Within Canada’s Francophone minority context, schools have the mission not only to instruct and educate children, but also to socialize them as a new generation of French speakers and members of the Francophone community (Gérin-Lajoie, 2004; Landry, Allard & Deveau, 2010; Magnan & Pilote, 2007). Nonetheless, however, the desire to both protect and reproduce a monolingual Francophone space raises several questions: for example, who are Francophone schools intended for and what can or should be the role of English-speaking parents in them?

In Vancouver, it often happens that the parents of pupils in Francophone schools speak little to no French. Although some decide to remain discreet, many others decide to be fully engaged in their children’s school life. This engagement can take many forms: homework support, volunteering, involvement in parents’ association and committees, etc. The presence and involvement of English-speaking parents in Francophone schools can occasionally lead to controversy and may even create tensions between the school’s staff and families.

Positioned within the field of critical sociolinguistics (Heller, 2002), this article is based on data derived from an ethnographic study undertaken in a school setting. It examines comments made by parents and the staff of a Francophone school in the greater Vancouver area with regard to the involvement of English-speaking parents at the school. It discusses the challenges and efforts involved in better acknowledging the engagement of Anglophone parents in fulfilling the mission of a Francophone school in a minority context.