and being patient. thank you for all your hard work. congratulations. [applause] >> thank you, everybody. my mom is here. she is only 91. [laughter] i wish my dad were here. he passed a couple of years ago, but i know this will have any special moment for him. my brother is here, my friends, my teaching mentor and partner, my principal, my wonderful daughter, and my students representing mission high school here. and i wanted to mention that because they are why i am up here, and they are why we are all up here, and they inspire me

every day, as do so many of my other students. at a time when public education is under attack, at a time when immigration laws like in arizona are challenging our student body, it is a time that is very important for us to honor public education. i have been a teacher in san francisco unified school district for 22 years, and all four of my own children have graduated from san francisco public schools, so i'm proud to be here, and i'm honored to accept the award. teachers do not expect recognition. we do not often get it. when we do get it, it feels a little strange, but for a t- shirt, $500 is not bad. all right, thank you. -- for a teacher, $500 is not bad. >> $50 gift certificate.

[applause] i want to acknowledge what our teacher award recipients last year. our april teacher of the month is deborah, and she teaches first grade. she is a lifelong learner and feels like she wants to learn about everything. her personal enthusiasm translates somehow into the classroom climate. the students and projects make her heart stopped. she truly values everything they do, and they know it. congratulations. >> i want to thank my principle

of -- principals for coming and all of my friends and parents and students and teachers and colleagues. thank you so much for being friends and mentors. this is the greatest job in the world. most of all, i'd think i want to just that the children that i look forward to seeing every single day. i learn from them as much as they, hopefully, learn from me. thank you so much mayor newsom. i really appreciate this. thank you all. [applause] >> another rock the boat. good luck on that.

robert forgot to thank his brother danny. danny, you so much for being here to support your brother. our major of the month is some third marshall academic high school. [applause] janet is a special education counselor and a teacher and works with the community access training, teaching severely impaired 18 from 22-year-old students to become independent -- in and attended skills and job training. when her students are in the community doing these activities, jet and her staff will take them to art museums, fitness centers, special events, theater, and anything wonderful that the theater has to offer. this helps them learn how to access the city, find out places that they can go once they leave sfusd, and find places they can go out with their friends once they're on their on. she has also been the primary " soccer, basketball, and track and field tenements when her

students participate in the special olympics. please congratulate janet from thurgood marshall. [applause] >> i did not know quite how to start this, but i want to thank my staff, my paraprofessionals because without them, i would not be here, and my husband who put up with is all these years, and i have a student here as well that i used to teach, and she was one of the people that inspired me to write what i did. thank you. [applause] this is why i do what i do. because lovely moments like that our california lists, and i always thought it would be really fun to have a book called "a day in a lot of special education," because we have some

stories. anyway, thank you, everybody, for this wonderful award. is what to do everything i can to enhance our students learning. thank you so much. [applause] >> another bookzine 50 delegates are last digits one month of june is tanya delajara. herbal, when she started her teaching career was stiff and scarlatina students to become front, biliterate, and by cultural citizens -- her goal when she started. she recognizes that education is a civil right, and through all of her work, she creates structures in her classroom and the larger school community that allows students to embrace that

right. please join me in congratulating tonya. [applause] >> this is not the moment i was looking for. this is my 10th year of teaching, so this is quite a big moment for me. this year is what i have actually changed a lot of my teaching. to be very effective, especially with those english language learners. i just want to eradicate the achievement gap, and this is giving me the inputs to proceed, but i cannot do this by myself. it has taken a lot of people to get here. my road started with a teacher. one day i hope for her to be recognized because she has inspired many teachers in this school district. you need to wait because you are the one that made this happen. [applause] i just went in to volunteer in

her classroom. i wanted to be a children's writer, and here i am. i want to thank also my school community. i had a wonderful principal who gave me the freedom to make the mistakes i needed to be a teacher i am now. also, i moved to monroe elementary, which is the school my heart is in right now. now, this amazing principal who had a vision for every student to achieve. i do not know where she is. there she is. then, all the teachers that work with me. i'm learning their everyday from every teacher working with me. we have a very strong, collaborative community. i also want to thank my personal community, my friends and my

family. i also especially -- working as a teacher is really hard, and i have two young kids somewhere running around. i have to thank my husband for all this incredible patience, and my two little girls who have the money that is very busy. thank you very much for everything. -- a mommy that is very busy. >> i want to thank jeff the steiner also because monroe elementary is one of our community high schools, and also see gene. thank you both for helping with that. these are our winner is, but we could not have done this without the amazing support of someone who ran a program this year for me. i want to know he single-

handedly solicit those -- american airlines tickets for you -- virgin airlines tickets for you. sunday in congratulating the 2010 principles of the year. teacher of the month award recipients. there are some folks that want to take some pictures with you, but before you congratulate them, we are going to be serenaded by the fabulous choir. congratulations. ♪

[applause]

>> the san francisco arts commission's public arts program made a big splash in the civic center with the world premiere of three heads, six arms. the artist came from shanghai to help us celebrate the unavailing. we had a chance to speak with him about his work.

>> the san francisco arts commission is pleased to be celebrating their relationship between san high and san francisco. the shanghai and san francisco. this is a 30 relationship that stretches back to win dianne feinstein was the mayor of san francisco. we premiered a new work of art here in san francisco called the three heads, six arms. welcome to san francisco. thank you for bringing your extraordinary sculpture. can you tell me about what inspired you to create this

sculpture? >> this started with some trips that i took years ago. i went to to bed and i saw a lot of statues and i started to really feel the spiritual life of people in tibet. it really inspires me and i went back to shanghai and i started the creation of this. >> we see that one of the heads of the bullet it is your face. can you talk about the significance of that? -- we see that one of the heads of the buddha is your face. >> i started doing public art

almost 10 years ago. what i want to express this as an extension of my our practice. this is an accumulation of my own experience as a performance artist. >> we see that the scale is very important. we have seen other works where a limb of this culture is on the floor but everything is very big and large scale. what are you trying to accomplish with expanding the scale of these images to such a great size.

>> i wanted to make large scale art and see how this plays a role in contemporary society. i think that is the mission of contemporary art, to serve as a social critique. >> when the mayor knew some -- when mayor newsom join you in dedicating this, they wanted to find a work that was big and bold. he was so pleased with your participation that he made you an honoraria citizens of san francisco for the next 18 months. the public reaction has been very positive. what is your reaction of how

people receive your sculpture? >> i think that san francisco has a long history. this gigantic sculpture is in front of the civic center. i know that that is not the kind of a go with whole environment. there is an exchange with the american culture and the asian culture which has created this very strong power. this power was created by east meets west may be is exactly what our mayor or the public wants. they will start to be curious and wonder how this is here and how we look at the asian

culture. >> you have lived internationally, you have lived in cities like new york and beijing, now shanghai. you made a very conscious decision to lend this culture to san francisco as opposed to having it premier as an exhibition at another museum. >> i am very satisfied with the turnout and i lived in new york for 8 years and all of my children were born in new york. i already have the american spirit. i am proud to be here and i really appreciate the spirit of committing to things and being honored and being collaborative.

when i flashed back to my career, i think about what an artist can do is a teeny tiny thing. i want to contribute to the hall human society. what art can do is just this tiny bit. >> your invitation has already proven to be a great success and we really look forward to spending time with your sculpture. thank you for being part of "culture wire." >> thank you for being part of this project. >> thank you for watching. join us for future episodes. you can >> welcome to culturewater.

in 2001, the san francisco arts commission and tampa does go public library established an arts master plan for the city soon to be renovated branch library. almost 10 years later, the san francisco arts commission has integrated a collection of vibrant new artworks by bay area artists into five new libraries, and there is more on the way. here is a closer look at some of the projects. >> the branch library improvement program is a bond funded program undertaken by the san francisco public library to upgrade each of the branch libraries throughout the neighborhoods. one of the great benefits of this opportunity is that each of

these branches has a unique artwork that has been created specifically for that branch, based on input from people who live near that branch, in the surrounding neighborhood. >> trur- minded. there was a lot of community support for the project. i try to make it about the true hill and its history. they were something that natives used for making houses. the construction of the pond is based on abalone house construction. at the bottom of the form, it is woven into a rope which transforms into a manufactured rope. that is a reference to