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So let me draw your attention to a little flyer that's on your table. This is historic news.
Where you see that San Bernardino City Unified School District
celebrates history, making graduate rate increases.
We had news come back last Tuesday, first time in history, since the 19, ladies and gentlemen,
since the 1970's, San Bernardino City Unified School District's graduation rates topped the county average.
For the first time since the 1970's. That's fantastic work. (Applause)
Every single person, of our 8,000 employees knows they have an integral role,
and all of you in our community as leaders know, you need to know,
you had an integral role in making that become our reality.
We know we can not resolve our city's dropout crisis and our poverty crisis alone.
It is not a school district's responsibility alone, it's not a city's responsibility alone,
It takes an entire community to cause what is currently one of the poorest large urban cities in America,
to turn to be one of the most prosperous cities in America.
And I believe it can happen in one generation given the right leadership and focus.
(Applause)
So our mission, our mission is to engage stakeholders to foster partnerships
and provide leadership and secure resources to achieve the foundations vision.
Because the pathway I talked to you about at Indian Spring High School we calculated,
it's probably roughly two to three hundred thousand dollars per pathway.
That's one school. One pathway.
We have seventy six schools and our vision by 2017 is to have all students,
elementary, middle, high school engaged in career pathways.
That's an audacious goal.
So, My name is Jeffrey Torres, so I'll start off with the beginning.
I am a product of San Bernardino City Unified School District.
I went to elementary school here. I went to middle school here.
I went to high school here.
I went to nine different elementary schools when I was here. Nine different elementary schools.
And why did I go to so many elementary schools? Family instability.
People always ask me, "Why did you come back to San Bernardino?"
I currently work at San Bernardino High School, as the Destination College Adviser,
Why did I come back to San Bernardino?
Because San Bernardino is my home.
San Bernardino is my home.
Despite the current financial status of our city, Despite all these things that the city has gone through,
This city was the All-America City. This city will be great once again.
I want to thank each and every one of you for making a difference,
for providing us with the opportunity to do something incredible in our lives.
Coming our of San Bernardino, I now know that I have the potential,
to have a beautiful future.
and I want to thank you, each and every one of you for making hope happen for students like myself.
Thank you. (Applause)
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