reports we submitted. i could not find any discrepancy at all. unfortunately, i have not been given any opportunity from anyone to clarify any questions for the staff might be concerned. previous recommendations have been incorporated in the financial planning and budgeting. the planning assumption for the budget is covered in pages 61, 62, and 63. we provided information for how we select an independent auditor, the scope of the audit, and how we address exceptions in pages 37 through 38. the profile is in appendix 11. the scope of audits is in appendix 12. it was mentioned in the staff report that we have strong reserves not only for 2011-12, up for the entire five-year focused. we always look for additional

funding sources, but we plan conservatively and only include funding we definitely know is secure. our projection at the end of 2016 will be 758,000. i have provided the latest audited statements, which incorporate financial data. i included a five-year forecast. i am very puzzled about the statement that we provided out of date data. the historical data will always be out of date. but we need to know the history before we can make meaningful and accurate forecasts for our future. thank you. >> good evening, commissioners. superintendent garcia and deputy

superintendent. i am a parent. i am an educational consultant. i am a community member. i would like to address the recommendation around lack of diligence to the petition process. in preparing for the charter renewal process independent of edison inc., the tractor renewal team, made up of site administration, teachers, parents, and community members found there was no clear process to be followed. as petitioners, we expected to have a process to follow, but there really was none. there was a matrix that was given to us. we were given an example of a successful trader, which we used among other resources, some of which are from california tartar

schools association, legal counsel, other petitions, and various other resources. and we relied on the guidance of the san francisco unified school district torture school's director. in the absence of a clear and defined process to follow, how can any petitioner be expected to demonstrate an understanding of an absent process? i would also like to say that the recommendation for denial is vague and offensive. some of the examples shown of our lack of understanding and preparation are unclear, one of which states it appears that the comments and recommendations were inserted without a deep understanding of their value. how could you know that if we were never able to come and talk

to you about our understanding and how we are implementing what we perceive to be those particular things? i would also like to quickly say one more thing. the petition says that we are demonstrably unlikely to successfully implement the program. but as a parent and community member at edison charter for 10 years, i have seen policies in place, in fact policies the recommendation says are absent, such as the student discipline policy. i have seen them in place. i have seen that they adhere to state and local law, and federal law. in the past four years since deciding to disconnect, the school has moved to great inclusion at the local level, greater communication and

transparency, and to a more democratic locally-based model more relevant to students and their families. in fact, all of these changes have benefited the school and its students, as shown in various data presented in the charter petition. i'd just want to say one more thing. president mendoza: i need you to wrap up. thank you. >> good evening. i am the seventh grade teacher and an elected official of the edison charterer teachers' union, which represents all the teachers including our special ed teachers. i appreciate the opportunity to address the concerns raised about the difference in teacher compensation. when the current salary schedule was ratified in 2007, the schedule represented a significant increase in salaries, including retroactive pay and the creation of a

transparent and fair schedule for all the members. we referenced the uesf schedule. our unit members are quite aware of the difference in our salary schedule. however, we do understand a few things. our current schedule allows for specialist classes, including art and dance. it allows for the maintenance of low teacher to student ratios. in dire economic times, we understand our schedule is averting layoffs and furlough days. currently, the majority of the staff falls in the middle of the range of years of service. the majority of members will experience increases in compensation. our members can improve compensation with additional academic credit. it is the continued objective of

our union to improve the composition of our members. in these economic times, we understand we must share the burden. the retention rate of more than 90% of our staff speaks to the union commitment to the success of the charter academy. if you look at the budget, our parents are not full-time employees. their hourly rate is $2 higher than the current rate offered by uesf. thank you. >> my name is sean whitney. i am the special director at edison charterer academy. tonight, i will speak on the committee recommendations based on student discipline. they stated that we make broad references to certain topics and that we lack a comprehensive plan on page 39.

but if you are all able to review the entire charter, pages 4344 include details of all of the plants and the behavior matrix. it outlines responsibilities of staff members, what will happen for very specific infractions that students make, minor to severe. it outlines when parents are supposed to come in and meet with the executive director. on page 40, it specifically outlines all of the actions to take place for a student who is being recommended for suspension. we used the education code forms when notifying parents of a possible suspension. that is also included, page 42. when we are looking at the expulsion of the student, that is outlined and timelines are included on page 43. it is all there. when looking specifically at the discipline of a student with

special needs, that is also outlined with timelines on page 44. there was a comment in the committee's response or recommendations to you that we were a little general in a statement that says we may seek the advice and guidance of or worked in conjunction with [unintelligible] in the event there may be a litigious case, the offer their support. we have not had to use them. we have been successful in taking care of business. thank you. >> my name is shannon webber. my children are in seventh, fifth, and third grade. this is our fourth year at the school. i was impressed with edison the first time i toured there. there is a huge focus on works

-- on what works for kids -- not parents or teachers, but kids. staff focused on helping individual kids reach their potential. the culture and braces children's backgrounds, both their strengths and weaknesses. both of my kids have struggled and succeeded. there has been an edison teacher by their side. the have a disciplined system and it works. i got to experience it weekly one school year. edison is a vital part of the village that is helping to raise my children. it is surprising for me to come here and see you do not want them to be part of your system. edison has experienced many changes during our four years at the school. the current board are some of the greatest examples of leadership in the city we have seen. something that has not changed much at all is the teaching staff. edison teachers are not only phenomenal educators, but they

are dedicated to the school community and organized themselves to help the school maintained its purpose. with our new governance structure, parents have an opportunity to participate in the school functioning. from this, children are thriving, and more parents are involved. i implore you to accept edison charter's renewal petition and let edison continue to educate children and feed this community as long as they can. thank you. >> good evening, superintendent, board. my name is christine reed. i am a grandparent of two. my grandson's are eight and five. -- grandsons are eight and five. i have had to take parenting of them. the five year-old just became a

student last year. might a-year-old needed speech therapy. i have been blessed with the fact that edison has provided that need for my grandson. he has had the same speech therapist since he has been attending that school. from that, he has become one of the top leaders of his class. he looks forward to receiving one of these every week. this is from the spelling test that he gets every week, 100%. as well, he was involved in a spelling bee the school started recently. he won that as well. the 5-year-old had a problem because this is kindergarten and he did not want to be there. he had a problem for a couple of months. he looks forward to bringing this home every day. this is what my grandson's bring home every day. this is what they look forward

to every day, being 100%. more importantly, what the school does -- they deal with the soul. they don't just do with cognitive skills. they deal with the soul. as we know, we have students at these schools who are going out and hurting other students. but has anybody really dealt with there sold at an educational level? this school brings all of that and some. i would like you to please look a little bit deeper as to what this school does. please come to edison. don't make a determination based on site not seen. please come to edison academy. thank you so much for your time. [applause]

>> i am a long time mission resident and a fairly new parent to edison school. i wish i had taken my son there many more years ago. i have been aware of edison school because of my work with mission cultural center. i was on the board for 10 years. i am on the board of mission community market. i work also with san francisco chronicle -- carnivale. i was very impressed. for six years, i saw the kids, parents, and faculty from the school through their heart and soul into art performances, in to dance, into costume design. they were an incredible bunch of kids. i started looking into their academics. i took my son, who was

regressing terribly at another school that was failing him, to edison. it changed him. his reading level, his riding level, his comprehension of math has jumped threefold. as a single mom in a community that is being gentrified, where we are rapidly becoming invisible -- how passionate i feel about this school. how passionate i feel about the teachers that are out there, involved in all aspects of their students' lives. they get involved with the community. they really come out and become very involved with the parents. they interact with the teachers. i am here to urge you to please listen to somebody who has seen great changes, who loves the school, and who has become a new board member. i would like more time to get

the word out about what a wonderful jewel you have. please be responsive to the parents. check out our kids. come out and see the wonderful job the children do for the carnival parade, and their parents. please listen. as the speaker before me stated, look at the soul of the kids. look at the soul of the school. you have a wonderful thing here. please continue the charter. thank you. >> before we go to board cummins, what did the committee -- comments, what did the committee recommend when you were there? commissioner norton: the committee did not review. it came straight with the budget review. president mendoza: what was the original recommendation? commissioner norton: two in favor, one opposed.

it was a positive recommendation. vice president yee: i am going to take some time here. first of all, first of all, i am feeling very torn in this process. we had the assumption that they would come like they always do. pretty clean proposals. what is easier to accept the recommendation -- to me, as many as today. there are a lot of questions. when we go through this process, it goes to the budget committee.

you review and you ask questions. there is a more give-and-take in terms of the responses. there are times when we might say no, that particular answer is not good enough. we would like you to go back, and by the time we get to the full board meeting, give us a better explanation. in this process right now, we are not giving them the opportunity. i feel really uncomfortable with this. part of it is that they are not a new petition. they have been in existence for a while. it is a change from a for-profit group to what they are now. it gives me a sense that they are doing the right things for the students.

somehow, i don't get -- are we saying that they are getting less money than they have in the past? that is possibly when they may not be able to manage the budget. is it the way they are answering it? is that not making sense to us? the other question i had, what is the deadline on this? is there a deadline or you have to vote on that today. i really want us to bring it back to budget committee said that we can have a discussion on these topics. now we are dealing with a school that is fully unrolled, not a start of organization. -- start-up organization.

>> i will answer the process part of that in the timeline. we received a request, a written request from the division at the state level on march 23 to review what the state department said to bring this back to the district. the also put a timeline on this. it coincides with their state board of education meetings. he would fast track an appeal to that state board of education. that is why this was so expedited in that way. it will outline board policy and through guidance of myself and other district staff members.

we did compress the review process. there will be an answer on the process. commissioner yee: one more thing on the process. i was a little surprised the first time they were horrid -- awarded the charter. it will come back to the local district. does anybody know what the rationale was behind that? it is a little funny. >> i have a phone conversation. prior to the letter being submitted to the district, we

had submitted the findings on the petition, a complete edition. it is my understanding that that is why they asked it to be resubmitted to the district as a complete petition. it has to be based on the same original prediction that -- petition. i can only assume that we're going to the process again. >> the charter was not first awarded by the state board of education. it was awarded by the support of education. when they were prepared to revoke that charter, a deal was struck. real love discuss the kind of

leverage that was awarded. to prevent revocation, it was not up for renewal. the denial of a renewal was not made at that time. this was the district's charter. they wanted to be a state charter, and they were. it was why it was submitted to us in the first place. before we get to [unintelligible] the was the appeal of the charter held by the state board, to be appealed to the local board first. that was the requirement.

i am not aware of if there was any choice of the implied testimony this evening. >> if this were to go back to the state, where they get passed through the state board? >> i can't speak for the state board of education, but thinking just based on process and what i have experienced in the past, the were looking for the actual petition to have findings on would be a the one that we submitted to them. commissioner feweryee: was thatl on the process? >> as you recall, on the budget committee, that was insufficient on many categories.

they had missed the deadline to submit it. this was updated information, and they were unable when they came to the committee, my memory is not that good. they did not have the information from the management company. they did not have that pertinent information in time to submit it for the deadline. when they submit it to us, it is sufficient. we couldn't. as a board. that is why they came back now. president mendoza: commissioner yee, did you have any -- commissioner yee: in terms of the other part of my questioning, the whole piece of give-and-take and the issue of how much less money they're getting? if they're operating now,

independently. and they're not going broke or anything, what is so different from this how we go forward? >> my concerns are twofold, really. this document is meant to be a promise of how the organization is going to work going forward for the next five years. and some of the information provided here was a reflection of what has happened in the past rather than a documentation of how we're going to operate in forward. based on the criteria we have set out, what we need to have, this is what is going to have been going forward. largely around the financial

section, they don't have to choose an auditor that has these qualifications. we give this information to the board of education. we did articulate that in our comments on the first time around. it has not been added since then. there is more information about what has happened in the past, but not more information about the commitments going forward. it is really about the understanding of the petition's, of how you are going to address what you're doing going forward. not a reflection of what you have done in the past.

it looks like they have a healthy balance. i don't know that the numbers reflected here are articulating every expenditure that we have. as an example, i think the benefit question is something that came out. i went back through identifying each of their assumptions when they have the numbers of teachers. the clerical support to and multiplied out. we don't get the same numbers. it does not mean that we're going to be bankrupt by any stretch of the imagination, but we don't have the same numbers. it is not articulated clearly. there are charter school association templates better

very straightforward. most of them are plugged in and execute. i can tell that it is not a formula driven. we have different numbers. that is my biggest concern. commissioner yee: when you say you have different numbers, how far off are they? i can't read this it is so small, but how much are they stated? >> in yaear one, i'm looking at the benefits page. i'm not sure exactly what you have in front of you. it is