and i am a junior at mission high school. we also want to ask -- teachers should not be fired. thing should not be cut because it teaches get fired, are classes are going to get bigger, and it will be harder, and if we do not have the materials to study, how will we learn a better history. this is how we can get to, through history. i think that materials are very important to have in our schools, and education is very important for us and for our futures, and that is how we make changes. thank you. and happy mother's day. >> i know you're waiting to get an apprentice with mayor lee,

but you can -- >> i am patrice thompson, an english teacher from george washington high school, good evening, superintendent garcia and board members korea i am here to talk about the situation at george washington. many people, from hunters point to around another area, they would like to attend school there, and we have lost students do something i do not understand, especially when students were to come here. with fewer students, we're not able to provide what students need to not only get into the u.c. system, at haute the state system, we are getting rid of those classes. whether anyone likes it or not, i also the mother of a 12th grader, and i have had 90

seniors, and what i've seen is that regular programming, haute gta, as a teacup of a rigorous and diversity of programs and the arts and english classes, one third, really a fourth year of mass, the best thing is for students to have the most rigorous program, and we are not able to provide that unless we have at least 200 students return to us, so i am asking that at least 200 students get returned to us and that we continue our program. i am in the english department. the last five english teachers have not been replaced. somebody from another department teaches one class. thank you. i am sorry to go on. thank you. [applause] >> good evening. my name as holly. i have not talked to the board

of education. i've worked for the school district since 1984. my youngest is 21. they were in school here in san francisco. i am here to advocate for the arts, in particular. there is not a minute when any of our art teachers here would start programs, walk down the block, and see any of our students that may be used to be elementary and now are high school, and there are some students who will introduce themselves. >> my name is -- and i went to cesar chavez. >> my name is -- i used to go to cesar chavez. >> our children, you can see, the star in elementary, and they go through the ranks, and they end up in high school.

they taught unified arts and the arts at the two middle schools, and i just want to say about 10 years more or less ago, teachers in the arts were consolidated. but that time, the superintendent put us into the stars program. people may disagree with this, but at the time, everybody was trying to meet those test scores, and unfortunately, the arts are not covered. please support the arts in our schools. i support what the high-school teachers are saying. we need a comprehensive program for students, in particular african-american students and latino students, and, unfortunate, they are not getting a chance, and there is no equality of opportunity, like maybe apollo to go. >> -- maybe like at apollo telco -- palo alto.

++ things to us around. >> dealing with cuts and consolidations, and, yes, i know, many decisions are made on site. this is probably one of the most hardened cities of the world, and what is happening is that it is becoming diluted and fragmented. the result of this is we're losing the consumers and the practitioners of art. this is a poll of of of the

students the could be connoisseurs', practitioners of the arts. as there are many cutbacks that come up and consolidations, keep that in mind, but the arts have been somewhat diluted because of texting -- testing and financial issues that have come up. thank you. >> superintended garcia, ladies and gentlemen, i am a musician with the sad but the screw up approach, and with the education department. i have been in the schools through the adventures in music program and worked directly with teachers and with students who are in the middle school and high-school level were considering the finer aspects of being a musician, and i would like to reflect on the diversity of our american culture and the diversity of the american music culture, which we find in rock- and-roll, the blues, vote the

american songbook. when a student learns music early, they learn linear thinking through melody, such as "row, row, row your boat, it gently down the stream and. marilee, marilee, marilee.-- -- merily merrily, merrily. doctors practice medicine. musicians practice and perform music, and teachers have class. thank you very much. >> thank you for that. i and were to call the next. commissioner? " if i could get a number from

the superintendent orza -- or staff. how much money is going into the music program. i do not know what they do with the money. >> thank you. there were probably three or four of you who did not have a car that came up and spoke. if you can be respectful to those who were waiting, i would appreciate it. the next batch, maria garcia. richard ramirez. and flore martinez. and then jose ramos maria guzman, louis baracuda,

rena -- brenda. and we go. -- rita so let's get that group through, same amount of time. come on up. >> .good evening. superintendent and everyone else. i would like to say that after being a principal and seeing the heart and soul of everyone here, it is humbling to me. i almost broke out in tears because ibm and emotional kind of person. i do not mean, no offense, but

i'm going to get one that says got an education? i never knew how serious this was. silly me. awhile back, i thought a movie korea and now, do not trick on me. i saw a movie that was so simple, and i like to talk about solutions, and it was called "pay its forward? " if you have not seen it, i encourage you to see it korea it is so simple. we know that the budget is going to you know where. and i heard a man say that his family needed to end of an dollars, and how many people are in the state of california? how many people are in the state of california are going to depend on these fees?

how about the -- back, everybody is korea and will much cover the korea what about everybody donates $1. is it too simple? if everybody donated a dollar, that is one hammer less. thank you. and that came originally to support ms. gonzalez, our principal, and she is young, and i would like to give her a chance. >> your name of >> richard ramirez. >> experian -- thank you. >> [speaking spanish]

>> i come from bryant, and i speak spanish. >> the taste loan to my knowledge and the kids in the third grade of one to enter an international spelling academy and is a high zorba is one to be converted into a 6-12 school. >> [speaking foreign language] . >> so how is it that the money

is invested with a grant on those students, is after they get out, they will enter a huge school with liz and educational focus or cycle emotional but they so much need and deserve? >> [speaking foreign language] >> the students and brian have been through lots of changes and principles which have affected an academically korea another change -- have affected them academically.

>> [speaking foreign language] >> so moving them into this school would not give them or give us the opportunity to choose another intermediate school that would better suit the needs for a children it. for example, myself, color the daughter in the foot grave. hoover, for the programs but they're offering. >> [speaking foreign language]

>> oh that is why there is so much controversy. the paris think there are things not being taken into account when you make those. >> [speaking foreign language] . >> thank you very much. [applause] >> [speaking foreign language]

>> it's ok. very emotional, dear. my name is -- and i want to thank you, president, commissioners, members of the board. i come here as a think a mother, because i of five children. and i am so grateful to all of you for all of the education my children have received in this country.

>> [speaking foreign language] >> i came here because of the work and the discipline and because she supports our parents, and i am sure if we work together, we can come out with a solution. >> [speaking foreign language] . >> thank you for the grant. it is going to be so helpful for our children but the school. they keep. -- thank you. >> hello? ok. how are you doing? my name is -- i am from one area. i had something from o'connell. my wife just said, is it ok? there is seven of us.

>> ok, so that is why i have seven cards here? >> i will give you five minutes to wrap up. >> all right, thank you. so, like i was saying, from o'connell, members from the mission district. we are here regarding the issue of a merging. we are here to let you know that we are a group of parents that are actively involved at the school, who are very interested, at what has been proposed for the upcoming year. we have been trying to learn and to stand as much as we can understand regarding the upcoming merger. there are different parties will evolve in the merger, and district officials and school board members. what we have learned had led us to have some concerns, you know,

the biggest concern having to beat delaney from the mission district coming into the school. we want to make sure that the school remains accessible to all countries, and that means african-americans, brown. all types of learners. and anyone else from the neighborhood who would like to learn at the middle school, for logger the next year. we want oarsmen to always be accessible to the larger community in fear that what this neighbor composed, allows rapada including hoover and others. why is it that horsemint in the asked to change this. a it deficient. -- how is that deficient? there is the data from here in san francisco or from other cities or other states? you know?

we as a group of parents, we would like to figure about to make these changes to work for everyone involved, including the community that is already present at horsemen. thank you, and we look forward to working together with all of you to work into the thought of everybody. thank you. >> having only one kind of art class. i just want to remind everybody. beginning my freshman year, my school had 22 ap classes, and then we only had four.

i learned not to compare my school to other schools. it is very different, and i know that everyone is always trying to compare themselves. i know how important the arts is to everybody. the language classes. but i feel the equity that everyone is asking for is just not possible, and i hope that everyone understands that, because my school has not had that for a really, really long time. i have nothing against washington or lincoln, but i understand what they want. because all we want is to have everyone's needs met.

a project and everything like that. i disturbia try to understand that. it is not possible. sorry. all students want classes. it is just not possible. us complaining about it is not going to hold anything. >> people have had their moments. please allow the student, who is really putting herself up here, and i would really appreciate your respect. thank you. you may finish. >> i feel that we are always faced with these choses --

choices. do you want our students to be more academically focus, or do you want them to be more arts focused? my school has not had that in a really long time. >> thank you. our next speakers are brenda, and -- >> good evening. my name is brenda, and i on -- and i am here on behalf of another. i was told that the school will be closing for budget cuts, and i am here to represent my son, jeffrey. he is 11 years old. a special education student. i was also told that students will be placed in other schools.

i am a special and paris. i have been 1 for 18 years. i am asking everyone to allow jeffrey to get his education in the special services. children in special education services were allowed to go to other schools. they do not have the manpower to help the children that have behavioral issues and learning disabilities. the nonpublic schools i have dealt with is a good fit for children that have academic problems with special services that will allow them to further their education. he has run his grades up.

i see a big change in his behavior, work, everything, and i am just asking everyone, can they please allow him to remain in his special ed services to further his education to graduate out of high school? think. -- thank you. commissioner: we had a meeting yesterday, but in terms of the facility, it is an issue but. basically, they are private, ok? what they are looking for is a facility. we are working with them on that, just so you know.

commissioner: we cannot have dialogue like this. >> she is working with the existing principle right now. >> thank you. next speaker. >> they do. hi, my name is rita, and i am a grant parish/guardian from the red heart elementary school out in the bayview hunters point area, and there are several concerns that i have to bring before the board tonight, and one of them is that our principal has been taken away from us, just a few weeks before school is out. this principle has nurtured these kids, all of the way through kindergarten, and now my grandson is in the fifth grade and is about to graduate.

no principle, all of a sudden one day, he is here, the next day, he is gone. nothing to let us know that the principle will not be back for this semester. we are just appalled to let us know that we were not quick to have our principal. upwards appel was told to get more asians into the school in order to boost the test scores. no offense to anyone else here, but that is absurd.

we want the same exact thing for our kids that any other parent in this room wants and deserves. our kids deserve a quality education. they need a stable and experience to education. we also want our kids to know that they are not dumb. we are very proud of our children. commissioner: your time is up, ma'am.

superintendent garcia: with all due respect, i am the superintendents, and i would never say that. >> in my district? it was said. president: i need you to finish up. >> thank you. >> good evening. my name is -- and i am also a father and a parent of a foot crater in a first grader. but also as a sophomore at balboa. i am also here to advocate for ms. franklin. her body of work has been above and beyond what i could imagine. i was also appalled when my son came home, and the feeling he showed me was disenchantment when this is the person