Description
Norman Yee is a former educator and elected official of San Francisco. After nearly two decades of working in early childhood education, Yee served two terms on the San Francisco School Board and two terms on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He was president of the Board of Supervisors from 2019 through his retirement in 2021. Born in San Francisco's Chinatown, Yee was a longtime advocate of early childhood education and bilingual multicultural curriculum. He was a founding member of the Alice Fong Yu Alternative School, the first Chinese immersion public school, and served as executive director of the Wu Yee Children's Service. As an educator, advocate, and elected official, Yee played a critical role in developing San Francisco's early education and universal childcare programs. In this interview, he discusses: his family background and upbringing in San Francisco's Chinatown; his experience as a young student in the public school system; his time at City College and UC Berkeley; the decision to leave engineering for a career in education; working at Wu Yee Children's Services; developing bilingual curriculum and founding the Alice Fong Yu school; the impact of the Coro Program for Civic Engagement Leadership and the Children and Family Fellowship of the Annie E. Casey Foundation; decision to run for the San Francisco School and achievements during his two terms; decision to run for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors; experience of serving on the Board and the important policies he co-authored such as Vision Zero and the Universal Childcare Initiative; dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic; and reflections on his work in education and city government.