Mandarin Teacher Offers to Volunteer for Remainder of School Year

Montclair High School could find itself without a beloved Mandarin teacher come May 14. That’s when the working visa of first-year teacher Sichang Gao expires.

But some hope remains for Gao, who is willing to stay on as a volunteer for the remaining weeks of the school year. 

Gao’s attorney, Rupal Aristimuno, who specializes in immigration law, said Friday, "She will no longer be authorized for employment after Tuesday, however, we are working on trying to figure out whether or not she can volunteer her time to finish out the school year." 

Another option could be to have Gao return next year, Aristimuno said. 

The Montclair-based attorney was retained with the help of parents of Gao’s students who want to keep the well-respected teacher in the classroom. 

Gao’s offer to volunteer demonstrates her dedication to her students, a total of 55 enrolled in Mandarin 1, 2 and 3. 

She said she has known about the visa issue since April 5 when the Immigration Department’s 85,000 vacancies were filled in a matter of five days and she had yet to file her application.

Gao was warned the vacancies would fill up quickly, but said she wasn't ready on April 1 when the filing period opened and that she had "hope."

"For my application, the reason I didn’t file," she said, "I didn’t get a very important part approved by the board of education by April 5."

The district has stated repeatedly it has done no wrong and is supporting Gao's effort to remain in the country by reaching out to state and federal elected officials.

"It is absolutely not the fault of the district," Board of Education President Robin Kulwin said about Gao's immigration status.

"This is a real loss. She's a great teacher; there's no question about that,” Kulwin said.

A letter sent to parents from Montclair High School Principal James Earle said, “When the issue was brought to our attention in late March, we acted immediately to assist Ms. Gao with obtaining the necessary documents needed to submit her application."

School officials could not be reached Friday to comment on whether volunteering for the remainder of the school year is a viable option, or whether she could return in the fall for a second year.

Gao's attorney Aristimuno said her client is not in danger of deportation, which is a process involving someone who has violated immigration laws, overstayed their visa or committed crimes.  

“Ms. Gao’s situation is a poignant example of the challenges encountered by millions of our hard working immigrants who make invaluable contributions to our communities,” Aristimuno said, “but are sometimes ensnared in the complex intricacies of our country’s immigration system.”

Gao has a 60-day grace period after her working visa expires to return to her native China. She’s spoken to her family and made preliminary arrangements to return home and look for work teaching her native Mandarin.

Gao, 25, graduated from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics where she studied Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, a major she said is now offered at every Chinese university. She later received a master’s from Rutgers in 2012 and upon graduation took the job in Montclair.

As a teacher, she has tried to focus on more than just the language, educating her students about her country’s culture and society.

“I need to be highly responsible for my students. I prepare them a lot. I plan every minute in my class,” she said. “Sometimes I’m really strict with the students, but with a caring heart.”