Thread by @HereSayMedia

We're live-tweeting the San Francisco Board of Education meeting.

On tap today: the process for selecting a new superintendent & Commissioner Lam's fall reopening resolution.

Plus, will the board address Commissioner Collins' tweets?

Follow along 🧵⬇️

President Lopez begins the meeting with a statement:

"The rise in anti-Asian discrimination and hate that we've seen is unacceptable... We must recommit ourselves to creating safe communities for each and every person." 2/

Lopez does not explicitly name Commissioner Alison Collins or Collins' racist tweets in her statement.

However, she indicates that the board will open up space during this meeting for community members, parents, city leaders and students to voice their concerns. 2/

Lopez is moving up Item K — Board Members' Reports.

Board members each have the opportunity to share a statement. 3/

Collins shares a very concise statement: "I'd like to reemphasize my sincere and heartfelt apologies. I appreciate the opportunity to be a part of a restorative and transformative dialogue..." 3/

Commissioner Lam has just delivered an emotional statement reiterating her call for Collins to step down.

"Words matter," said Lam.

“I am not alone when I say that I do not have confidence in Commissioner Collins' ability to govern..." 4/

Commissioner Faauuga Moliga says it's been an emotional few days. He says he has cried a few times.

He also calls for Collins to resign so the district can move forward. 5/

Commissioner Sanchez: "No one on this board is a racist. I do not believe that Commissioner Collins is a racist. I'm a true believer in restorative practices."

Sanchez calls for mediation to help the board work through this issue. 6/

Commissioner Alexander says he defers to his colleagues Lam and Moliga, suggesting that he is supportive of Collins' resignation if that is what his AAPI peers believe is needed. 7/

Student delegate Shavonne Hines-Foster has shared a report on Collins' tweets that incorporates the perspectives of some of her peers.

She also says that students "do not want to be dragged into this as political pawns" and encourages adults "not to be nasty." 8/

An Asian American SFUSD student has called into public comment with a strongly-worded statement that Collins must resign.

"At this point, she should resign if she wants the BOE to function at all."

The student also calls out Sanchez: "We noticed your silence." 9/

Another student, emotionally, describes how the tweets impacted her: “I felt disgust and pain.”

Also, "If you do not want tweets to be used against you for political reasons, then do not write racist tweets." 10/

A student has called in supportive of Collins. They say that Collins and Lopez are some of the only people who have supported them, including through suicidal episodes. 11/

Another SFUSD student has called in: "It was even more upsetting when [Collins] claimed her words were taken out of context in her apology." 12/

President Lopez is giving people in opposition and people in support of the topic the same amount of time.

This is a tactic that the school board has used across various controversial issues.

Lopez also proposes only giving 15 minutes per "side." 13/

Commissioner Lam has asked for 25-30 minutes per "side" but Lopez is now only granting 20 minutes per side.

Callers are being sorted into "in support of Vice President Collins and in opposition."

But Moliga thinks people should speak freely. No sides. 14/

Moliga: "We have 1,000 people here. We should hear from the public. This doesn't feel like something we should just be brushing over."

But Lopez is pushing back. She is sticking to 20 minutes per "side."

Public comment begins for those "in opposition." 15/

Commissioner @AliMCollins gave a statement at today's Board of Education meeting.

Here it is.

A parent has called in. "You're telling us this has been a tough week for you? We don't care. We're sick of it."

The parent cites shuttered schools, kids with depression.

A monolingual caller has shared her input and call for Collins to resign. Here's the translation:

"You make the hate crimes worse. You hate us very much. Why do you stay here?"

Another caller: "This isn't a high school debate. You have 1,000 parents here."

"Those of you who are standing up for hate—voters will remember your names."

Commissioner @jennyhlam gave a statement at today's Board of Education meeting.

"Being silent in moments of injustice allows injustice to persist."

Here it is.

We are now hearing from individuals who support Commissioner Collins.

By the way, already, four people who were trying to speak in opposition have been called on.

(Their hands were raised during the 20-minute window given to people who believe Alison Collins' tweets were offensive or that she should resign.)

A caller: "I do feel a deep sense of sadness for all that has happened."

But, the caller does not think Collins needs to resign.

She believes "much of this hate" is emerging because of the Lowell admissions debate.

"There should be a restorative conversation."

Another caller: “This is a political pawn to keep Lowell the way it is.”

The last caller in support of Commissioner Collins was Jeremiah Jeffries, chairman of the school renaming committee.

Time is now up for comment on Commissioner Collins.

In today's school board meeting, Commissioner Moliga requested that public comment on Alison Collins' tweets not be split into for/against camps with 20 minutes allotted to each.

"The public should be able to speak. We should hear their voices."

The request was denied.