cost for our instructors on an ft ebay sis, our costs -- other costs associated with implementation compound so on will lead the a at-bat, and commissioners of questions, i will try to answer them. >> at this time, we have public speakers. is it a clarifying question? if it is not a clarifying question and it is part of your discussion, i would like to wait, but if it is a clarifying question, you can go ahead and ask it. >> deputy superintendent, ? -- , do you have a cost for that

that is not included in your budget? >> that is not explicitly addressed in the analysis. my understanding that the costs have not been exquisitely stated -- [beep] [beep] president mendoza: i am sorry. i was just playing. >> president mendoza, feel free. if you do not like what i am saying. [applause] that there be an additional compensation factor for the pe

instructors or for the independent study, that is not specifically addressed in here. president mendoza: a clarifying question? commissioner: you did not see something one way or another? can you give me that context? >> yes, commissioner. but for the cost reimbursement from the federal government, from the department of defense, because the pre-reimbursement costs are higher for the jrotc

than th non-jrotc, the costs would be higher for the jrotc, but because we get a cost share for the cost of the salaries, that really brings the net costs very close to in line if not slightly less costly than the cost of an equivalent number of instructors that are on our traditional seller reschedule. commissioner: thank you. president mendoza: we have quite a few speakers. i would actually like to have the students you are here to speak first after our representative from the assemblywoman's office, so if we can have our speaker pro tem

port -- pro tempore, and i apologize now for botching your names, michael, michelle, leann walker, kimberly rae s, dnr hall, gregory williams, a mitre and, -- gary is daniels, md., -- darius daniels, marilyn -- can we work on your hand writing skills? [laughter]

we will give you each one minute, and go ahead and start us off. >> good evening, board members, superintendent. president mendoza: i am sorry. can we please be respectful >> my name is anthony. i have a letter from the assembly woman who was not able to be here today but you wanted to have this made part of the public record. dear mr. garcia. we have participated in the junior rotc program. it fosters teamwork, health and physical fitness, and other things. this is invaluable to all of the students and the district. as the board considers amendments to the resolution, i

want to reiterate my strong support for the jrotc program and to urge continued strong supporter of the program by allowing students into new -- to continue to receive the education credit. further, the instructors to provide such exemplary leadership and work so hard to make the jrotc a success, i understand that the budget is difficult. providing a quality education for all and funding programs for teenagers to stay off of the streets. good, solid programs should part. i would also like to recognize the fact that maybe not everybody knows, but over half

of this auditorium is filled with jrotc participants and supporters, so if they would stand up, we would appreciate it. [cheers and applause] president mendoza paparazzi -- president mendoza: thank you. you are all of the noisemakers. >> i am going to be a junior next year, and i am here to talk about my experience of study. so one thing i like about the studies is it is flexible. when i took it, i got to -- is not really like a mother's love for a class. i was able to take my -- so i have done the one-year of it, so

i passed that, and it is also more flexible in terms of what activities you what to do, such as, let's see, col. when i took independent study, i went to the park to the golf course, and i got credit for that, but at lowell, there is no golf course. i cannot take off there. there is swimming and biking, and i still swim every saturday at 2:30. and also, unlike pe, it is more like activities you want to take, activities you want to do, and it is also how hard, how

strenuous you want that to be, so when i took independent study, et i was not really limited. president mendoza: i'm going to ask for you to wind up. your time is up, so please wind up. >> please extend the time. president mendoza: thank you. [cheers and applause] if you could honor the time limit, we have a lot of people to speak. >> it really helped me to take all of the classes i wanted to take, such as rotc. it was flexible. it did not take a block of time that a normal class would, and i was able to take what i wanted to. next year, it would be problematic to my schedule,

because i would not be able to take all of the classes i was planning on, such as the ap european history class. thank you. >> hi, good evening. my name is michelle, and i am a knoll graduate. -- lowell graduate. if i was not in jrotc, i would not be the person i am today. i have high self-esteem and am a highly motivated individual. i was in that for four years and definitely know what the program can offer. i appreciate the dedication of the instructors, the trust adults who acted as a support system for many of the cadets and myself.

jrotc helps teach students about civic engagement and have to be active participants in the community. i would not have been involved in the school board campaigns. if i was not in it, i would not be with the district office. i would not have -- the team made me -- [laughter] >> hi. jrotc has taught me to care about my fellow students as much as i do and has taught me that

anything is possible. i am a result of the program. [applause] please do not take this program away from the students. it gave me so much opportunities. uh-uh love -- i love jrotc. thank you. [applause] hello, i am from balboa high school, and it helped me, because i've got to do the physical and activities i enjoy doing and not ones that were like on the schedule, such as like riding my bike, playing basketball, and it's a truck

it also allowed me to push my own limits -- and etc.. this will free my schedule for more academic classes, ap classes and things like that. jrotc helps you to make fun and learn -- to meet people and learn and have fun while you're doing it. >> good evening. i am from george washington high school jrotc. it is an option. it gives us a choice. when i was a sophomore or freshman, it was to take this math class, this other class.

there were things needed to graduate. however, this allows us to go beyond that by taking the rotc class as well as a filling the -- as well as for filling vacant -- the pe requirement. there are those who take dance class of sudden school every day. thank you. [applause] >> good evening, everyone. i am from george washington high school. the thing i loved about it the most is that it was more convenient for me. i could do the things that i wanted to do on my own time, and

whatever i did, i could do it. in pe, you were told what to do and when to do it, and if you did not like it, it did not matter. this is opening up the schedules to fill more of the requirements. we are able to get credits before both the physical education and an elective class. it is not a whole class. it is only you. you are able to focus on what you want to do, and you work and learn at your own pace. thank you. [applause] >> good evening. my name is gregory, in i am a lenkin mustang. as a mustang, i have one of the benefits of going to a san francisco public school, and one

of the perks is being able to join rotc. learning valuable life skills. i have not come here to ask you to continue the program. i am here to urge you to have those keep on track for high school. there are friends that if it were their own choice, they would not show up to school, and many find the inspiration they need to become better citizens, and that is exactly what jrotc helps them to do, not just lets a counselor or a teacher decide our future for us. it teaches discipline in keeping track of the work that you have done and the amount of hours spent to receive credit. there is no better a lot -- outlet for student potential, because through rotc, one can

make a difference in society. please let stevens participate, because if you take that away, you are robbing us of our successful future. thank you. [cheers and applause] >> hi, my name is nikolas. i am currently a student at abraham lincoln high school, and i was a first sergeant in the jrotc. when i first joined it, i was behind credits and but i was better than everyone else. it took no more than one semester for the colonel to set me in the right path. he gave me the option of independent studies, which allowed me to make up credits.

he also did something you never see in any pe class. he taught me the meaning of respect and have to become a leader. one year later, i became a first sergeant, and i am currently in command of 56 students. one thing i would say about the part of independent studies is that you can work on your own time. and most of the individuals that participate in independent studies take part of some form of sport. it helps them to make of their credits and graduate from high school on time. thank you. [applause] >> again, my name is i have been. i would like to start by thanking the board for giving me this opportunity to speak. i have been in jrotc for two

years, and i am now considering to be part of the branches of the military. those five credits of independent study can turn my future of graduating or flunking, so i am not saying i and going to consider dropping out if i do not graduate, because i will graduate, but those of credits would make a difference or any other senior and can hope for rejoin a branch of the military. also, it has taught me discipline, independent study, because i had a bicycle and rode for a little while, but then i put it away. but when i had independent study, i need to have activities and exercise, so now i changed it up and cleaned up, and i am writing it for at least three hours. that is another way of showing that they have helped me.

[applause] >> hi. i am a is an education teacher at lincoln high school. i have been there for over 10 years, and i think clinton has one of the best physical education and jrotc programs. i teach physical education because i think it is important. i think exercise is the best way to stay alert and healthy. our kids involved motor skills, learn how to be fit, and learn how to make it part of their daily lives. two years ago, they stopped giving credit fort pierce it bothers me that the district gave. instructors two years to get their teaching credentials, and

not one of them did, and now, you want to give them another two years. what kind of standard is that? is this being allowed because this is only the physical education? it makes me worry about what is next. are we going to let anyone who wants to take physical education and do it because it works better for their program? i feel and hope that you will agree with me that after giving pe independent programs, it does not work. this should remain an elective with no physical education credits allowed. thank you. >> good evening. my name is janet clark, and i am a physical education teacher at lincoln high school. after the jrotc article in "the

san francisco chronicle" a few weeks ago, a few of us tried to set up an appointment with the superintendent, and when that did not work, we try to meet with board members. we found out there was a june 9 board meeting, and two of us were able to come here and speak. all of this was done in the hopes to address to all of you our significant concerns about how the pe independent studies program was affecting our program, and we believed a look and how it is not working was warranted before voting to extend the deadline. unfortunately, pe does not get the recognition it deserves. we have an excellent position here in the san francisco unified school district.

however, each year it gets a little harder to stand up with all of the cuts that our program gets. >> you know, we are credentialed teachers. if i was not credentials, i would not have a job. we gave rotc two years to get a credential, and not one of them did. thank you. >> hello, my name in marilyn. i am a certified board national credentialed teacher at a middle school, and i have been teaching pe for 32 years, and in the people that spoke before me, i have been taking notes, and i have noticed some flawed logic. in response to the "san

francisco quanis," article, the student went on to describe the activities that would be in the physical education class. the students and of spoken tonight have made a number of comments about only having to do activities i am capable of doing, not being the person i would be without jrotc. how do you know? how do you know you are not the person you would have been? again, we are talking flawed logic. the difference between graduating and flunking out, that speaks to motivation. its students are motivated to get an education, they will, so i think they need to get the education that the state of california set down for them. thank you. >> good evening. i am a physical educator with

the san francisco unified school district. i am here because i and many of my colleagues are greatly concerned about giving pe credit for jrotc. it does not fulfill the state requirement. unfortunately, the contract set forth with independent study. most schools is not being followed. these students are not hitting all of the content standards that they are supposed to, and they should not be getting physical education credit for doingrotc. now more than ever comepe wrote -- more than ever, pe has changed. we have tests that students need

to pass, just like in the academic classes. i believe in a physical education, but i do not believe that these should be combined. they are different curriculums. now more than ever, with childhood obesity, diabetes, all sorts of adult, adult diseases that are happening, 30% of our children are facing supposedly adult diseases, lifestyle diseases. it is important for children to be visibly agitated. thank you. a comprehensive education they can get by credentialed as education teachers. thank you. >> good afternoon, everyone. i was a master sergeant. i have been doing this for 25 years. flawed logic is not giving the

students a choice. that is flawed logic. we all got together today in first thing did the pledge of allegiance. they do meet the requirements. i am students and of not stepped into a physical education program, and yet some are graduating this year. one is going to berkeley, went to stanford, one to uc-davis. i would just want to come and look and our curriculum. it is outright silly to think that we could get a credential in the time frame that you authorized us. i do not think any single instructor would do -- asked if we get -- would not do what you ask if we got the assistance and help. rotc is part of the solution,

not the problem. everyone of these instructors are minority. i think we set a prime example for the school district, so all we're asking is to get an option, like everyone else. thank you. [applause] >> good evening. thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak. i am jerry, the director of the program in the city. i had a bunch of things to say, but they have already been said, but i am going to roll into a remedial hand writing class, and i will be back with a sample of my handwriting. -- i am going to enroll in one. a community has a need. we are doing what you have asked us to do as far as implementing

the independent study program. nobody respects the physical education department more than i do. up until just a few years ago, we had a great relationship with the physical education department across this district. we support the kids. we support the physical education department as well. this serves the students that require an option. this gives kids a choice. it gives administrators an option. what is wrong with that? thank you. uh-uh, and i have some petitions and a letter from one of the students but was unable to be here, and i would like to present it to you. president mendoza: all right, thank you. thank you all for sharing your thoughts. i want to open up the comments from the board. commissioner