webster before their children a attended. i was a reading attendant when my daughter was just one year old. and there are many families equally committed to daniel webster. when you look at the parents we profiled, you can read on your own. but i want to look at the playground pictures. what you see on the playground is the magic that john talked about happening. the representation of the cultural diversity in potrero that you can find almost nowhere in the city. and on the next page we have a couple of parents as you see, we are attracting the young middle-class families that are a part of the workforce for this high-tech boom that we previously discussed.

i want to read one quote from a mom, jennifer cogener at the bottom of the page. she used to work for adobe, that was on our list of maps inside our attendance area, she says: while i was executive director for adobe, i can tell you that having high-selling homes is key, adoeb is a family-friendly company, and to drop off kids prior to work without getting in a car is huge. going back to our map here, we will move from elementary schools on to middle schools. bessie carmichael and isa are the middle schools in our attendance area. carmichael is k-8; and isa middle school is 180 students.

it's the least requested middle school in the district. it's a middle school that is mixed with high school. and it's the only 6-12 configuration within the district. and last year it was considered for closure. so based on the advice from supervisor cohen. john and i had the opportunity, we requested a meeting at isa. and we met with them on monday. so for three hours we met with principal paul koe. two parents, one was a parent liaison and five fantastic students. we learned so much about isa. i will talk about the high school portion on the next page but focus on the middle school section. one thing we learned there is no spanish emersion at isa. and the middle school funding is under funding. the school gets their funding as

6-12. but because they are high school, they have a-g proportions so it supports the high school to meet those requirements. which is fair. but yet it deems the middle school under funded. moving on to the next slide. looking at high schools in our area. i will mention downtown high just for completeness. it was also the former home to isa. but it's a continuation school that nobody can request. so moving on to isa, it is the least requested high school in the district. it is a great program for at-risk kids. principal koe mentioned it has one of the highest graduation rates in the district. and we took a tour with four of the high schoolers, and i was so

impressed by these kids. and the classes that they took us to, ethnic studies, english, and history both john and i were very impressed by these classes we saw. the one thing i do want to note here is that there are 270 student at isa. and previously i mentioned there were 180 students in the middle school part. maxwell campus that houses the program, can seat 800 students. currently there is 450 students at that campus today. >> so as i mentioned before, one place where we seem to be in disagreement is about sort of the capacity of kindergarten

seats, particular in our -- attendance area. and so there a quote in the potrero view, and obviously it represents the position of the district as presented earlier. you know, we see a lot more growth. and you saw some data behind that. we look forward to see what the results from the demographer are. and these should be something that is a fact. and we are looking forward to that particular point. but anyway, what we want to be sure doesn't happen is this irony problem. you can people that can walk to work but drive their kids to school. that's not an ideal situation. what is next?

given what the district said a few minutes ago, they are offering exactly what we are asking for here. but what i would say to add to that is two things. one is that we really see the strategic context in terms of having a school system that supports the city's growth area to be important. i didn't hear them talk much about that. and we encourage them to think more broadly and strategically. and if you look at the timeline, they don't make a recommendation until june and something is not decided until the summer. that means that the people that are going through the sort of enrollment process next august, we are still going to be communicating to those that i am giving tours to as middle school feeder isa. that's not a positive for daniel webster. we are losing people already because of that feeding path.

we think it could put our school at risk if we go through another whole enrollment recruiting season and i am the share of the enrollment community, and to have to tell that's our middle school feeder. it comes up and it's a problem. to wrap up, anyone that has engaged. >> i will have to ask you to wrap up, we are at 15 minutes. >> i want to say one last thing. >> sorry, we have to ask you a question in order to extend your public comment time. if i could ask you to wrap up your last comments. >> okay, it's the slide that we presentedi presented earlier. the proposal to the district and

pre-k through 8. you will have more families in this district. we have passion and insight and we ask that the city engage with us of the families that we face in keeping families in the district and our city. >> thank you very much, any other members that want to speak on this item? seeing none, public comment is now closed [gavel] i want to thank the district for your presentation and the parents from potrero hill for coming. i remember sitting on the board and questions of 6-12 and the questions of the parents and this came up when we had leadership high school. and i know this has come up through multiple periods. and i look forward how the

school district moves forward on this issue. i think we have closing remarks from supervisor cohen. seeing no other comments from committee members. >> as we begin to close out, thank you, parents for coming out and presenting your perspective in district. and it was hopeful to see you at the table, and between daniel webster and bessie carmichael and the southeast part of san francisco. that we can continue to come to the table and have thoughtful and key conversations. i want to highlight on, there is an expressed commitment from the school district to help us and i will assist a robust discussion between parents and myself and my office and the school district. the three of us making sure we are in constant communication. and i want to compliment the

parents for coming out. and thank you for meeting with the isa community and it sounds like it dispelled rumor and sounds like you got a lot out of that field trip. that's it for me, and thank you for allowing the parents an opportunity to speak. >> thank you, supervisor cohen. i see nothing further on this item. colleagues can we take a motion on this item? since you are the sponsor of this request, would you like to continue this to the call of the chair or file this item as heard? >> i would like to continue it to the call of the chair. >> do we have a motion to continue to the call of chair. we have that motion and can do that without opposition. thank you. in terms of our next meeting, we will be meeting monthly. i want to be sure that we are not canceling as it was

happening when he met twice a month. i did as much as possible and to my colleagues, to stick to items that involve both the city and the school district where we both have jurisdictions over an issue. clearly this is something that is solely under the jurisdiction of sfusd. that we don't have decision-making power over. not that i don't want to take requests that involve just one party or another. but i think as much as possible i think we should try to call items that involve the city and school. so we can have input and feedback on how to contribute to that issue. and i have made a hearing request for march, to have an item on prop h. and how we are able to back fill the states cuts through the public enrichment fund.

and we asking for comments for school and that grant cycle and want the school district and weigh in on to the board of supervisors to help us in that decision-making process. madam clerk, anything else on the agenda? seeing none, meeting is adjourned. [gavel] thank you everyone for attending.

>> feel like it really is a community. they are not the same thing, but it really does feel like there's that kind of a five. everybody is there to enjoy a literary reading. >> the best lit in san francisco. friendly, free, and you might get fed. ♪ [applause] >> this san francisco ryther created the radar reading series in 2003. she was inspired when she first moved to this city in the early 1990's and discover the wild west atmosphere of open mi it's ic in the mission. >> although there were these open mics every night of the week, they were super macho. people

writing poems about being jerks. beatty their chest onstage. >> she was energized by the scene and proved up with other girls who wanted their voices to be heard. touring the country and sharing gen-x 7 as a. her mainstream reputation grew with her novel. theses san francisco public library took notice and asked her if she would begin carrying a monthly reading series based on her community. >> a lot of the raiders that i work with our like underground writers. they're just coming at publishing and at being a writer from this underground way. coming in to the library is awesome. very good for the library to

show this writing community that they are welcome. at first, people were like, you want me to read at the library, really? things like that. >> as a documentary, there are interviews -- [inaudible] >> radar readings are focused on clear culture. strayed all others might write about gay authors. gay authors might write about universal experiences. the host creates a welcoming environment for everybody. there is no cultural barrier to entry. >> the demographic of people who come will match the demographic of the reader. it is very simple. if we want more people of color, you book more people of color. you want more women, your book more women. kind of like that.

it gets mixed up a little bit. in general, we kind of have a core group of people who come every month. their ages and very. we definitely have some folks who are straight. >> the loyal audience has allowed michelle to take more chances with the monthly lineup. established authors bring in an older audience. younker authors bring in their friends from the community who might be bringing in an older author. >> raider has provided a stage for more than 400 writers. it ranges from fiction to academics stories to academic stories this service the underground of queer fell, history, or culture.

>> and there are so many different literary circles in san francisco. i have been programming this reading series for nine years. and i still have a huge list on my computer of people i need to carry into this. >> the supportive audience has allowed michele to try new experiment this year, the radar book club. a deep explorationer of a single work. after the talk, she bounces on stage to jump-start the q&a. less charlie rose and more carson daly. >> san francisco is consistently ranked as one of the most literate cities in the united states. multiple reading events are happening every night of the year, competing against a big names like city arts and lectures. radar was voted the winner of these san francisco contest.

after two decades of working for free, michelle is able to make radar her full-time job. >> i am a right to myself, but i feel like my work in this world is eagerly to bring writers together and to produce literary events. if i was only doing my own work, i would not be happy. it is, like throwing a party or a dinner party. i can match that person with that person. it is really fun for me. it is nerve wracking during the actual readings. i hope everyone is good. i hope the audience likes them. i hope everybody shows up. but everything works out. at the end of the reading, everyone is happy. ♪

>> just a few steps away from union square is a quiet corner stone of san francisco's our community to the meridian gallery has a 20-year history of supporting visual arts. experimental music concert, and also readings. >> give us this day our daily bread at least three times a day. and lead us not into temptation to often on weekdays. [laughter] >> meridians' stands apart from the commercial galleries around union square, and it is because of their core mission, to

increase social, philosophical, and spiritual change my isolated individuals and communities. >> it gives a statement, the idea that a significant art of any kind, in any discipline, creates change. >> it is philosophy that attracted david linger to mount a show at meridian. >> you want to feel like your work this summer that it can do some good. i felt like at meridian, it could do some good. we did not even talk about price until the day before the show. of course, meridian needs to support itself and support the community. but that was not the first consideration, so that made me very happy. >> his work is printed porcelain. he transfers images onto and spoils the surface a fragile shes of clay. each one, only one-tenth of an inch thick. >> it took about two years to get it down.

i would say i lose 30% of the pieces that i made. something happens to them. they cracked, the break during the process. it is very complex. they fall apart. but it is worth it to me. there are photographs i took 1 hours 99 the former soviet union. these are blown up to a gigantic images. they lose resolution. i do not mind that, because my images are about the images, but they're also about the idea, which is why there is text all over the entire surface. >> marie in moved into the mansion on powell street just five years ago. its galleries are housed in one of the very rare single family residences around union square. for the 100th anniversary of the mansion, meridian hosted a series of special events, including a world premiere reading by lawrence ferlinghetti. >> the birth of an american corporate fascism, the next to

last free states radio, the next-to-last independent newspaper raising hell, the next-to-last independent bookstore with a mind of its own, the next to last leftie looking for obama nirvana. [laughter] the first day of the wall street occupation set forth upon this continent a new revolutionary nation. [applause] >> in addition to its own programming as -- of artist talks, meridian has been a downtown host for san francisco states well-known port trees center. recent luminaries have included david meltzer, steve dixon, and jack hirsch man. >> you can black as out of the

press, blog and arrest us, tear gas, mace, and shoot us, as we know very well, you will, but this time we're not turning back. we know you are finished. desperate, near the end. hysterical in your flabbergastlyness. amen. >> after the readings, the crowd headed to a reception upstairs by wandering through the other gallery rooms in the historic home. the third floor is not usually reserved for just parties, however. it is the stage for live performances. ♪ under the guidance of musical curators, these three, meridian

has maintained a strong commitment to new music, compositions that are innovative, experimental, and sometimes challenging. sound art is an artistic and event that usually receives short shrift from most galleries because san francisco is musicians have responded by showing strong support for the programming. ♪ looking into meridian's future, she says she wants to keep doing the same thing that she has been doing since 1989. to enlighten and disturbed. >> i really believe that all the arts have a serious function and that it helps us find out who we are in a much wider sense than we were before we

experienced that work of art. ♪