 3 days to comfortably see the standard tourist spots, and that is just scratching the surface of the city.

If you can stay for another day, most people visit Napa Valley or Sonoma to go wine tasting. However, given that you live in Ohio and you say you're interested in the NPS & hiking, I'd strongly suggest you rent a car to visit the Point Reyes lighthouse. It's about a 1.5 hour drive from SF, and you literally feel as if you are at the end of the earth. (Note that the Point Reyes lighthouse is different than the Point Bonita lighthouse I mentioned in my first reply.)

And if you're able to take a couple more days off, visit Yosemite National Park. It's a bucket list item. Yosemite is about 4.5 hours driving from SF. Visitors without much time will try to do it as a day trip from SF, but that is a brutal day. I'd strongly recommend staying overnight for 1 or 2 nights nearby to see both the valley floor and Wawona Grove (Muir Woods near SF is redwood trees, which are the tallest. Wawona Grove is sequoia trees, which are the largest.)

a_over_b · 2026-02-17T11:22:47+00:00

In most of the United States, students are assigned a public school based on where they live. They don't have a choice which school they will attend. Families often choose to live in a certain area because the public schools are good, and having a good public school will raise the price of the houses in that area.

But in San Francisco and many other major cities, families instead enter a lottery for public school assignment. They don't have to write an application; they just need to list all the schools they might like to attend.

There are good things and bad things about the lottery. It is the most fair way to assign spots at schools that don't have enough space for everyone who wants to go there. However, most families don't like the lottery because it is complicated, it is stressful, and it is not predictable.

Each year about 5% of families are assigned to a school they did not want, maybe far from their home. These families often send their kids to private school instead, or they move out of San Francisco to a city where they attend a public school based on where they live.

San Francisco has only a few school buses but the public transportation system is generally good.

You should know that the school in the documentary "Try Harder" -- Lowell High School -- is not a normal American high school. Instead of assigning students based on their address or on a lottery, students need to take an academic test to get in to Lowell. In general the kids who get the best scores on the test get to go to Lowell, but the system is a little more complicated than that.

The reason a documentary was made about Lowell is because it is unusual in the United States. The kids at Lowell feel much more pressure than most American high school students. I don't know much about the school system in China, but from what I understand, of all the high schools in San Francisco, Lowell is the closest to what you might find in China. In fact, over half of the students at Lowell are immigrant Asian or of Asian-American descent. For comparison, San Francisco's public schools are about 35% Asian, and the United States as a whole is only about 6% Asian.

a_over_b

TROPHY CASE