the fact that everything we do as a school district should be about the success of our students and that means holding ourselves accountable to them and families and communities and holding them account animal -- accountable in a we know that walking away from students and suspension and expulsion is not the answer. i want to echo the words about the fact that this is really something that has been embrace d by our district for a number of years now. it was a resolution at the time it was mentioned and not everyone was familiar with and now they are embraced and demanding more of. now this

is from it comes from from united san francisco and i want to thank them for their support in partnering on this and they want more development, they want to help their students and they don't want to walk away from their students and so that's the commitment we are making and we recognize tlg -- there is a lot of hard work to go. i want to thank my colleagues and everyone for their work on this and how we got to this point. there is a long way to go. i truly believe that we are on the right side of history here. that we are moving way from punishment and we are moving towards understanding, empathy, compassion and support and everything should be informed by data. even though we are on the right side of history, it's not going to happen without a lot of work and without a lot of history. we have a long way to go thanks to the leadership from the superintendant who

has been supportive from the beginning. we have a long way to go. let get it down. thank you. >> any other comments, commissioners? >> i would like to add a few that i'm wondering from staff do we have a budget inform are this proposal, this plan here? >> we are still under discussion about the budget. we don't have that fully in full detail right now. so i apologize for that. we've been spending a lot of time on this but really it comes down to some additional coaching and time for the school sites to have time after school for the teachers to engage in some of the restorative circles and the conferencing that's going to need to happen. so we are

building that in. >> the only reason i ask is when commissioner maufas and myself and now supervisor kim wrote the resolution for the practices, the big hurdle was to actually get funding for the program. it took us a couple of years to wrap up the funding for it. i think at that time it was a culture shift and it was the beginning of the culture shift in looking at disciplining in a different way. that was driven by the same data that drives this resolution today and also this proportion number of detention and referrals of black and brown students. it was that same spirit that it was written that we are looking today at this and so i would just end this. i heard about your challenges and i agree that we have a district that has been deeply indebted in a culture of consequences

and punitive discipline. it is very in vetted and actually the way we do it is very sophisticated. it takes actually i think this is going to take an a lot of will. it going to take introspection and a lot of reflection and that is what this practice is really about. i believe that with that we can create a better school system. part of being on the board an why it's so difficult and challenging is that i know we can be so much better and i have a deep believe that we can be so much better. this actually helps us to drive us in that direction. so this you to everyone. -- thank you to everyone. i also hope haney would follow this resolution and requesting data for updating on the progress. i would expect that and we

all believe that education is a human right. it is our job as education advocates and policy makers to ensure that happens. i added an amendment to include referrals. i think it needs to be mentioned that although we are talking about suspensions in here that classic referrals are in the thousands. that is an issue that we are going to be looking at and to give teachers the skills and to feel comfortable using those skills to really discipline in a different way. this is not something that i believe will happen over night. as i said, i think it a matter of will. i don't think this is a district that cannot do this. i fully expect that we are able to bring everyone on board with this and having feel comfortable with the skills to address those issues and keep our students in the

classroom. and i appreciate actually our labor partners partnering with us. we can't do this alone. it is always always in partnership. thank you very much, commissioner haney, thank you to my colleagues and also thank you very much to kevin and your team for doing this on a such a short notice to get everything. i know i read the resolution and i felt all over in pieces. i wondered how it was going to look. thank you for letting us see it in a way that we can actually envision an implementation of this resolution. thank you again to advocates, my old work bud -- buddies out there. we are ready for a roll call vote.

>> [roll call vote taken] dr. murase, ms. norton, ms. wynns, ms. fewer? >> yes. >> unanimous. >> so if it pleases the board and i hear no objections that i would like to move up general comment tonight right now because i see that we have some children in the audience and i would hate, we have a lot of items that are very technical highly interesting, but things that probably students would not want to stay for such an in depth conversation. so if i hear -- if i hear no objection, i

will move up public comment. >> so i am going to allow the audience a minute to move quietly out of the boardroom. and for people who are standing to be able to take their seats. i just want to thank the audience also for your patience tonight. if you can move into the hallway so we may i continue this meeting. okay. i will call the names now for public comment. we have a long list tonight. i

will be patient and respectful of all the speakers. john fong. mckaila sullivan, rachel goldstein, chris tam, susie loftus. soto, am us, ash land colo hailey. matthew skrouj, dennis kelly, bill rose toe. susanna and brianna. >> everyone has 2 minutes. so we have many speakers tonight. i would appreciate the audience to respect the

speakers and please keep your private comments or comments with each other. if you need to speak to each other, please leave the room. >> my name is gloria soto. i'm a professor of special education and the coordinator of programs in physical and housing permits at san francisco state university. i appreciate the board for letting me to speak to you tonight. >> excuse me. please let's respect the speaker. quiet, please. speaker has waited over an hour to speak. let's respect the speaker. thank you. >> thank you, i'm here tonight to ask the board to stop the

closing of the i talk program at fsk elementary. the i talk program stands for learning communication created years ago to serve the needs of children because of significant physical and cognitive disabilities don't have the ability to speak. they need the support of communication support of such as electronic devices, manual boards and other assistive technology tools to be able to communicate. now, we know that communication is fundamental to human life. as you said earlier communication is a human right. we know that with subcommunication there is no participation and no access to curriculum, no access to

friends. no access to community. at the i talk program, these children are provided with electronic devices and other communication systems so they can participate in the same academic and social opportunities as their developing peers. i have been privileged to see firsthand the effect of i talk program has had on these students. students have not only learned to communicate, but have also learned to use language and participate in school and have developed into happy young adults. but the provision of an augmented communication system is just the first step. what we have learned from our own research as well as other research is that communication intervention depends primarily on the abilities of those who are providing the intervention. in the i talk

program every person is highly qualified to the dramatic learning education they need to use the device to learn. placing these children in the classroom. >> excuse me. time is up. thank you very much. next speaker, please. [ applause ] >> hello, my name is ash land calahale. my daughter graduated from the program. this program she went through since kindergarten. it's been such a great program. you see this smile? this smile would not be what it was without having a school, a class, everything that a school offers a typically developing

child. this school offers it. i'm not here as a parent that has a kid currently there, i'm here as a past parent that wants to fight for this. the community, the teachers and staff is very vital for these kids. without that, they would have nothing. they would be thrown to schools where kids do not know what's going on. they have awareness classes to teach these kids. my daughter has a best friend from that school. she's trying run for secretary of her school. without the school, we would not have that. i want to read a letter that one of the kids wrote: it says "dear board members, we are the third grade in room 210. we want to save our friends and program. here is the reasons why they should stay. they are friends

and kind and hopeful. they know our school and community and teachers and student. here is the reasons why they should not go. more money will be spent on buses, therapy and other support staff will be needed to travel to new sites for all over districts. this place has physical therapy, occupational therapy, everything right there. that would be so hard for an apparent to have to take the kids somewhere else. in conclusion, we want to encourage that you do not tear apart our community. in addition we would be happy if you keep the program. " this is from a third grade class. they want to keep their friends in wheelchair with communication devices there. thank you. [ applause ] >> next speaker, please. so next speaker?

>> good evening, my name is maria sanchez. this is pedro martinez. he has cerebral palsy. he's in the program now. he has the advantage to talk. and he works to communicate with people and do homework. i have a bunch of stuff here and i have a lot at my house. like he wrote my journal, today is monday. he talks about the weather. i have the letters from the teachers saying when he got the wrong word, he said he wants to erase and do it again. i feel so upset that you want to close the program because my son he's doesn't talk and now he's expert. i don't other than know how to use the talker. he says give me my milk, right of way. i

say, okay. pedestrian -- pedro. please don't close the program. >> next speaker. >> hi. my name is rick martin. my daughter is very shy but she did put something together to you guys. this is her electronic talker. >> hi, my name is christina. please don't close the program. [ applause ] >> hi, my name is chris texas am. i'm an apparent. -- parent. this is my daughter. she's in the program. she came to the program 8 years ago. she had a heart problem which resulted in brain damage. when doctors came to us they told

us there is something seriously wrong with your child. you can choose to leave her here and we will let her die in peace. we were expecting that she would be pretty much a pure vegetable and not be able to do anything she could ever do. right now she walks and she's walking at frances, she walks down the hallways and has friends that greet her and also if i can her hair. but more we see her actually improve. she's able to -- double which she has never been able to in the past and we have very much a hope in her lifetime she'll be able to walk on her own. she has originally had all three holes in her heart which not

necessarily completely rediscovered but now she has visual impairment and developmental delay, severely. she requires a feed tube to feed. she was no the able to walk, she was not able to hold herself up even to sit. she is now able to do that. and we credit that all to all the programs, but essentially all of this had to be manifested through the i talk which she started in kindergarten. this is great program. we are very grateful for having it and we are very grateful for all the teachers that have supported us through this. thank you. [ applause ] >> thank you, mr. tam. next speaker, please. >> hi, my name is lillian. i'm representing room 108 and

109. the i talk program is the only entire program in the entire city to assist children who are not able to talk. with this device, my son is able to talk. we are extremely upset that we received the letter 3 days. the school district sent us a letter with 3 days to choose another school. our child is severely disabled. the school district has different programs for different children with learning disabilities in our case, the children cannot communicate. we are the voices of our children. i would invite everyone of you to come and visit our schools. our school has made huge progress. come visit our school. i invite everyone to see what the i talk is all about. there is no other program in the city that serves children who

are severely disabled as all the kids in room 108 and 109. i'm asking you to save the program for the kids that are currently enrolled in the i talk. for new generations that they are unfortunately going to be born disabled and currently disabled. please save the i talk program. thank you. >> excuse me, your name again? >> lillian mokda. >> you are not on the list. >> i gave her my time. >> great. next speaker. >> i'm john. i'm a little different that these families. i don't have a child in a wheelchair. i think the decisions that have been made have made their lives harder. frances is a large school.

it's an elementary school that has 540 kids. i think it has 5 kids. it's a rounding error. the reason i'm here is because i want to talk to you about not the benefit to these kids, but the benefit to the rest of the kids in the school. the way to really think about it is that you know this i talk program is doing the best for the children can be, but it's all the children. it instills a sense of empathy and just an acceptance of differences. i think this is really turning our community apart not simply these particular families. if you come to our school and see the level of integration and

our school is a biggest participant in the olympics. these kids are the heart and so you feel our school. the school has treated them as a liability rather than the asset they are because they make the kids and the lives better. you need to come to our school. our pta president is ready with times to make a visit to our school an see how amazing our program is. has anybody heard of the bridge school? you know that concert like famous people like carlos santana and steve matthews comes out, they all support a concert benefit for our school. >> familiar with our environments. they know our school and teachers and community and students. here is the reason. more money is spent or professionals and

other support staff will be needed to travel to new sites for all over districts. this place has physical therapy, occupational therapy, everything right there. that would be so hard for a parent to take the kids somewhere else. in conclusion, we want to strongly encourage that you do not tear apart our community. in addition we would be happy if you could epithe -- keep the i talk program. this is a developing class. they want to keep their friends in wheelchairs with communication devices there, thank you. [ applause ] >> next speaker please. >> yes, good evening, hello my name is maria sanchez. this is pedro martinez. he has

cerebral palsy. and he works with the -- to communicate with people and do homework. i have a bunch of stuff here and i have a lot at my house. like he wrote my journal, today is monday. he talked about the weather. i have a letter from the teacher when he got it wrong, the wrong words. he said, i want to do it again. everyone with vantage. i'm so sad that you want to close the program. my son he doesn't talk and now he's expert. i don't even know how to use the talker. he says give me my milk, right of way. i say, okay, pedro. please don't close the program. >> thank you, next speaker, please. >> hi, my name is rick

martin. my daughter is very shy but she did put something together for you guys. this is her electronic talker. >> hi, my name is christina. please don't close the program. >> say thank you. [ applause ] >> hi, my name is chris tam. i'm a parent. this is my daughter. she attendance the i talk program. she came about 8 years ago. she had a heart problem which resulted in brain damage. when doctors came to us they told us there is something seriously wrong with your child. you can choose to leave her here and we will let her die in peace. we were expecting that she would be

pretty much a pure vegetable and not be able to do anything that she could ever do. right now she walks and she's walking at frances school. she walks down the hallway and has friends that see her. she is more able now to improve. we still have very much a hope that in her lifetime she'll be able to walk on her own. she has originally had three holes in her heart which not necessarily completely resolved, but now she has visual impairment ks she has a developmental delay, severely developmental delay. she requires a g tube to feed. she was not able to walk, she was not able to hold herself up

even to sit. she was not able to do that and we credit that all to all the programs, but essentially, all of this had to be manifested through the i talk which she started in kindergarten. so, it is a good program. we are very grateful for having it and we are very grateful for the teachers that have supported us through this. thank you. >> thank you, mr. tam. next speaker, please. >> hi, my name is lillian, and i'm representing room 108 and 109. the program is the only program in the entire city that serves children who are unable to talk. my child with a help of a device is able to talk. i'm extremely and all the apparent we are extremely

upset that we received the letter 3 days. the school district sent us a letter saying we have 3 days to pick another school. our child are extremely disabled. there are programs where children are the ones that they can't communicate. we are the voices of the children. please, i invite everyone of you to come and visit our school. our kids have made a huge progress. don't listen to me, visit our school. i invite everyone of you to see what the i talk is all about. there is no other program in the city that serves children who are severely disabled as all the kids in room 108 and 109. i'm asking you to save the program for the kids that are currently enrolled in the i

talk for new generations for the ones that are going to be born disabled and currently disabled. please save the i talk program. >> excuse me your name? >> my name is lillian mokda. >> okay, so you are not on the list? >> i name is rachel goldstein. i gave her my time. >> hello, i'm a little bit different than the rest of the families discussed so far. actually i don't have a kid in a wheelchair. i have been very fortunate. these families have been dealt a difficult card and the decisions made have made their lives harder. frances school is an elementary school with 540 kids. the affected members of 5 kids. it's a rounding error almost subsequently about the it not for these