>> indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. president yee: it is my honor to announce that we now begin our meeting with the highlight of the evening. the installation of our next superintendent of schools, richard carranza whose superindency begins in july.

i would like to have my colleagues come around the podium and join him.

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>> superintendent yee and members of the board. ladies and gentlemen and members of our san francisco community. this is truly indeed for an english-language learners student who spoke no english when he entered the public schools, this is truly a momentous occasion for myself, not because of me but perhaps because of what i represent for all their students regardless of what challenges you come with to our schools. the schools of the united states and san francisco unified are here for you. i very, very proudly accept this challenge and this honor to follow in the footsteps of oe considered to be the preeminent

superintendent in the united states -- of who i consider to be the preeminent superintendent in the united states. and to deliver our students regardless of race, color, creed, ethnicity, social -- socioeconomic standing. the best opportunity based in predicated upon access, equity, and social justice. i cannot do this work alone. in fact, i am but the mayor, a small part of the incredible team of paraprofessionals and teachers and administrators and parents and community members that do this work each and every day. it is with you in mind that i will endeavor each and every day that i am in this role to work for you and to serve all of you. i want to thank you for your support. i want to thank you for the faith that you have every day to the appearance when you send your children out of your doors and send them into our doors. i want to thank you for the

faith you place we will do right by your children because we will do right by your children trade with that, i want to say thank you and i am very excited about the work that lies ahead despite the challenging times, despite the economic trouble, despite all the things that we sometimes spend too much time thinking about. we have to remember we have the greatest job of all and that is working with children each and every day. it would be, i think, not right for me also to think some very important people who could not be here with me. and those are my first teachers, my parents, may they rest in peace. they never knew what it was to send their kids to college and did not know what a college application was. they knew the only way to do better than they had done is for

their kids to go to school and to go to college and that is the dream we have for every one of our students in san francisco. the person and the people who are so dear to me, although we work for 56,000 students every day, there are two children and one adult who are so important to me every day and that is my wife, a stella -- estella and my daughters. the time away from home is to build a better community. go sfusd. it is the place to be. [applause] >> you do not get the last word. right now, i want to move to the agenda. this is for the presentation to

the board, the superintendent's report. this is very romantic. we're going to -- the superintendent's thoughts for the evening, carlos garcia. >> i'm still the superintendent until july 1. first of all, richard, congratulations. it is awesome to have you there and i want to congratulate the sport for having the courage, your the first board -- you are the first board, where were not even born. when there is succession planning were you will have someone who is from within the we have had in terms superintendent's. -- had interim superintendents. to have succession planning

especially when we're not headed in the right direction, whether to go somewhere else but what kills public education is we never stay the course. we keep zigzagging and when something starts to look -- work, double digit growth for african-american and pacificare -- pacific islander students, this is closing the gap. and to hire a young wellbore stepler like richard -- whippersnapper like richard carranza, we will stay the course. we congratulate the school board for staying the course and doing the right thing. thank you to all of you. i want to mention, because we do not get enough thank you's. i want to mention some things that are important for leave here. i wanted to inform everybody that with the student assignment, every we're -- year

we have some buzz. fifth and eighth grade students enrolled who do not have -- answer the deadline. those are kids that will come to our schools but sometimes there late in getting things in. we held off a little bit longer than normally. that means -- that meant we had to stop holding the space is not until may. we did that on -- spaces not until may. we did that so kids would not get lost in the system. this is an issue that we will have to clarify that will come before the board on student assignment. we will have a long, thorough discussion of policy and how do we handle that? especially for areas where kids are starting registering enough. they get their notice and they think we do not have to do anything else. as we know, you do have to.

you have to go another step, and sometimes they get lost. we're going to fix that as we move forward. richard and the board will fix that. i think that is something that is worth fixing. second thing is, i want to talk about one of the most important things we're here for is to pass a budget. i have to tell you, we would be less than honest with the public if we did not tell you we wished this budget was a better budget. sometimes you have got dealt lemons and to make lemonade. -- you make lemonade. sometimes people come and complain. we're not the enemy. we are the victims of a circumstance of this state that is too cheap to stand up and fight for children. to be in a state that does not go out there and do everything humanly possible to adequately fund education is a disgrace. in this budget, there is not enough money to do all the great

things for what we think is needed. the arts-music library, math, science, ap, ell, foreign language, extended days, credit recovery, summer school, parikh engagement, staff development, food services, custodians, nurses, the list goes on forever. deferred maintenance. the state is not going to do it, san franciscans have always stood up for children. we have been able to pass prop h. if the state would follow the model of san francisco, we would have a fabulous system. we cannot do it all by ourselves but the state has to help and for them to create these sweeps of tier 3 programs and these got awful things we have to do, we do that work. -- these god awful things that

we do, we do that work. we have to cut 22% of the budget. when 90% goes to the people, it is a disgrace to have pink slips go to the teachers who have stood up for social justice and have helped close the achievement gap. we're going to pass a budget this evening and this budget, believe it or not, as bad as it is, it is better than most school districts. 188 are going under as we speak and that number will grow by the end of this month. i am proud to say that in spite of how bad is, this budget will get us through some of the toughest economic crisis if not the toughest economic crisis that the state of california has ever faced for public education. we're going to make it through that. that is why this evening is important and i know that people will have opinions but we are putting additional resources in

as the deputy superintendent will inform the board later on. we're putting resources for credit recovery for the things the board has pointed out to be important. we do believe and we do walk the talk. that is what makes this board and the district doing the right work because we do have to serve the people who have not been served appropriately for decades in san francisco. last, i have to say that this is my last meeting. i want to thank jill tucker for reminding me. she did a bit of analysis and i have been a superintendent for 16 years. i've spent seven 24 -- 70 24- hour days at school board meetings. think about that. that is a long time. no wonder i am retiring. no. the reality is when you look at

the things we have been working on, how lucky could a guy like me be? he started school in thoss -- i started school in -- as a non-english speaker. it is great that the teachers in this district have stood up to be able to do that. what i am most proud of here is just think, we came here with a strategic plan. joyful learners. we talked about this -- what has to happen. we were blessed enough to have freedom fighters in this community, the parents, the

teachers, the administrators, everybody. all our employees in the district standing united in saying equity means for everybody. everybody worked for five years to show that if you do not believe it can be done, then get the heck out of the way because it is being done regardless of how cheap sentiment is in funding public education. everybody stood by and believed in kids and i have been blessed. my entire career, i have never worked for adults. i am going to get through, folks. it has been such a great event -- a privilege to serve a dynamic community like san francisco that walks the talk. that does not give live service for what needs to be done in education -- lip service for what needs to be done in education. for the board to be told i did

not work for adults, i work for children. that is what needs to happen in america. if everyone believed in the children like this board and like san francisco does, we would have a great society for our children because i do believe we ought to be judged by the way we treat our children and that -- if that is the case in california, then shame on us. i hope san francisco leads the way. this is unacceptable that we are way below the national average that we get $5,000 per student when you look at where over 16,000 -- we are below average and you have schools in the east that are getting 12,000 at the bare minimum. where we tolerating this? it is time to say enough and do something about it. and want to thank the freedom fighters throughout the school district who stood and said we'd

make a difference. riche -- richard, i pass the torch. to ensure tha tell -- that ell kids get served. this is the modern-day apartheid. this excess is and everyone of us as human beings. we have done a lot in five years but it was a start and i want to thank everyone. i have been blessed in 37 years of public education to work with children and i want to thank my wife and my son and my daughter. they gave up a lot to have their crazy dead -- dad fight this movement for children. thank you very much. [applause]

president yee: ok. thank you superintendent garcia for your words. i would like to take this opportunity, this will be his last meeting here as officials superintendent of san francisco. i hope, i personally hope and i am sure the rest of the board

would hope he will come back every so often and spur a son and remind us why we are here. -- spur us on and remind us why we're here. i would like to give the school. -- school board members an opportunity to say something. does anyone want to start? commissioner maufas: thank you. i will speak first this time because i think when we voted you in, i may have spoken last and it was to cast a no vote for carlos. it was not so much about him. i was not sure about our process and how we came to the decision and i was not ready yet and i had stated that. but today, even telling the community, they would ask me, do

you like him yet and it was not so much about that. it was, this is our superintendent and this is the gentleman i have to work with and i have to work with him with the community as well. i have to tell you, it has been up from that moment. up and all the way. and want to thank you for your service. i know there have been lots of tensions, pushes and pulls, but that is the part of the deal. we are supposed to have that and it is healthy. there was never a time when we could not come to the table and have a discussion, whether i was fighting for my committee or on the side of labour and paraprofessionals, you were always able to hear me. even today. to see the walls are barer because richard is moving in and carlos is leaving. the moment of transition.

i want to tell you, thank you. thank you for your service to san francisco. i appreciate you coming back here to end your career and do that well. >> congratulations on concluding your successful tenure. lots of good things that are happening and i think you have a very promising career as a motivational speaker. as everyone knows, carlos is a very effective spokesperson for our children and the school district. one of the things you have said in previous remarks is that if the schools are not good enough for your kids, they're not good enough for any kids and i have taken that to heart. we're in this business because we want to make opportunities available to all of our kids. thank you. >> it has been a real honor and

privilege for me to not only be on the board when we hired you but to work closely with you over the last five years and i want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for being just incredibly honest and ethical, and always working hard for the kids and your sense of humor has always been such a real treat. it has broken up a lot of our very intense meetings. i also want to thank you not only for being a great superintendent, but also being a great partner with the city. in my position as the mayor's education advisor, you have built an incredibly strong relationship with the city and we could not do that work without a superintendent who was willing to come over and take advantage, actually, of all the resources the city has to offer. you have always open your arms to that and it wanted to thank you for that. we have not always agreed on everything but you have always been incredibly respectful and i will not have to call you any

other names that we have called each other behind closed doors. it is again an honor and privilege and i wish you the best of luck. we have been colleagues but also friends and you cannot get rid of us that easily. we look forward to spending more time with you on the outside. congratulations and our best and well wishes for you and your family, carlos. >> this feels like a very sad day and also a very happy day. there is a lot -- you have definitely broke me up. i was not sure you are going to be able to get through it and you did. congratulations. i have appreciated so much learning from you in my term on the board. your keep -- the passion for kids and improving the school. you never -- you have always been able to keep your priorities straight.

you have always really stressed to the staff and the board that you still need to enjoy life. even when the problems seem really big and insurmountable, you need to enjoy life and enjoy your family and i am -- my mental image of your retirement is new and your family planning -- playing yout in the wilderness. i will miss you very much. >> we have known each other 25 years or more and i, we were friends before you came here. i was pleased you were interested in this job when it came up. i appreciate so much your -- i think the greatest asset you brought us was the ability to communicate with the public and

to essentially have made, this is always such a challenge. we're always back here say, we're doing that, we need you to understand this. it is hard to engage the public and the internal constituencies, the teachers, all the school employees, the administrators. we do that and some people do well and some people do a better than others and frankly, i think at this time in our development and life, that has been your greatest gift to us. that we have been able to communicate our message so much better than we have in the past. i think that has been your personal talent that has allowed that to happen. i appreciate that. we have made great progress. this has been a sort of continual evolution.