A Decade of Bilingual
Excellence in Oakland
From a founding vision to a thriving TK–8 school, Francophone’s story is proof that every great bridge is built one plank at a time.
THE FOUNDING
Born from a Vision
The Francophone Charter School of Oakland was born from a vision to bring high-quality, accessible French dual-immersion education to the East Bay.
Recognizing the cognitive, academic, and global advantages of French language proficiency, a dedicated group of founding families and educators came together to create a tuition-free public charter school that would serve Oakland’s diverse community.
Like a bridge built plank by plank, Francophone was assembled piece by piece — through community engagement, curriculum development, and an unwavering belief that bilingual education is a public good, not a private privilege.
Charter Approved
August 13, 2014
Oakland Unified School District Board of Education approved Francophone’s charter petition, authorizing Oakland’s first French dual-immersion public charter school.
School Founded
School Founded @ 9736 Lawlor Street after parents submitted a petition to our authorizer, Oakland Unified School District.
Campus Expands
Expansion to two campuses (Howard location grades 2nd through 5th/6th).
FrancEducation Label
Francophone receives the Label FrancEducation accreditation from the French government. This accreditation provides a seal of quality for the school's French immersion program.
Navigating the Pandemic
School goes into lockdown due to Covid-19, adapting teaching and curriculum for our students.
Classes Resume
Classes resume in-person at St. Jarlath and Toler Heights campuses.
Ranked Top 3 Charter Schoo
Ranked top 3 Charter school in Alameda County, FIA Award for Black and African American Student Academic Achievement — California Academic Standards. The Label FrancEducation accreditation is renewed for another 5 years.
10-Year Anniversary
Francophone celebrates its 10-year anniversary.
New Campus + Exchange Program
Francophone joins the Oakland Athletic League, creates its first International Exchange Program between Caen and Oakland, and our two campuses move into one unified new campus bridging TK to 8th grade.
A Decade of Impact
With hundreds of students served, strong academic outcomes, and a reputation for excellence in dual-immersion education, Francophone celebrates ten years and looks forward to its next decade of developing bilingual, bi-literate global citizens.
Founding Principles
From our founding, Francophone has been guided by a clear vision: to create an inclusive learning community that empowers children to be compassionate global citizens. Our founders believed that bilingual education should not be a privilege reserved for those who can afford private school tuition, but rather a public good accessible to all Oakland families.
Tuition-free public education ensuring French immersion is available to all families, regardless of socioeconomic background.
A two-way immersion model that brings together French-proficient and non-French-proficient students, creating authentic bilingual learning.
High academic standards combined with a nurturing, developmentally appropriate approach to education.
Strong partnerships between families, staff, and students, creating a tight-knit school community.
Preparing students to thrive in an interconnected world through bilingualism, cultural awareness, and critical thinking.
Help Write Francophone’s Next Chapter
Join the Francophone community and become part of our ongoing journey of bilingual excellence and global citizenship.