and i think it's important for us to be looking at the data at how well our kids are learning, which programs are serving kids best and i would like to revisit that top pick. the next -- topic. >> i want to give a shoutout to ruth from p.a.c. and the p.a.c. members and pbs. i went to the james middle school and i saw how diligent ruth was in trying to get people to focus on giving input and not allow for one or two or three of the parents to taking over. it was very difficult and stood her ground, because sometimes it seems like when two, three people start talking as a group

and sometimes the group will allow for it and then complain to you later and say i didn't get a word in. so you haven't gone to any of these, go to one, it would be helpful and be supportive of what they are doing. they are trying to help us. president mendoza: item t is report of closed session actions. board of education approved the expulsion of one student in the existing litigation case. the board vote of six ayes approved the settlement of $30,000. reports listed under this item are exceptions of gifts for the month of 2011 and informational notice of classified personnel

transactions. and we are adjourning in the memory of a retired administrator who passed away on february 23. he graduated from mission high school and served in the u.s. army until 1948 and was a teacher for san francisco in 1955, retiring in 1989. during his 34 years, he worked as a teacher, basketball coach and administrator and had a profound effect at different schools. he worked hard his entire life in order to achieve a good life for his family and extremely devoted to helping young men and women everywhere. he brightened the lives of many with his sense of humor, loving husband and father and grandfather. board of education and superintendent of schools express sincere condolences to

his family. meeting adjourned.

>> welcome to "culture wire." today we're headed to smpling f. camera works, a premiere venue for artists working in photographer, video, and digital media. the latest exhibition lists clearness as a set of political alliances and possibilities that it is behind the sphere of dominant gay and lesbian culture. the curator fills us in on the process of creating this thoughtful exhibition. and what she would like you to take away from it. >> i co-cureated with danny, a chicago-based writer and curator. the conceptual framework is what it means to be clear and radical for our generation. clearness as a set of political

alliances and possibilities, not necessarily related to institutions of gender and swam formativity. danny and i wanted the show to feel funky and to have a really tangible quality to it. so part of that was incorporated handmade objects and installations and beautifully printed photographs and videos. there is also a lot of opportunities to participate and to take postcards or to get the photo taken or sit within a tent made out of afghan blankets to watch videos. the exhibition is organized in three distinct galleries. in gallery one, which is the gallery designated to clear activism, there is an installation by the

oakland-based collaboration and it's called "unleashed power." it's all focused on one protest that happened in chicago in 1991 with the activist organization act up, which was protesting the inadequate health care for people living in aids, and specifically it focuses on an act of police violence that occurred at that protest. the thing that is really interesting for me about that piece is that it brings us back 20 years to what clear activism looked like at the height of the aids crisis. gallery two features work that is related to intentionally communities that exist both within cities, also in rural spaces, and transient communities as well. the return features a no madic clear tribe, the people who

join this tribe are often in various states of transition themselves, whether it's leaving behind previous gender assignments or corporate jobs or a life within cities. a lot of the work featured in the exhibition and a lot of the installations are handmade objects. there is a lot of do-it-yourself aesthetic and that handmade do-it-yourself feeling is something that mimics the idea and the reality of the alternative world making that we're trying to represent here as far as the self-sufficient community goes. gallery three features work that relates to the ideas of self-determinenism, alternative world making and utopia. visits can still participate in

this -- visitors can still participate in this project. during the opening, we invite visitors to come in and try on these costumes, pose in front of the backdrop. he was really inspired by comic books that he read as growing up and thinks of this space as a post-apocalyptic monster portrait gallery where people can remain genderless once they put on the costumes. we think it's important that this be happening in san francisco, which is considered an ekpe center of the queer actual cure. the majority of the queer cultural events happen in june which has been designated as the pride month. which to me translates as the period of time in which people can be in clear arts and culture.

in september, it's hashingening back to that and proving that this is something that is scon significantly happening all the time. what danny and i hope visitors take away from this exhibition is to observe the diversity within the designation of queer in terms of race, in terms of gender presentation and intergenerational perspective of what it means to be queer as well as what it means to exist and be active and work in solidarity with people whose identities may or may not look like yours.

>> good evening, and welcome to the 31st annual mfac awards. [applause] hello, everyone. i am your mc tonight for the good government awards, and i'm so excited tonight. we have such great winners, exciting guests. first, i want to quickly acknowledge some of our fabulous officials in the house. we have supervisors chu, elsbernd, wiener, mar, mirkarimi, chiu, former supervisor alioto-pier, our treasurer, the mayor's chief of staff, and our controller.

let's give them a round of applause. [applause] the mfac awards have become sort of like the oscars of city hall, and you're going to have a great show tonight. before we get to that, i want to think -- take a quick moment to thank the folks that really make it possible. we go to a lot of events and see a lot of folks who sponsor these, and i can tell you it is amazing who is always the first folks to step up when it is time to support something really valuable. i want to take a few minutes to thank all the folks who made tonight possible, who are providing an excellent open bar in the back and all the great food you are eating tonight. first, i want to thank jack, dick blum with blum capital, pg&e, the johnson company, and we have an anonymous