monroe. 12. from one class. and we can't ignore that ten out of these 12 are boys. many of whom were subjected to punishment in lieu of support, stability, and structure that they so badly needed in those first weeks of school. the educational injustice that this community of mostly latino children has faced is criminal, and i urge you, our elected board, to treat it as such. your job is to oversee the district and defend your constituents, the children of sfusd. they are waiting, and they need you. and now i'd like to introduce the rest of the parents. the following few will be in spanish with an interpreter. thank you.

[ speaking in spanish ] >> translator: good evening, i am a mother from fifth grade, esther cardona, and i'm here with all the parents from monroe to let the board know we need you to take action and that we need a teacher for our school. for our classroom of fifth grade. [ speaking in spanish ]

>> translator: so, my daughter, who's in fifth grade, is really sad, because she's seen a lot of her good friends leave the school. and what affects my daughter is affecting me, too, because i see how it's affecting her emotionally and it's affecting me emotionally also. [ speaking in spanish ] >> translator: and this is all i wanted to tell you. i think you have the solution. i think if you listen to us, you know what needs to be done. we need a teacher in the fifth grade. this is all i need to say. thank you. [ speaking in spanish ]

>> translator: my name is jessica. [ inaudible ] -- out of school. [ inaudible ] [ speaking in spanish ] >> translator: my son had an incident, a disciplinary incident in the school.

he was suspended, and i think he has -- retaliation, because i have been one of the parents who have been outspoken about what's going on in the school. [ speaking in spanish ] [ inaudible ] >> translator: they call me a social worker. -- had happened before this. to move my child. [ inaudible ]

[ speaking in spanish ] >> translator: i think this reflects on our principal, who has done whatever she wanted to do without having to face any consequences. and -- [ inaudible ] -- thank you, good evening. >> i'm sorry, i'm going to just for one moment. it's past 9:00 and i want to excuse our student delegates, so you're both free to go. thank you both.

okay. next speaker, please. >> my name is mauricio. i don't have no kids in the school system, but i speak for the community. what happened at the high school and what's happening at monroe school is indicative, it's indicative of what is happening in the district with the educational system. i think you were elected by the constituency of san francisco to represent us. in this educational system. and it is failing. i think that we need to pay much attention, more attention, to what is happening. right now the parents are the ones who are complaining about what's happening, and the issue of parents taking out their kids out of the school, that is

enough for an investigation and to question the principal of this school, what is going on? the lack of respect to the families is indicative also the lack of relationship that exists between the community, the families, and the kids in the community. and i think that we should pay attention to that, because you have a responsibility to the constituency. that constituency voted for you to represent us, and i don't think that we have that representation right now. so please, pay attention to what's happening in the district, because the excelsior district -- i don't know much about the district, but it has a lot of history, and pay

attention to what's happening to monroe. pay attention to the families, because what is happening is not good. [ bell rings ] next thing we know, we are going to organize in the community so they can come over here and tell them from the community perspective how they feel about how you are keeping the education of our students in the excelsior district. thank you very much. >> president mendoza-mcdonnell: thank you. thank you. >> thank you very much. >> good evening, my name is eric meyers. am i speaking -- [ inaudible ] -- my son is -- i just want to say -- [ inaudible ] first grader at monroe.

two boys at monroe, and it's been -- [ inaudible ] -- and just our family. [ inaudible ] really sobering and sad, the exodus of teachers and exodus of children out of room 227 because they don't have a teacher. and really, i -- we got an explanation from the district and statistics about how it's going to be better to unbundle the fourth/fifth class and make a fifth-only class. maybe that's a good idea. i don't quarrel, because i'm not an expert in that, but there was an idea, there just was no plan. and i hope that you will, the administration, will do a task

force to study how this -- [ inaudible ] -- and i guess the plan is to shove them all back into a fifth grade, a single fifth grade class, next year. and i guess, hopefully, there's an alleged teacher next year, but even so, there's going to be too many kids for that class, as well. so this is a continuing problem. i hope that the district will get a handle on it. thank you. [ applause ] >> good evening. last time i spoke i failed to mention that i wanted to recognize the role of the parent advocate prior to her working for the district. i've also worked side by side with carmelo as school site counsel and with our esteemed ex-commissioner and now supervisor. i am the spouse of the person who just spoke.

we have the four kids who have gone or currently are at monroe. i just want to add that as a result of this, we've lost 12 students, you've heard. five or more to charter schools, and the others to parochial schools. those that stay are those that don't have an option and who are not english proficient in most cases. in regards to our class, you promised us, we got that promise, however, they lasted less than two weeks and our kids wound up -- [ inaudible ] we've had six substitutes and right now with a lot of the parents reporting that this current substitute is using foul language, he has a bad demeanor, a bad temper, lack of tolerance for the kids and even told a parent he doesn't have patience for these children, not to mention the inability and his ineffective ways of communicating in spanish, even though he's claimed to be bilingual. rumors have floated that we have a permanent teacher in the process, however, somewhere along the lines i'm hearing that

there really doesn't exist a teacher, so i want to ask you all, that if that's the truth, just be honest with us. if there's not a teacher in the works, just tell us. we'd appreciate your honesty and transparency there. like they mentioned, the principal refuses to acknowledge us, reach out to us. they seem to say the same every friday, all we ever hear is, by the end of the week we'll give you a plan. you promised an emergency plan a month ago. we still to this day have not gotten one and i just got a message saying the emergency plan will follow on friday. that's already six weeks into the school year, and unfortunately, my freshman will have a report for what he's learned -- [ bell rings ] -- in those 26 days. my fifth grader will have nothing to show for that time in school. >> president mendoza-mcdonnell: thank you. [ applause ] >> hello, my name is arian, and

i'm also here to represent and support the charter resolution. thank you very much. but also to lend my voice as part of the sf family's union and as a long-time emergent parent and a spanish teacher, that we absolutely have to support monroe. there seems to be a lack of leadership, and what we need is a rise in accountability in all of our schools, particularly those in our immersion programs where there are many vulnerable populations, including students that are newcomers, recently arrived with traumas from other countries, typically in central america. we need to recognize that many of these parents are probably afraid to come and speak out, and many of these -- and it sounds like the leadership or the lack of leadership is a huge problem, which has created 16 teachers to have left in the past year. i'm a spanish teacher and as a department chair, i know that the most important thing for all of the students in my -- in our spanish classes and as well as

in our eld classes is the quality and the support we give those teachers. if 16 teachers have left in the past year, there is no support for those teachers coming from above. you guys are the ultimate people that will hear these concerns, and i ask you, i beg you, to please hear the concerns of the monroe parent community, that they are not being heard, and they need to be heard by you and accountability needs to happen for each one of those students. we do not want to lose them. they are vulnerable. they are losing out on spanish. they are losing out on english. they are losing out, and you need to come in tomorrow and be there and talk to those parents. thank you. [ applause ] >> hello and good evening. i'm speaking on behalf of ignac ignacio ortega. i'm a fifth grade immersion teacher myself, and i understand how crucial these first six

weeks are in the development and engagement of students. to have a substitute coming and going in the classroom will not establish a joyful learning environment or create a positive community space that is crucial for fifth graders, who are at the beginning stages of adolescence. my first year at my site we did not have a third grade spanish immersion teacher for three months. it got to the point we had to split the class amongst four other grades. that meant in these classes, the students were not -- we did not get additional support for the five additional students that we had, and teachers were not accommodated for that grade level. students are leaving the schools, families are not being heard, and there needs to be clear communication and transparency around when these students and families get their teacher. thank you. [ applause ] >> hi, i'm a parent from monroe. i have a daughter in fifth grade, in the same class of all the parents from monroe. and i want to kind of explain to you to tell you what i hear from

the parents that left already, for the kids to go to other schools. they tell the parents and us when we talk to them, i'm not afraid to go to school, mama, thank you for moving to this other school. this is the voice of the kids, they tell the parents how they feel when they move to another school. now, let me tell you what's going to -- what happened today, it was a teacher used really bad language. oh, it's punishment. not solution. punishment. and she say to me almost a week ago, do you think i have a resemblance to you and my mom and i'm going to be punished from the principal? for a girl that is, like, 10. okay, i want you kind of to listen to what i'm saying. all these situations that we hear. she doesn't want to go to school. she's kind of feeling sick. she didn't go today. i don't think she's going tomorrow, because all the fear we can see in her face. i feel like a parent that i

failed her and i'm kind of excited to think maybe to move her to another place, because the situation in the school. another thing, too, we went eight years, four principals at monroe, and this one, this one, the last one that we have now, has been there and there's some changes that are really drastic and traumatic for the kids. 16 teachers left from monroe last year because this principal, okay. and classes are like a revolving door. eight to ten adults that they come, subs, to teach. and it's kind of like, you know, what's going on? all the kids are kind of crazy acting because they don't have any control. -- my daughter being in the school. [ inaudible ] i feel you guys are failing the

system of schools and the school of monroe. i hope you can do something. >> president mendoza-mcdonnell: thank you. [ applause ] [ speaking in spanish ] >> translator: my son is carlos -- [ inaudible ] -- to tell you what happened to my son. he came last year from guatemala, and when he was in his classroom, when he was in school, his teacher discriminated against him.

in that he couldn't be -- because he's immigrant. [ speaking in spanish ] [ inaudible ] >> translator: told me we should go to the district and talk about this problem, but i said to her, no, i don't want to do this, because i don't want this to affect my kid in school, but these problems that are affecting him -- [ inaudible ] [ speaking in spanish ]

>> translator: everything that's happened now at this school with all these teachers coming in and out, substitute teachers, he has been there at school last year and two, three months he was there, he hasn't learned anything. [ speaking in spanish ] >> translator: and he doesn't want to go to school anymore, and he asked me if i was coming here to talk to you about telling you that i'm going to take him out of the school, because he doesn't want to go to school anymore. [ speaking in spanish ]

>> translator: and his teacher told him he needed to learn to speak more english, better english, but we speak spanish at home. that is our language. [ inaudible ] [ speaking in spanish ] [ inaudible ] >> translator: help, i'm very disenchanted. please send the teacher.

[ inaudible ] i don't know what to do. thank you. >> good evening. my name is kevin bogus. i'm a political director for children youth and i want to speak in support of the families from monroe elementary school and balboa high school. we need for you as the leadership of this district to help our problems, both the

repercussions that harmed the communities after. how do we actually repair the harm done at both of these schools and make people feel whole, safe, and welcome again, and i look at you to figure out a way to make these people feel the school district cares about them and values their education and values them as a part of this community. so we ask you to take immediate action to support these families, go to these school sites and solve these problems and work with the people at the school sites, the parents, the staff, and try to help people figure out what it's going to take to make them feel whole and regain their trust in the school district. thank you. >> good evening. is this on? my name is tammie brian, and i used to come here regularly, as mark sanchez may remember, and my daughter graduated in 2006 and i haven't been back in a while, but tonight i came to stand with my friend. i'm so disappointed by the school district's lack of compassion and accountability.

the inappropriate response and lack of action is unacceptable. i'm angry and heartbroken by the incident at balboa and i'm here to support the family and demand the school district make it right with a public apology. the district to remove all the images, school work with the community to repair the harm and the school clarifies in agreement with family how to repair the harm and rebuild the relationship with the family. i just think it's really tragic when you have a young scholar who's been criminalized and profiled and the school district was part of this and hasn't done anything to rectify it to make it right. i want to thank commissioner walton and to the family and i really do look forward to action, and i do want to say good-bye to commissioner mendoza and wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors. thank you for everything you've done for the school district and the city of san francisco. [ applause ] >> good evening. jordan david, san francisco resident. first, i want to express my

solidari solidarity and condemn the criminalization of black and brown youth. the balboa thing was very awful, and my heart goes out to the family of the student who was wrongfully criminalized, and i hope to make -- commissioner walton, thank you for your response. but i'm here on a completely different matter. you know, we need to have more vetting of those who are appointed to serve on the school district's advisory and oversight committees, and, yes, i believe in general each board member should defer to each other's judgment when they make appointments. however, i was disheartened. no, make that enraged, when a little birdie forwarded me the agenda to the last school parcel tax oversight committee and i saw that none other than josephine chao was appointed without any public process. in case you've been living under a rock, she's made completely deplorable statements about

transgender students that they are allowed to use the bathroom, that will lead to rape, and she's not apologized for it and said contradictory things. as you know across the country, there's sickening attacks by right wingers on transgender children and adult's rights to pee in peace. given the high rates of suicide and thinking about a young transgender woman who jumped off the golden gate bridge in 2015, it's unacceptable she's in a leadership role within sfusd. to whoever appointed her, please remove her and make a donation to an organization like lyric, trans latinas or any other trans youth serving organization, and i'll be back here until she's actually removed from the committee. and she's not on any other committee within the school district. [ applause ]

>> president mendoza-mcdonnell: before you speak, i want to -- point of order. i believe it's the custom of the board to not allow attacks of named members of this school district, so i'd like to make sure that we honor that. spz thank you. >> thank you. all right, okay, noted. thank you, commissioner. so we have just a few more speakers. i am also bringing karen cortez and cassandra coe, whose cards were in the wrong pile. and then you guys are going to speak on charters, so now i'm bringing you back on to public comment, because you didn't get to speak at that time. so kevin, are you still here?

okay. tommy, craig, shavon, hines, mildred coffey, knowledge kendricks, and valerie already left, and then christie alex randolph and eric mcdonald. so those are the last speakers. >> once again i come before you to speak about two issues that have two public comment cards. one would be the monroe situation. i have been here before you guys before speaking on this, letting you know that it would become a problem that will continue to spiral downhill if not addressed, and now when i came to speak in the first place, it was for students, and now we're up to 12. so i feel like i'm sounding a warning here, and nobody's listening.

hopefully, with the backing of the rest of the people from the monroe community, y'all will listen and hear us, that this is a crisis situation, and it definitely needs to be addressed. this is a pivotal time for our youth. they are about to enter middle school, and they do not have permanency to develop a bond with their teacher. so i will reiterate that and i'm here to support the monroe families. i'm also here to support balboa families and our community at large. the way it was handled, quite frankly, was a hot mess, right? and there are no good guys in this situation. i don't want to pass off blame. i can just tell you that nothing about it set right. it criminalized communities. it criminalized students. it made us feel unease as a whole as a community, and we really need to address that, because for one pistol in a backpack, we got a school full of police in s.w.a.t.-style

uniforms coming in over our kids. i have a problem with that. one trigger-happy cop could mean a whole bunch of kids die. so my thing is, we need to address how we respond to crises. how we allow people to interact with our students and our kids, so i say this to you guys again, please, please, please, remove the m.o.u. and make them adhere to that. it never should be a time and place where a parent should have to worry about their child being questioned by the police without them being present. we know that's illegal. it never should be a time when a child -- [ bell rings ] -- under 17, under 18, has a picture on social media or anything else criminalizing them. we know that's illegal. i urge you guys to please respond immediately. thank you. >> president mendoza-mcdonnell: thank you. >> i'm jumping out of order. shaun richards, vice president of the naacp, executive director of brothers against guns. i want to say to the commissioners, thank you. commissioner mendoza, you know

we're going to miss you, you know, you've been a pillar in this city for a long time. and doing a lot of good work. i want to speak on a few things and just basically real briefly the balboa situation. as was just mentioned, we must learn how to do better and understand our kids and then we'll be able to do better. and one of the things how we can communicate and do better is by communicating and networking with cbos that know these kids, that's in the community, and know what's going on with them. so we have to get a better sense of what's going on. shouldn't took 20 police officers with guns, with tactical s.w.a.t. gear, to go up in that school like they was about ready to chop somebody down. i know, i've seen a lot of this happen in the community. we have to do better. and i say that only because just got back from chicago couple weeks ago and same thing happened in a school, but the

difference was, a young girl and young boy was shot by a police officer. murdered. so we have to understand how we can do better by communicating with cbos in the community, with the school district, to make things, you know, a lot easier on the teachers, along with the staff, along with the facilities and everything around that school at that time. i want to just say that. and being the fact i'm a proud father of five daughters who graduated from public school, i'm a graduate of balboa high school, so it hurts my heart to know that. but i want to close with this, because my daughter just graduated last year from phillip burton, and she's at johnson c. smith university today, and she told me to give you this shirt, mr. walton, for always supporting her. [ applause ] again, thank you to the

commissioners, superintendent, everyone. remember, commissioners, listen to the people. because the people will always back you up when you're right. when you're wrong, they are going to check you, but take it in a good way. but when you're right, they'll support you, because they the ones that voted you in. [ applause ] >> hi. i'm a parent, and i want to echo what jordan was talking about. >> can i get your name, please? >> there's a -- >> i don't have a card for you. tell me your name again. >> mottie. >> your name wasn't one of the names that was called. >> can i still say my public comment? >> we've had people waiting to make their public comment, so i want to have them speak. >> when there's time after that,

can i finish my public comment, or no? >> no, we asked for cards early on. >> okay, thank you. >> it's good to see a few of you in your job sites. you're mostly visiting me. what's going on, superintendent matthews, i see you. so i'm here to talk a little bit about hill crest. i know a lot of you, you've been invited to my class, you got to see what i do, and how we were the first community school in the district, and i want to kind of give a pitch why we would like to continue this model and we're excited about this model. we just need a little support from hopefully you all, or you can point us in the right direction. i teach third grade spanish bilingual. as you know, currently our climate around immigration is pretty harsh, and i've noticed the impacts of anxiety

physically, embody in my students in the last two years more than i've ever seen. learning is my number one objective, but i know that dr. matthews can't visit me as often to see the learning happen if my students' mental health is not addressed. we are a staff that really believes in community-based organizations. we believe in supporting our family immigration attorneys, workshops around their rights, and the ask is that we find a way to provide our site with a community school coordinator position so that these relationships can be maintained, because right now we're at capacity holding so many different relationships, that won't be there once the certain personnel leave or won't be able to meet the needs of every student and their new needs as more things come up. and so the ask is that we love that folks visit us. you know our demographic, you

know our population. we're hope sf school, and i don't think it's a ridiculous ask, we come humbly in hopes you can support us and provide us the type of support that our students need to interrupt systemic barriers to equity and give them the skills they need to succeed. i appreciate it. thank you. [ applause ] >> hi, my name is abby woodworth. you don't have a card for me, but cassandra coe had to leave, so i'm hoping -- >> i'm sorry. it's really late, and we've got a lot of -- >> i understand. >> president mendoza-mcdonnell: if she's not here, i'd rather -- we need to have the people that are here, so i'm sorry. thank you. >> it's my turn?

>> president mendoza-mcdonnell: thank you for your patience, trustee randolph. >> no, this is exciting. interesting, and nice to be on the other side of public comment and appreciate all the hard work that our members of the public put in to be here all night to participate, but my name is alex randolph. i'm currently the vice president of the board of trustees at city college of san francisco, and on behalf of city college and my fellow trustees, i wanted to come tonight and thank president mendoza-mcdonnell for all her service to the city and county of san francisco and the board of education. we were planning to go to your party on thursday, but we have our own board meeting that we'll be having lots of public comment at, so we might not be able to go there before midnight, but i also wanted to come here because i remember i met you first in 2006. i was just moving to san francisco working on a re-election campaign, and you pulled us out of city hall because you needed us to sign

your papers to run for the board of education. so for the last 12 years, it's been really impressive and exciting to really see how you've been helping and supporting, particularly students of color, in the school district, and as mayor lee and gavin newsome's education adviser, all the work you've done. i've worked with you on a variety of projects, but the most exciting thing for me personally was, one of the reasons i'm actually here as a vice president at city college of san francisco, is because you helped make the mayor -- make the right decision, hopefully, and appoint me to a vacancy at the board of trustees, and i had the pleasure of working with you as co-chair on our joint committee with the school district, because that was one of my first priorities, was to make sure that both of our organizations work together much, much closer and stronger to ensure that our students continue to be successful after graduating and getting education

at city college. so we'll miss you, but it's good to hear you're coming back. you're not lost to san francisco, because we'll not let you leave forever, so we'll hold you to coming back in 2021, but on behalf of city college, on behalf of chancellor and my fellow trustees, we want to thank you. we'll miss you, but we know you'll do amazing things in new york city. so best of luck. >> president mendoza-mcdonnell: thank you very much, alex. >> yes, he's still here. sent me a text message a couple of hours ago and said, wow, you're a glutton for punishment. so good evening, everyone, my name is eric mcdonnell. i have many titles, but the most important one is the husband of president mendoza-mcdonnell, and it's my pleasure to be here tonight. many have and many will celebrate her work here in san

francisco, both on the board and in city hall, but as the president and head cheerleader in her fan club, i couldn't let this pass without me sharing my perspective. 12 years, over 1,200 board meetings, countless community meetings, three elections, hours and hours and hours and hours, all a labor of love. and i got to witness it. what's true today that wasn't true 12 years ago, there's a bridge over van ness, a bridge of partnership where once there was a wall. there are hundreds of millions of dollars in city budget committed to partnership with the district. there's over at least 100, probably more than $100 million philanthropic dollars being invested in partnership in the city because of this leadership. there's a transformed board culture, not alone, but certainly in partnership with many of you, but i lived through the cortinas years and many of

the difficult times in this board room, and so to see a culture that's transformed has been, frankly, just amazing. and so leadership, i don't know anyone who holds position, authority, and power with such grace and dignity and courage as my wife does. there is a -- there will be a lasting impact on the city and the district, because she has been here to serve, and a legacy of transformation. again, both in the city and in the district, and in the community. and so tonight, i wanted to just pause and celebrate you. first, as a mother. before you were all these things, you were and continue to be, an amazing mother.

it's going to be a strong, capable woman because you modelled it. santiago is going to change the world, because you modelled it. second, you've been a tireless parent advocate. you've been a brave, courageous, consensus-building leader at city hall. you've been a fearless elected member of this board, taking on all issues with one interest in mind, doing what's in the best interest of our city's students. you said countless times, these are my 50-plus thousand kids. i can't imagine what we're going to do in new york. we'll have a million kids. and so i am just bursting with pride, because you're an amazing woman, having done amazing work. and so on behalf of a city that's better because you served, a board and a district that's stronger because you served, and our family that's

grateful for your love and so very, very proud of you. so very, very proud of you. we say, -- ♪ thanks for the times that you've given us ♪ ♪ the memories are warm in our minds ♪ ♪ and now that we've come to the end of the rainbow ♪ ♪ there's something we must say out loud ♪ ♪ you're once twice three times a lady ♪ ♪ we love you ♪ yes you're once twice three times a lady ♪ ♪ and we love you

♪ we love you thank you, baby. [ applause ] >> president mendoza-mcdonnell: i love you too, baby. thank you. so that was public comment. so our next item is section g. it's a special order of business, and it's the resignation of the office of president of the board of education. so in accordance to board of education rules and procedures, 91-21, i hereby resign from the

office of the president of the board of education for year 2018. also as stated in 9121, vice president cook will assume the office of president until the election of officers in january 2019. a new vice president will be elected at this regular board meeting. but before we -- before i turn this over to my colleague and someone who i admire, vice president cook to become president, i want to take this point of privilege just to make a few remarks before i go. so, eric, i don't know if ipads are linked, but you just rattled off all of my numbers that i wanted to share, but there were -- this has been an amazing experience for me, and one that i didn't expect to do the first election, the second, or even the third. as many of you know, i don't file my papers until the very

last day you could possibly file, and usually around 4:30 that evening, and the last person that they let into board of elections, because each time i feel that there are many people that can serve in this role, but every time i come back because i feel like there's so much more to do and that i really want to be able to complete my work that i started 12 years ago. what happened 12 years ago is mayor newsome saw something in me that i didn't see in me. it was something i was doing naturally because i was a parent in our public schools, and it made me pause when he asked me to serve on the board or to run for the board. because i didn't know if that was how to get closer in terms of the city and the school district, but at the end of the

day, i feel it was probably one of the most brilliant strategies we had in order to open the flood gates, services and support and the relationship we built over the years with the city. and i've endured three school board elections. i've worked with 11 different board members over my years. i've been part of a team that's hired three superintendents. i've approved two inter interim superintendents. we've renewed the children's fund that pours millions of dollars into our district for our children, and we've raised millions more dollars through philanthropic and foundations, and we've looked at that as investments for our children and people have stepped up in ways that i've never seen before. and i want to just thank the staff, who worked tirelessly for our 58,000 children and our

4,500 teachers and the many, many folks that you represent when you come to us to update us and to be sure that what we've asked you to do is implemented with fidelity. and i see those back three rows every board meeting, knowing that you're all doing your e-mails, because there's a lot of time here to be able to do that. and i'm getting the e-mails during the board meeting, but i also know that this means that you're away from your families and that you're going to show up tomorrow morning early again and do the work that you do. and so many of you have been mentors to me and colleagues and friends, and i just want to start by thanking you for all of your hard work and dedication that you've demonstrated day in and day out as members of sfusd. i want to thank esther and debby. you know, esther, you've endured so many years with us. you've seen board members that

we can't even name. you have served under many superintendents, and as set in your ways as you are, you continue to show up. you're passionate, i know you're passionate about who you serve and the people you've been with for many years and that this is home for you. and you've to some degree sacrificed almost your life to be with us, and for that we're really grateful. and debby has done the same. and i want to thank the students for being our reason for being bold and courageous. i want to thank the parents for entrusting us with their babies, that we sometimes do right by and sometimes don't. and that we have to own that, and i think we as a board have done a tremendous job in recognizing where our faults are and where our strengths are. i want to thank my interns, all

of my students, my mentes, and all the young people that have allowed me to be in their life. it's amazing to see them now grown, with jobs, graduated from college. i want to thank my colleagues that are currently on the board. you all have been strong and amazing friends and have been board members who have at the heart of it all our children in mind. and as i said earlier, we do our work in different ways. we represent communities that are broad and very specific. we show up in ways that people appreciate and sometimes people don't. but i also know that we sit here as late as 2:00 in the morning away from our families and the sacrifices that we make, and each and every one of you are here for the right reason, and for that i'm really grateful. we've done some great work

together, and i couldn't be more proud of the work that sfusd has taken on. and, mark, you know, when we were outside i said to you, it's been great to do a second round with you, you know, we started together, you took some time off, and you're back, and now i'm cycling off. so i'm really -- i'm really glad that we got the opportunity to do that. i want to thank eric and ashoko and santiago, my family, who during some difficult times have sat in meetings with me, have sat in the corner reading books, have stayed over at other friends' homes while i'm at these board meetings, have had a sitter, have had to stay with my brother, have had to endure some really challenging situations when their mother is an elected

member of the board and a public official. it's been really amazing and awesome to see them come around and now doing public service. they never talk to me about it. they have a different last name. they have always wanted to do everything on their own.

>> vince, i have so much trust and belief in you to continue to lead this district. we would not have hired you if we didn't thank you could do it. i appreciate the friendships that we have grown over the last year and a half. i wish you the very best. in making sure that our district continues to be the top-performing, urban school district in the state of california. come visit me in san francisco.

i can't quite get it out of my head. come visit in new york. we will always have our doors open to you. i will, as all of you have asked , let richard know that you are either mad at him or you are pissed or, you know, and that you love him and hello. it is a privilege to have worked side-by-side with someone who has led our district. i was his boss analogy will be mine. i think that demonstrates the power that we have as friends and as colleagues. we are going to make you proud of us in new york. on behalf of myself and my family, thank you, thank you, thank you, for 12 amazing years. i leave you with a lot of love and a lot of memories. and with that, i will turn this

over to our new president of the board, stephan cook. [applause] >> before i change over, there is one person i want to call out there are so many of you who have been incredible friends over the years. but i want to thank lee who has, for so many years, first of all, as my cosmic twin. we both born on the same day. because of that, i feel a special connection with him. we think very similarly and he is a little bit more quieter than i am. [laughter]

>> but you have been just a solid rock for the district at a tremendous amount of love and respect from so many of us. but you are someone that i will really miss deeply and the relationship that we have built over the years. for that, thank you. there are so many more of you that i feel this way, but we talked sometimes first thing in the morning and sometimes he is the voice i hear before i go to bed and he has never said no to me. so for that, i am appreciative. well, except the last few times. [laughter]

[laughter] >> so we have -- [laughter] >> you are on my list.

>> yes. we have a vice president supposed to go get soup but i will open up comments for commissioners. >> it was kind of funny. when you said i resigned from the board, i had a nixon flashback. [laughter] >> i wonder if it looks like that on television. i really want to say, and i said this earlier when we were outside at the reception before the meeting, that i just really truly appreciate your mentorship as president, we talked a little bit about this before, but i was president and you were vice president and you really were responsible for how measured we were as a board. because we all have our personalities and we all have our ways about us.

but you serving as vice president kept us in line. kept us from going over the deep end on a lot of tough issues that we had to deal with and work through. so i appreciate that and your thoughtfulness in every decision and the fact that you are willing to go against the grain and not just roll with what i may be think should happen or how i think it should happen. that goes of course, for the rest of our colleagues as well. your independent voice that thinks through everything, but i our mention on this board, which is to educate our 56,000 students, and make sure they get the best possible opportunity, you were right there with us and i appreciate you for that. i appreciate you for believing in me and also giving me the opportunities that you have. i really do appreciate. one of the things that was big for me for coming onto this board and you have worked tirelessly to make happen, was the connection between the board

of education