they can see the purpose of not only developing the pathway but the purpose of continuing the child in the past away, you know what i mean? we have found out for kindergarten that parents say, "i have to be locked in now, forever?" yes, that is the commitment, because our language pathways will not work if they do not stay, you know? so i am wondering, i do not know, i always thought we needed a language policy petco so that when you go out, you can tell parents that this is why we are doing it, right? and then another thing, also, i think it would be interesting to actually ask students who have continued the pass away, so have gone from one to another and found out sort of what was

helpful, what was not helpful in that transition, you know, and we can also chargedchart -- chart. i think is what was their experience, it is true we do not know. we can set policy, but we do not know what it is like to be in the classroom or to go not to a high school of your choice but to a high school that has a program. it may not be the one you want to go to, but you go to it. are we reaching our policy goals? i do want to say that conducting these groups, these focus groups, i think it is so important, and i just want to say thanks to you guys for doing it. >> i am almost done.

i do want to say in terms of the format, this report on community engagement was when we all thought there was going to be a committee last week, where u.n. staff will talk more about positions for the k-8 pathways, so this is a little before that conversation, but we thought it was important that you know, particularly about the timeline part. interestingly, part of the reason for the format that we're doing is for the parent advisory council and for parents -- we do not actually do pr for the district exactly. we are trying to build communication and trust between the community and the district, so our job is not really to sell anyone on why this is happening, but we help bring parents to it

and lead parents, and the district's staff are those who are going to present the rationale and sort of why we are doing this stuff, so that is part of our partnership. it is on staff to manifest that vision in a way that is appealing to people, so we are planning to conduct a forums, and then we will bring you our findings -- to conduct forums. we try to refrain from presenting a partial findings, because we want to make sure that we hear from everyone. i do want to really strongly encourage board commissioners to go to any or as many of these education, because i think that while i think we do a great job of consolidating information and

presenting the, nothing compares to the experience of being in the room and hearing what people have to say. to hear it directly is a very powerful experience, and i think that builds trust in the community that you are there. chair wynns: i want you to tell me where they are scheduled and where the information can be accessed, at what time, because there is a member of the public here, who is my mentee, so i want her to know how to find out about it. >> ok, that is a perfect segue. are very first one is on communication. so we know that since the middle school feeder patterns were delayed for earlier this fall, pretty much parents across the district have no idea what is happening with it, so we have been developing a one-page info sheet that is almost done, and

it will be translated, inequal posted as widely and as in as many divots kinds of places that possible to let people know about the community forums, and i know it will be on the district website and on other websites vote in three languages, -- and on other websites in three languages. we will work to get the word out. chair wynns: when do you plan on having the schedule completed? >> it will be constantly updated. we are meeting with a middle school principals the first week after we come back from break, and we are hoping and asking that they come with some ideas about when they would like forum to occur. chair wynns: a week in january?

>> by mid january, for sure, we have to have a draft preliminary schedule. chair wynns: again, by that time? >> yes, that is reasonable. chair wynns: mosby february and march, and maybe in january. >> they have to be done the last week in march. we're also trying to meet with an elementary school principals as soon as possible, because we're going to count on them to get the word out to their communities to know about the forums they should go to. this is a little different than the student enrollment. everybody is going to be more involved, and people will be more inclined to motivate their communities to go. we are also meeting and talking with community partners so

people know this process is happening, and to the extent that they want to be involved, they are welcome to help. chair wynns: commissioner norton? commissioner normaton: this woud be a jumping off point. i am already being contacted by parent groups that are saying, "oh, we have a solution. we had a meeting." how set in stone is that plan? people will automatically say, "oh, my god, it is already on paper." >> this is the project manager, but i would say that you commissioner are the people to set things in stone, so, no, things are not set in stone.

it is all the draft right now. chair wynns: we need to recognize that when something was put in writing, everyone was in a panic, so that is what commissioner norton is referring to. however, what i am looking for and what i think this committee has discussed in the past is that we want this process to be important and also that we are looking for ways to half inch from discussions without any proposal being made. >> ok, i am going to address this with more after i finish my short par, because it is a great segue to the next point we will make. we are looking to improve

transparency, and that includes the transparency of our work as a parent advisory council. we have heard the district staff are holding conversations with the buena vista elementary community and with a middle school about the idea of a point of these to becoming a -- the idea of buena vista becoming a k-8, and we were talking about this as a concern because we think it is great for constituents to come together and think through solutions, but we're also very concerned about a decision making or promises better outside of the overall process of thinking it out. not just which elementary schools feed into which middle schools, but there is also a teacher assignment and all of those questions, so we feel these discussions have to be

transparent, and the decision making has to be done in a larger context, so we want to make sure that there are no deals being cut better outside of this wider context, so we urge the district. does that mean district staff? the board of education approved -- board of education? not to make any specific determinations until the whole discussion happens and it is all decided, and i know you have to think through, you have to think through preliminary things. if we do this, then it means that. it cannot all be figured out in one or two board meetings, but just to make sure that there are no deals being cut, which includes the pac not determining who will be in a discussion group and who is not, so, with

the, i want to turn your question over tomorrow in terms of how set in stone things are or how the proposal process works. chair wynns: one, commissioner mendoza is trying to get out of here, and if she leaves, we will lose our quorum. one minute is my deadline. >> i have heard that comment around the deal is being cut, and really that phrase in regards to just the rumor mill happening and really getting traction, and from my perspective, as a board member, that conversation is not anything that i have got through, and then hearing you say those words, "deals being

cut," i would request that people hearing these kinds of intimations in the community would discourage them and noted that the board has not taken up this matter, -- and note that the board has not taken up this matter. i think this is a mischaracterization to the highest in regards to how we operate. chair wynns: all right, thank you. ms. moran. >> the deputy superintendent, mr. carranza, is going to be sending something out. we hope to talk to you as a committee as a whole, but that is not happening. parents are already approaching

board members and different parent groups, and people are anxious to get involved in the process. we thought it would be good to give the information at least in writing, and then we have something schedules. unfortunate, i think the next meeting is not until the 18th or a little further into january, but we did want to get that information out to you, and we would like to bring you progress reports. we would like to bring you are thinking as we go through the project, so we just want to think about how we do that, so you will receive something tomorrow. chair wynns: ok, any member of the public wishing to speak? commissioner mendoza? all right, thank you for coming. we appreciate's everybody

attendants and work. the meeting is adjourned. -- everybody -- we appreciate every's buddy -- everybody's attendance and work. the meeting is adjourned.

we are here to celebrate as a corporate the life and times of edwin lee. i tried to convince him to become the interim mayor. he figured that one out quickly. his wife said, i am moving to hong kong. that did not work out so well. he is more secure than the next

interim mayor will be. his financial future will be locked down for at least five years in this position. i could not be more pleased or more is enthusiastic about this reappointment. i am glad that president david chiu took the time to be here. also sophy maxwell. i have found a file on ed and i was cleaning out my files. i am glad that that episode is behind us. i am very pleased with the great work. we have been celebrating his work. we were just out at sunset celebrating his contribution. i am grateful that you took the time to be here.

you should be very appreciative. thank you for being here. i see a lot of department heads here. i think that everything has been said about ed over the years by pretty much everyone but it is approach to it that i recast in a new light. i have advantage of being around here for 16 years. i was a member of the parking and traffic commission. i worked on the board of supervisors for 16 years. my life has been devoted to

this city in a formal capacity. i have had the privilege of working side-by-side with ed of those years in different roles. when you go through the process of making changes and when you win an election, you should make changes. there is always someone who is top of the list. it is amazing because he is always at the top of the list for multiple roles. when you think about the fact that we have an opening here, wouldn't that be perfect? we could not really figure out the last round when i won reelection what the appropriate next step would be and the next roll was what he was assigned to and that is the role of actually managing those departments. people forget how powerful howell -- how powerful the city

administrator is. when you were mayor, it is critical to have a friend as the city administrator. i think that he should exercise his full power. i am reminding him of the charter. and he has been a friend over the years. he is someone that i respect. it is an amazing thing to reach out across the political divide. this is unbelievable how often we agree on things. you tend to get into the personality process which is the real divide which add to the end of the day is pretty trivial.

he has done a remarkable job to transcend and build bridges. this is the most important and valuable asset even if people disagree, they trust. i don't think that anyone question the integrity as ed and his capacity to call balls and strikes and to be judicious and thoughtful and to respect everyone's points of view. those are remarkable skills. he has got it all. what a gift it is for me as one of my final tax in this role to have as a small part of the legacy to say hey, i actually appointed him to that term.

i am looking forward to that. if there's anyone that will pick up the phone when you are gone, it will be ed and i can give you a straight assessment of what is going on in the city hall. i am having a hard time leaving because i cared deeply about this city and what happens. i could not be more enthusiastic about checking in and get the straight facts. that is a long-winded introduction. i thought before we do the swearing in, i would turn it over to ed and he can give his reflections on the new five-year term as the city administrator. >> thank you, mayor. it is wonderful to work with

you. i want to let you know that working for the city and county of san francisco is very special and it has taken everything i have learned from my mother, my family to really muster up the energy and the memories that it takes to actually do the best service in the city. i would like to thank my family and friends for being here. the mayor has been a motivator for me as well. not only when he was a supervisor, all along i am very proud to see him progress. we will need your talent and voice up there at the state.

having said that, i wanted to say that this city is incredibly wonderful. i worked with 26,000 people who are very dedicated. in my early years, i did not feel that good about this city. i spent a few years litigating against the city to try to make it right. now, 21 years later, there is sense. the city is much more reflective of our communities and we struggled to make sure that we do this more and more. it is a goal of this administration to open the doors, keep them open. i want to make sure that we will continue doing this. that is not only a tradition, this city is changing so much and we have to be on top of the

game. we have to be engage with all of the voices in the city and make sure that they enjoy all of the benefits that the city has. this is not just by way of jobs but by opportunities. so many opportunities are derived from the great talent that we have in the leadership of the city. i take this opportunity to not only be serious but also an appreciation of what this means to everyone. to make sure that this is balanced and to make sure that it reflects all of our traditional values. then, just to make sure that this city works right. this is keeping it really simple. all of my conversations with the mayor, the supervisors, the department heads, how do we make this city work well and keep it

working? we keep this simple but this is incredibly complicated when you know that every citizen would like input. many different opinions both internal and external. we must keep our promises. there are many promises to keep, many new ones and we are not just a local city, we are an international city. that is one of the most important highlights here, to understand how the city is so international. everything we do is reflected in the new international city that we are. the leadership is looked at more and more by people of other countries as to what they can bring to their own citizenry and their neighbors. this is a wonderful job, i do this with enthusiasm. i would like to thank the

supervisors and to those who work with me and are our friends. i would like to extend my thanks you to my mother, my wife, my family who has been here. they have seen the sacrifices it takes to run this great city. thank you for being here and thank you very much. [applause] >> by the way, his mother and family flew in from seattle and new york. are you ready? we will go through the usual routine. you have done this many times. i solemnly swear that i will support and defend the constitution of the united

states and the constitution of the state of california against all enemies foreign and domestic and that i will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. that i take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion and that i will well and faithfully discharge the duties upon which i am about to enter. during such time, that i hold the position as the city administrator for the city and county of san francisco. congratulations. [applause] >> thank you very much.

>> thank you. thank you very much. announcer: so, what's the biggest issue in america today? i don't think we're probably ever doing enough for our environment. the war in iraq religious yahoos freedom of speech i get angry about it, but it's like... ya' know, in my own apartment. i probably believe in all those causes, but i'm...i'm not really doin' anything. >> i work with the department of

environment and we are recycling oil. thank you. we can go into a refinery and we can use it again. they do oil changes and sell it anyway, so now they know when a ticket to a. hal>> to you have something you want to get rid of? >> why throw it away when you can reuse it? >> it can be filtered out and used for other products. >> [speaking spanish] >> it is going