Diaz Puts Measure CC in Perspective
Posted by
Susan Savitt Schwartz
on
May. 21, 12:03 pm
Superintendent Edwin Diaz responded to Measure CC opponents, putting the District's budget situation in perspective and affirming his intention to engage in greater transparency with regard to budget and management. Click here for Superintendent
Diaz' Guest View in the Pasadena Star News.
Tags:
budget,
Diaz,
education,
Measure CC
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Latest Measure CC Endorsements
Posted by
Susan Savitt Schwartz
on
April 22, 1:18 pm
Although the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce decided against endorsing Measure CC, five former Chamber chairs joined to endorse the parcel tax. Their
endorsement appeared in the Wednesday (April 21) Star News.
The Pasadena Weekly also came out - grudgingly but with conviction - in favor of Measure CC. Click here to read what Kevin Uhrich's "
In for a Penny, In for a Pound" piece.
The campaign needs volunteers to phone bank EVERY DAY between now and election day (May 4). Volunteers are also needed to walk precincts on Saturday and make sure voters who expressed support have actually mailed in their ballots. Call 626-644-1425 for more info, or visit the
Yes on CC website.
Tags:
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get-out-the-vote,
Measure CC,
parcel tax,
volunteer
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PUSD Board President Warns Community About Difficult Budget Cuts Ahead
Posted by
Susan Savitt Schwartz
on
Dec. 1, 12:42 pm
Originally Published in Pasadena Now: Monday, November 30, 2009 | 11:34 AM
In
a letter from PUSD Board President Tom Selinske to the community, he
addresses upcoming budget cuts and invites the community's input at
upcoming school board meetings
Dear Community Member,
I am writing to you on behalf of the Board of Education with
appreciation for your ongoing support for the students of the Pasadena
Unified School District. I continue to see more parents and partners
stepping up to assist our students with mentoring, internships,
tutoring, scholarships and more.
We are in unprecedented times. Our State economy continues to
struggle and as a result, funding for our schools will be reduced.
These reductions will not be like any we have seen in the past. We are
being forced to reduce our expenditures by approximately 10%, and 85%
of our expenditures are for jobs – jobs that affect children in our
community.
Over the next several months, the board will be discussing ways to
decrease expenditures and increase revenue to balance this significant
gap. We will be using several values to guide us. They are as follows:
1. Our decisions will be primarily student-focused
2. We will try to minimize job losses
3. We will prioritize core programs, yet remain aware of the importance of the arts and other programs
4. We will work to support efforts to improve student results at all levels
As we deal with prioritizing our budget, please know that there may
be disappointments with our decisions. I invite you to attend any of
the board meetings held in December – December 8 and 15 — and give us
input on how we should prioritize our community resources.
Thanks again for your ongoing support. Please know that our students
remain our top priority as we work to move our schools forward.
Sincerely,
Tom Selinske
President of the Board
Tags:
budget cuts,
education,
PUSD Board,
Selinske
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LA Times features turn-around at Muir High School
Posted by
Susan Savitt Schwartz
on
Nov. 2, 2:49 pm
There's a nice feature story in this morning's LA Times about how things are turning around at Muir High School
Click here for link to article: "
A remarkable turn-around at Pasadena's John Muir High School"
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LA Times,
Muir High School
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Larry Wilson: This PEN definitely feels mightier than the sword
Posted by
Susan Savitt Schwartz
on
Oct. 12, 11:44 pm
[This piece was originally posted by Pasadena Star News Public Editor Larry Wilson on his blog on 07/25/2009
03:29:30 PM PDT]
Emily Wood Mencken used
to write a column for our editorial page when she was still a high school
student at John Muir.
Then, smart girl that
she was (and is), she moved on to Berkeley
and to Northwestern and a business career.
Now she's back in Pasadena, married, with a
pre-school-aged daughter and baby twin boys.
She wants her children
to become fourth-generation students in the Pasadena public schools. Most kids on her
street went to private school in her day. But she didn't, on purpose - a
cellist, she wanted the advantages of Muir's famous orchestra.
But she also wants the
public schools to be the best ones they can be, for any number of reasons. She didn't
need her Kellogg School MBA to do the math that showed her family would spend
over $900,000 if the children all went to the top private schools in town.
So she joined the
Pasadena Education Network, the nonprofit run by parents that seeks to promote
family participation in the PUSD schools from which the middle classes have
long fled, and is now the group's treasurer.
You take your pick,
depending on your politics and your personality, when it comes to how you want
to wail about whatsamatta with kids today and the state of our schools.
Some people like to
bemoan the average standardized test scores in California's largest districts, go on about
educrats and teachers unions, go to school board meetings to berate the
electeds about whatever they would do better if they could get elected.
Others spend times on
the opposite side of the numbers game - digging up stats showing that California spends less per pupil than anyplace but Mississippi or perhaps Papua New Guinea, showing that
teachers are radically underpaid, pushing for new taxes that assuredly would
make everything so much better.
Then there are groups
like PEN, which so far as I can tell doesn't have a politics - though it does
have an agenda.
It puts up a Web site,
www.penfamilies.org, through which interested parties in Sierra Madre, Altadena
and Pasadena
can get independent information about the PUSD. It provides online parent
discussion groups so that people can get together and swap both war stories and
hot tips. It provides school fact sheets with data about every PUSD elementary
and middle school. It coordinates school tours so that parents can see for
themselves. And it gets prospective parents together for coffee chats with
parents whose kids do attend the schools they are thinking about sending their
own to.
Emily's not sure
herself. Always an ace student, she still worries about the current
over-emphasis on learning precisely what other kids are learning. She went on
one school tour where the famous Open
Court reading program had four classrooms in a row
literally on the same sentence as she walked through. But she likes the
Spanish-immersion program at San Rafael Elementary. The schools need more
options, and to lose the waiting lists at the schools of choice. But PEN knows
how to make that happen. You don't just kvetch. You do something about it.
Public Editor Larry
Wilson's blog is http://insidesocal.com/publiceye.
Tags:
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Pasadena Star News,
PEN
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2009 API Scores Show Strong Improvements Across District
Posted by
Susan Savitt Schwartz
on
Sept. 16, 2:03 pm
PUSD POSTS 23-POINT GAIN ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE INDEX
District Accelerates Improvement; More Schools Meet or Exceed State and Federal Performance Targets
Pasadena, CA
– Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) schools accelerated student
achievement, met state and federal performance targets, and posted
historic gains according to the 2009 Accountability Progress Report
(APR) released today by the California Department of Education. PUSD’s
overall score increased 23 points from the 2008 base, bringing the
District’s average to 742.
"Today,
we celebrate the individual student and the individual teacher in every
one of our classrooms," said Superintendent Edwin Diaz. "The APR
results confirm that using proven strategies for academic success
resulted in exceptional gains in student achievement. I applaud students, staff and parents for their hard work over the past year. "
PUSD’s overall Academic Performance Index (API) of 742 represents a 22-point increase from 2008. The number of PUSD schools with scores of 800 or higher increased from six to nine, and twenty-three schools scored above 700. Fifteen schools showed API growth of 25 points or more, and 17 schools in the district met all API growth targets. The
API is a numeric index that ranges from a low of 200 to a high of 1000
with a statewide target of 800. Schools that fall short of 800 must
meet growth targets set each year.
Sierra
Madre Elementary posted the district’s highest overall score at 889,
followed by Hamilton at 868, and Willard at 860. Eliot Middle School
had the greatest one-year gain, increasing its score by 97 points. Other
schools with significant growth included Madison Elementary, up 48
points, San Rafael, up 47 points, and Altadena Elementary, with a
46-point gain. Blair International Baccalaureate School led high schools with a 35-point increase.
In
the federal 2009 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), which measures whether
schools met requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, PUSD
met 30 of 38 targets in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math. The
District met the graduation requirement of AYP with an overall
graduation rate of 83.2 percent in 2008. While overall scores are
impressive, the data shows that meeting proficiency targets among
specific student groups requires more focus in the coming year. The
district missed some proficiency targets for African Americans,
Hispanics, English Learners, socioeconomically disadvantaged students,
and students with disabilities.
"We
are starting to see significant progress in schools with high
percentages of low-income, English Learner and minority pupils, but we
must intensify our focus on closing the achievement gap for Hispanics,
African-Americans, English Learners and Special Education students,"
said Superintendent Diaz. "To ensure the achievement of all children,
we need to take successful instructional strategies and apply them to
the needs of individual students."
The
APR provides results from the state accountability system, the Academic
Performance Index (API), as well as the federal accountability system,
which consists of the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and Program
Improvement (PI).
Tags:
API,
PUSD,
student achievement,
test scores
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District to seek consultation on possible parcel tax
Posted by
Susan Savitt Schwartz
on
Aug. 26, 11:41 am
From the Pasadena Star News, Aug. 26, 2009:
PASADENA - Pasadena Unified School
District's Board of Trustees on Tuesday approved a draft proposal for
consultants to help the district determine if a parcel tax is the best
way to close its budget shortfall in the 2010-11 school year.
With the board's blessing, district staff will put the
proposal out and seek bids from firms that have worked on parcel tax
campaigns.
The consultant, once hired, will work in surveying residents to gauge if they would support a parcel tax.
The
discussion for a potential revenue boost comes as the trustees will
have to cut approximately $18 million from the budget for the 2010-11
school year, according to Superintendent Edwin Diaz.
"We have to do this," Diaz said.
Major
reductions, such as teacher layoffs, were staved off for the upcoming
school year by using federal stimulus funding. But the district will
not be able to count on that next year.
Diaz said without any revenue-generating measures in place,
class-size reductions in kindergarten through third grade and in the
ninth grade would be eliminated, counseling positions would be reduced,
enrichment programs would be cut and funding would be decreased for
major initiatives including middle school and high school reform.
Six people spoke in favor of the parcel tax options,
including representatives from the Pasadena Educational Foundation and
Invest in PUSD Kids.
Karina Edmonds, a parent of a third-grader at Hamilton Elementary
School, said so far, the district has "great momentum" and that a
parcel tax would help the district in moving forward.
Board member Ed Honowitz said the priorities have to be laid
out clearly for the voters if the PUSD wants to join neighboring school
districts San Marino, South Pasadena and La Ca ada Flintridge, which
have all passed parcel taxes in the past three months.
"We need to have a specific plan," Honowitz said. "We are
likely to get mid-year cuts, so we need to be very clear with voters."
caroline.an@sgvn.com
(626) 578-6300, Ext. 4494
Tags:
education budget,
parcel tax,
PUSD,
School Board
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Test scores - and local media coverage - improve in Pasadena
Posted by
Susan Savitt Schwartz
on
Aug. 24, 8:21 pm
Last week witnessed a turn-around in local media coverage of our public school district.
The first story appeared in Wednesday's (8/19) Pasadena Star News: "PUSD middle and high school students' scores fall on state standardized tests." But the article did not accurately characterize PUSD's performance on California Standardized Tests, and several PSN readers called and emailed the paper's general editor to protest both the factual mistakes and the general tone of the coverage.
Members of the Pasadena Education Foundation arranged a meeting with District leadership (and staff data expert Terry Dutton) and PSN Public Editor Larry Wilson on Thursday. Friday morning's Star News featured a front-page retraction with an article correctly (and in greater detail) reporting that PUSD improvements were both widespread throughout the district and that they were greater than the statewide average test score improvements.
In Friday's Huffington Post, PEF Board member and Occidental College professor Peter Dreier (a PUSD parent) recounted the story of last week's events. "Social movements are typically built on small victories --
stepping-stones that give people a sense of their collective power and
whet their appetites for further change," Dreier wrote. "Getting a small daily newspaper to print a correction may not seem like a major achievement. But what's important is
how it happened."
Click here to read the article.
Tags:
Invest in PUSD Kids,
media coverage,
PEF,
PUSD,
Star-News,
test scores
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Star News reports PUSD scores on the rise
Posted by
Susan Savitt Schwartz
on
Aug. 21, 10:26 am
After an article that erroneously cast PUSD test score results in a negative light generated a flood of letters from readers, The Pasadena Star News published a retraction today (8/21/09):
District Scores Still on the RiseEditor's note: A Wednesday story on the
2009 Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program erroneously said
Pasadena Unified School District students had fallen further behind
their statewide peers in English and math. In fact, the PUSD improved
five percent in English and four percent in math, which was better than
the statewide improvement of four percent in English and three percent
in math.
The Pasadena Unified School District saw
widespread improvement among its students in English and math scores,
according to 2009 STAR test results released this week by the
California Department of Education.
... Click here to
read the PSN article in full.
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PUSD,
Star News,
test scores
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PUSD names principals at Don Benito, Hamilton, and Loma Alta
Posted by
Susan Savitt Schwartz
on
July 2, 11:23 am
The following press release was issued by PUSD Communications Director Binti Harvey on July 2, 2009
Pasadena, CA – Pasadena Unified School
District (PUSD) Superintendent Edwin Diaz today announced that he has named
new principals at Don Benito Fundamental School, Hamilton Elementary, and
Loma Alta Elementary, and an administrator at the Oak Knoll
Center.
Julianne S. Reynoso has been named principal of Don Benito
Fundamental School, which serves approximately 740 students. She has
coordinated the acclaimed Pasadena Math Pipeline, a professional development
program for PUSD math teachers, since 2007. Prior to that, she was
principal of Don Benito for the 2004-05 school year. She previously was
a Curriculum Resource Teacher at PUSD’s Franklin Elementary School and
an elementary school teacher in PUSD for eight years. Ms. Reynoso has
a Bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University, a Master’s degree in
Human Development from Pacific Oaks College, and an Administrative credential
from Azusa Pacific University.
Frances Weissenberger has been named
principal of Hamilton Elementary School. An adjunct professor of
Elementary Curriculum and Literacy at Mount Saint Mary’s College in Los
Angeles since 2007, Ms.Weissenberger has worked as an Elementary Literacy
Specialist, Literacy Content Expert, Literacy Coach and elementary school
teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District since 1987. She
holds a Bachelor’s degree from California State University, Los Angeles, a
Master’s degree in educational administration from California State
University, Northridge, and a preliminary administrative credential from the
University of
California at Los Angeles.
Eric Sahakian has been named
principal of Loma Alta Elementary School. He has been a program coordinator
at the L.A. County Office of Education since 2007. Previously, he served as
assistant principal at Toll Middle School in the Glendale Unified School
District (GUSD) from 2002-07, head counselor at Hoover High School in GUSD
from 1997-2002, and a counselor at the L.A. County Office of Education from
1995-97. Mr. Sahakian holds a Bachelor’s degree from CSUN, a
Master’s degree in Psychology with a pupil personnel credential, and an
administrative credential from CSULA. He is currently a doctoral candidate at
CSULA.
Superintendent Diaz also named Jamie Munro as administrator of the
Oak Knoll Center Day Treatment Program, which helps students with
special needs transition to mainstream campuses. Ms. Munro has been
coordinator of PUSD’s Beginning Teacher Support & Assessment and
Teacher Recruitment since July 2008 and a teacher-specialist in Human
Resources since 2004. She was previously a magnet school technology
teacher at Willard Elementary and a special education teacher at Don Benito,
Linda Vista, Jefferson and Webster. Ms. Munro holds a Bachelor’s
degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara, a credential
in
special education from CSUN, and a Master’s in
Educational Administration from CSULA.
"Ms. Reynoso, Ms.
Weissenberger, Mr. Sahakian, and Ms. Munro bring expertise, innovation and
strong leadership to our schools," said Superintendent Diaz. "We are
pleased to welcome them as we continue to accelerate student achievement in
our district."
Contact: Binti
Harvey
(626) 396-3606
# # #
Tags:
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Hamilton,
Loma Alta,
principal
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Star News editor gives PUSD its due
Posted by
Susan Savitt Schwartz
on
June 30, 3:57 pm
In his "insideSoCal" blog last Saturday, Pasadena Star News Editor Larry Wilson encouraged readers to "keep an open mind" with regard to public education. While acknowledging that families may have reasons for choosing private or charter schools for an individual child, his piece is titled, "Pasadena offers some great public education."
"...
Keep an open mind. It's practical, even. A
stellar student has a better chance to stand out at a big public than
an elite private, where all the parents know the college game. Don't
believe the nonsense about the average standardized test score having
much if anything to do about where kids should be sent. Your student is
an individual, not an average. Arrange a tour. Meet a teacher. Get
involved with foundations like the PEF."
Wilson sits on the Pasadena Education Foundation (PEF)'s board, and though he notes that his own children went to private schools, "
of the 11 current PEF Board of Directors members who have school-aged children, eight of them send them to public schools."
Click here to see Wilson's blog
or paste this link into your browser: http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_12706298?source=rss_viewed
Tags:
PEF,
PUSD,
Star News,
Wilson
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Hamilton Principal Sarah Rudchenko will succeed Ruth Esseln as principal of Wilson Middle School
Posted by
Susan Savitt Schwartz
on
June 9, 1:33 pm
Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) Superintendent Edwin Diaz today announced that he has named Sarah Rudchenko as principal at Wilson Middle School, which serves approximately 740 sixth through eighth grade students. Over the past seven years, Principal Rudchenko has served as the principal of Hamilton Elementary, a California Distinguished School and a current nominee for the National Blue Ribbon Achievement award.
"Ms. Rudchenko brings an outstanding record of strong leadership and increasing academic achievement," said Superintendent Diaz. "Her ability to establish relationships with staff, students and family and her knowledge of curriculum and instruction will help Wilson take the next steps in improvement. Sarah is eager to take on this new challenge and I am confident she will do an outstanding job."
Prior to her tenure at Hamilton, Ms. Rudchenko taught elementary students in the Los Angeles Unified School District and served as an instructional aide at the University of California, Los Angeles. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree, teaching credential and Master’s in Education from the University of California, Los Angeles. Under Ms. Rudchenko’s leadership, Academic Performance Index (API) scores rose approximately 150 points to 838 at Hamilton Elementary School.
"I would like to thank Principal Ruth Esseln for her committed
service to the Wilson community over the past two years," said
Superintendent Diaz. "Ms. Esseln led a 44-point increase in API scores at Wilson, was a key contributor to the development of the Excellent Middle Schools program, and laid a solid foundation for continued improvement at Wilson."
Hamilton is one of several PUSD elementary schools that will welcome new principals in September. Later this month, PUSD will fill principalships at Don Benito, Loma Alta and Roosevelt Elementary Schools. Staff and families at each school will have the opportunity to provide input regarding the desired characteristics of their new principal, who will be appointed in early July.
###
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Wilson Middle School
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PUSD's School-Based Mental Health Clinic named "Agency of the Year" by USC
Posted by
Susan Savitt Schwartz
on
May. 22, 5:45 pm
PUSD NAMED AGENCY OF THE YEAR BY USC SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
Social Service Ties Are Key to District’s Drop-Out Prevention
Efforts
Pasadena, CA – The Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) announced
that its School-Based Mental Health Clinic (SBMHC) was selected by the
University of Southern California (USC) Graduate School of Social Work
to receive their coveted "USC School of Social Work Agency of the Year"
award.
"Our school-based mental health staff are critical to our overall
strategy to link students to the social services they need for success
inside and outside of the classroom," said Edwin Diaz, Superintendent
of Schools. "They are part of our overall problem-solving approach to
removing barriers to student success. They provide early intervention
and support when students first show signs of faltering in school."
Each year, the USC School of Social Work faculty selects an agency that
has been an outstanding partner in the education of social work
students. This year, the faculty enthusiastically nominated and
selected the Pasadena Unified School District for distinguished service
to the USC School of Social Work. The award cites the work of Elaine
Lomas, Director, PUSD SBMHC, who serves as a field instructor to eight
graduate social work student interns who provide mental health
counseling services to students and their families at PUSD schools.
The USC interns support PUSD’s broader strategy to reduce truancy by
providing early intervention and assistance to parents and students to
improve school attendance.
PUSD’s Child Welfare, Attendance and Safety Division, created last
year, has partnered with the Pasadena City Attorney to develop a pilot
anti-truancy program at Wilson Middle School and John Muir High School.
There is early evidence that the program is proving successful in
reducing truancy through early identification and intervention. The
ability to provide social services assistance to families struggling
with difficult financial, economic or emotional challenges has helped
many students reestablish a positive attendance record.
"Truancy reduction, links to supportive social services and viable
alternative education options are all key to reducing the number of
students who drop out of school," said Diaz. "This comprehensive
approach will enable us to keep students engaged in school, and give
them the support they need to graduate prepared for college and a
career."
# # #
Tags:
mental health,
social work
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PUSD HONORED FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN ELEMENTARY READING
Posted by
Susan Savitt Schwartz
on
May. 19, 8:14 am
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate
Release
May 18,
2009
Contact: Binti Harvey
(626) 396-3606
PUSD HONORED FOR
ACHIEVEMENT IN ELEMENTARY READING
District English Language Arts Scores
Nearly Doubled Since 2002
Pasadena, CA – The Pasadena Unified School
District (PUSD) announced
that it has received the "California Pride of SRA
Academic Recognition
Award" from educational publisher SRA McGraw-Hill in
recognition of
outstanding improvement and achievement in reading and
language arts
over the past seven years.
"This award represents our
elementary schools’ commitment to a
standards-based curriculum, high-quality
instruction and research-based
professional development to raise student
achievement," said
Superintendent Edwin Diaz. "I am very proud of their hard
work to
accelerate student performance District-wide."
Since 2002,
PUSD elementary schools have provided a consistent,
structured reading
program using direct instruction and research-based
materials, and as a
result, English Language Arts scores in grades two
through six have nearly
doubled. During this same period, the
District’s Academic Performance Index
score, used to measure student
academic achievement, increased from 635 to
720.
The "Pride of SRA Academic Recognition Award" is an annual
awards
program, initiated in 2001, to recognize schools and
districts
nationwide that are models in reading education. Honorees
have
demonstrated significant improvement and consistently high reading
test
scores through the implementation of a research-based
reading
curriculum. The awards are presented each
spring.
Superintendent Diaz accepted the award on behalf of the District
at a
dinner program attended by elementary school principals and teachers.
Each elementary school also received a recognition award.
Photos
attached.
# # #
Tags:
achievement,
elementary,
reading scores
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PUSD LAUNCHES ANNUAL CUSTOMER SERVICE SURVEY
Posted by
Susan Savitt Schwartz
on
May. 14, 2:15 pm
Students, Parents, Employees to Rate Efficacy of District Improvements
Pasadena, CA - Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) students, parents and staff will be invited to participate in the second annual survey of District stakeholders to measure satisfaction and deepen understanding of the priorities of PUSD clients. The survey period starts on May 18 and is part of the District’s focus on sustained and continuous accountability and improvement through ongoing, data-driven
evaluation.
"In order to continue to improve, we must receive firsthand feedback about our ‘customers’ experiences and perceptions of PUSD," said Superintendent Edwin Diaz. "This information is invaluable as we strive for breakthrough results."
The survey period begins May 18 and will continue until June 5. Students in grades 5, 6, 8 and 10 will have an opportunity to complete a questionnaire online in their school computer labs. Staff will complete their surveys online during professional development periods. Parents have the choice of completing the survey online or they may complete a paper survey form, which will be distributed to each family in the
weekly homework packets. Parent surveys are available in English, Armenian, and Spanish.
Survey questions focus on topics such as perceptions of school
environment and climate; current and future needs of the school and its community; how well the current processes meet the needs of students, parents and staff; how the school and community are changing; root causes of problems; and the types of educational programs and expertise that will be required in the future. PUSD is strongly encouraging all stakeholders who are eligible to participate to complete the surveys to ensure accurate and representative data.
PUSD conducted its first customer service survey of students and parents last year to establish a baseline to measure improvements in the quality of education, caliber of staff and the level of community support. Results were used to establish baseline data and growth targets for stakeholder satisfaction as part of the District’s comprehensive accountability system.
To participate in the survey, please visit www.pusd.us, and click on 2009 Client Survey.
# # #
For the latest news and information about the Pasadena Unified School District, including Board of Education Meeting Highlights, watch KLRN-TV or go to www.pusd.us.
Tags:
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PUSD APPROVES CITIZENS
Posted by
Susan Savitt Schwartz
on
March 12, 2:44 pm
The Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) Board of Education announced its selection of members of the Citizens’ Oversight Committee, responsible for monitoring project management and expenditures for the $350 million local school facilities bond passed by voters in November.
"The Citizens’ Oversight Committee members will play a critical role in ensuring fiscal accountability and transparency to the public about progress on construction projects undertaken with Measure TT funds. We are fortunate to have a slate of highly-qualified individuals willing to fulfill this important role," said Superintendent Edwin
Diaz. "The Board of Education and I will work closely with the Committee to ensure that projects are completed as planned, within budget, and in accordance with the law."
The Board appointed 15 representatives to oversee bond activities. More than 50 applications were reviewed by a subcommittee representing the communities of Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre, and the recommended list of members was approved by the Board Facilities Subcommittee at its March 3 meeting. State law requires that the members of the Citizens’ Oversight Committee include parents, representatives from the business community, senior citizen groups, taxpayer organizations and individuals experienced in finance and construction.
The newly-appointed members include:
● Arthur Aviles. A disaster assistance specialist for Los Angeles County; general contractor.
● Gregory Barna. Assistant Picture Editor, CBS/Paramount
● Joanna Bauer. Adjunct Faculty, Kaplan University
● Charles Bryant. Architect; Contractor with school expertise
● Carolyn Carlburg. Chief Executive Officer of the AIDS Research Alliance of America; Attorney
● Michael D’Antuono. Vice President, Capital Improvement
Programs, National Construction Alliance, labor relations expert
● Carolyn Ellner. Dean Emeritus, California State University,
Northridge; Chair, League of Women Voters
● George Fatheree. Real Estate Attorney, former Chief Operating Officer, California Charter Schools Association
● Jonathan Fuhrman. Retired business manager.
● Kenneth Hargreaves Jr. Senior Director, Design and Construction, California Institute of Technology
● Paul Hunt. Manager, Regulatory Finance and Economics, Southern California Edison
● Lee Johnson. Research Engineer, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
● James Kossler. Former President, Pasadena City College
● Joel Sheldon. Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, A.C. Vroman,
Inc.
The Board of Education evaluated the applicants based on the following criteria: balanced representation of each PUSD community, satisfaction of basic eligibility requirements, prior outstanding service, broad understanding of Facilities Master Plan goals, and special skills. The members bring a range of experience and perspectives in business, education and community service.
Tags:
Measure TT,
oversight,
PUSD,
school bond
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Pasadena City-Schools Partnership
Posted by
Susan Savitt Schwartz
on
Dec. 9, 3:47 pm
The City of Pasadena's online magazine "In Focus" recently featured information about the partnership between the City and School District.
Click
here to read more...
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partnership,
Pasadena
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New principals named for Marshall Secondary and Washington Middle School
Posted by
Susan Savitt Schwartz
on
Oct. 7, 5:15 pm
Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) Superintendent Edwin Diaz today
announced that he has named new principals at Washington Middle School
and Marshall Fundamental Secondary School. Superintendent Diaz promoted
Keith Derrick as principal of Marshall, which serves 1,700 students in
grades six through 12. Merian Stewart has been named principal of
Washington Middle School, which serves 550 students in grades six,
seven and eight. Both had previously served as assistant principals at
their respective schools. Click <a href="http://www.pusd.us/article.php?story=20081001124241694">here for more information</a>.
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CNN features PUSD, PEN in "going public" story
Posted by
Susan Savitt Schwartz
on
Sept. 22, 12:09 pm
CNN's "American Morning" show featured a piece about how more families are turning (or returning) to public schools as a weak economy and rising tuition costs combine to put pressure on family finances.
Reporter Kara Finnstrom initially contacted PEN last July while researching the idea for this story, and interviewed some PEN parents as well as PEN Board Chair Kristin Maschka and PUSD Director of Elementary Education Dr. Kathy Onoye. Paste the link below into your browser to watch the
video clip, which features background footage of a PEN Board committee meeting, Webster Elementary, and a bit of Old Town for local color.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2008/09/22/finnstrom.education.going.public.cnn?iref=videosearch
Tags:
CNN,
economy,
private school tuition
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District Office Phone Number to Change on Monday, September 15th
Posted by
Susan Savitt Schwartz
on
Sept. 15, 11:09 am
Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) announced that the first
phase of updating and upgrading the District’s telephone systems has
been completed. Telephone numbers at two schools and the District’s
main office have changed.
"The new telephone system is
one of several District-wide telecommunications system improvements
underway, which signal our commitment to improve communications and the
infrastructure to better serve our students, schools and families,"
said Superintendent Diaz.
Telephones at the District headquarters were replaced with a new system. Effective Monday, September 15, the District’s phone number will change to (626) 396-3600.
Calls to the old number will be automatically forwarded to the new
number for several months. The change was necessary to ensure
uniformity across the district and to provide a higher-quality phone
system.
Also as part of the first phase of implementation, new telephones were installed at John Muir High School. The school’s new phone number is (626) 396-5600.
The new features include "E-911," an emergency communications system to
ensure that when any teacher or administrator dials 911, emergency
responders will instantly know where the call originated.
New telephones were also installed at Rose City High School, which expanded its campus into the former Oak Knoll Center. Offices at the Oak Knoll Center, may now be reached by calling (626) 396-5620.
New telephone systems will be installed at all PUSD schools by May
2009. Installation of the new phone systems will reduce costs by
eliminating redundant phone lines and decreasing frequent, costly
repairs to the old phone system, which was more than 30 years old.
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PUSD Board votes to place bond issue on November ballot
Posted by
Susan Savitt Schwartz
on
July 10, 1:04 pm
The Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) Board of Education [at its July 1, 2008 meeting] approved a resolution to place a $350 million general
obligation bond on the November 4, 2008 ballot to help fund urgently
needed basic repairs and upgrades at the District’s aging schools. If
approved in November, the proposed bond, which includes increased
independent oversight, will be only the second bond passed by PUSD
voters in 42 years.
For more information,
click here.
Tags:
bond issue,
facilities
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New principals named for Willard and Jefferson
Posted by
Websterwolf
on
July 10, 12:53 pm
Pasadena
Unified School District (PUSD) Superintendent Edwin Diaz today
announced that he has named new principals at Willard and Jefferson
elementary schools. Superintendent Diaz named Debra Jenkins DeBose as
principal of Willard Elementary International Baccalaureate Magnet
School, which serves 600 pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade students.
Hoori Chalian has been named principal of Jefferson Elementary, which
serves approximately 600 pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade students.
Click
here to read more.
Tags:
Jefferson,
principals,
Willard IB
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Willard IB recognized as a "Top School"
Posted by
Websterwolf
on
July 10, 12:48 pm
Willard IB was recognized by CBEE as one of the
top schools in the state.
The California Business for Education Excellence selected Willard IB Elementary
as one of their 126 star schools throughout California to be recognized as one of the
top schools in the state. Using data from Just for the Kids–California, a free
and accurate source of longitudinal student academic performance data
(www.jftk-ca.org), CBEE and JFTK-CA identified and honored the highest
performing public schools in California.
These schools are consistently raising academic achievement and closing
achievement gaps for all students. Additionally, these "Honor Roll"
schools are being recognized not only for their accomplishments, but so that
other schools can learn their successful strategies.
Way to go Willard!
Tags:
awards,
Willard IB
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Fall 2007 State of the Schools Address
Posted by
Websterwolf
on
July 10, 12:46 pm
Here is an excerpt from the
Pasadena Star-News coverage of the State of the Schools address by School Board President Esteban Lizardo:
Laying out goals for the 2008-09 school year, Lizardo praised the
overall gains in student achievement made in recent years throughout
the district, especially in the elementary grades. In 2001, only Don Benito Elementary School had an Academic
Performance Index score above 800 - the benchmark score for student
achievement in California under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
This year, four other elementary schools - Willard, Sierra, Madre, Hamilton and Norma Coombs - also had scores of 800 or higher.
Pasadena Now also covered the event, and among other things cited the following measures of success in some of our elementary schools:
Eight
schools are nominated for the California Distinguished School Award,
which is given by the California Board of Education to public schools
with exemplary academic programs. The eight schools nominated include
Burbank, Field, Hamilton, Norma Coombs, Sierra Madre, Longfellow and
McKinley elementary schools.
The address also focused on the recent attention to restructuring John Muir High School:
As
a result, the school is under state sanctions. The board had the option
of converting Muir into a charter school, closing the school, turning
the school over to the state or restructuring.On
Oct. 2, the board unanimously decided to restructure the school by fall
2008. All of Muir’s teachers will have to re-apply for their jobs and a
new comprehensive school program will be created. School officials hope
to develop a specific plan for the school by January or February.
"Our
process will include continued engagement of parents and the community
to ensure that many voices are included in the plan as it is
developed," Lizardo said.
Once
school officials apply the best practices in secondary education to
Muir, they will begin to use those same methods at the district’s other
high and middle schools, Lizardo said.
Tags:
local media coverage
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PUSD Receives $1.2 million for middle school reform plan
Posted by
Susan Savitt Schwartz
on
June 25, 2:21 pm
PUSD RECEIVES $1.2 MILLION GRANT FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL REFORM
- Pasadena, CA – Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) Superintendent Edwin Diaz today [June 19, 2008] announced that the District will receive a $1.2 million contribution from the Helen and Will Webster Foundation to improve middle school student performance. The grant, which will be awarded over a two-year period, will be used to hire teachers, support professional development and expand student enrichment and intervention opportunities at middle schools throughout PUSD.
- "This generous grant from the Webster Foundation will help us accelerate achievement for all Pasadena Unified students, because middle school is crucial in determining the success of students in high school and beyond," said Superintendent Edwin Diaz. "I applaud the Webster Foundation for its leadership in supporting high-quality instruction for all students by designing academic programs to meet the unique needs of sixth through eighth graders."
- In order to improve PUSD’s middle school student academic performance, last year the District convened the Excellent Middle Schools Team to develop a research-based framework for providing high quality, personalized instruction that is consistently available to all sixth through eighth grade students in the District. The recommended framework calls for additional staff to support longer blocks of instruction in English Language Arts and Math, more teacher training, and dedicated time for teacher collaboration and planning. An added benefit of the proposed schedule changes would be an increase in resources for student enrichment and intervention activities.
- "The Helen and Will Webster Foundation is pleased to make a grant in support of the district's Excellent Middle Schools Program," said Richard Webster, a member of the Board of Directors of the Helen and Will Webster Foundation. "We recognize the need to tailor middle schools to better meet the needs of their students, with a strong emphasis on preparing them for success at the high school level and beyond. As a local foundation, we are especially proud to be part of the growing community support for our public schools."
- The Helen and Will Webster Foundation is focused on the needs of children. It supports a variety of organizations, primarily in the areas of education and child health and welfare. The Excellent Middle Schools proposal, which has undergone an extensive community outreach process, will be considered by the Board of Education next Tuesday.
- # # #
- Contact Binti Harvey at 626-568-4550 for additional information.
Tags: grant, middle school, PUSD
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Interesting Group
Posted by Websterwolf
on
Jan. 16, 11:39 am
For those of us that are increasingly interested in supporting schools on a state-wide level, this group looks interesting. PEN is NOT endorsing this organization. It simply looks worthy of a closer look.
Ed. Voice
Tags: CA, Education Advocacy
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Posted by Websterwolf
on
Dec. 10, 9:30 am
Musician Billy Childs Plays Benefit for All Star Band London Trip
Two-time
Grammy Award Winner Billy Childs is donating his time to support the
Pasadena Unified School District All Star Band for a benefit to finance
the students' trip to London to play in that city's 2008 New Year's Day
Parade and Festival. The benefit concert takes place at 7:00 p.m.,
December 15, at Pasadena High School's Gladiss Edwards Auditorium, 2925
E. Sierra Madre Blvd., Pasadena.
continued...
Tags: All-Star Band, music, PUSD
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Posted by Websterwolf
on
Dec. 10, 9:05 am
New PUSD School Guide Available
I just wanted to include Pasadena Now's article about the Open Enrollment guide. They do a nice job briefly summarizing OE. Of course, for the full story, you know what to do.
Published on Monday, December 10
The
new Pasadena Unified School District School Guide is available for
families interested in learning more about PUSD schools. The School
Guide highlights the many academic and enrichment programs offered at
PUSD schools, plus a profile of each school and tour information. The
test scores section shows the significant growth in PUSD’s scores on
the California Standards Tests and Academic Performance Index (API).
This past year, the number of PUSD schools with API scores over 700
increased to 20, including five schools scoring over 800.
continued...
Tags: Open Enrollment, Pasadena Now, PUSD
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Support PUSD Schools in Pasadena Weekly
Posted by Websterwolf
on
Dec. 7, 5:24 pm
This is a nice editorial that summarizes some of the momentum behind the recent meetings to support City-Community-PUSD partnerships:
"A grassroots movement is growing in Pasadena, Altadena and
Sierra Madre to support our public schools. There’s a new school
superintendent, Edwin Diaz, a new interim Pasadena city manager come January in
Pasadena Police Chief Bernard Melekian, a new spirit of cooperation between the
Board of Education and other local officials, and, most important, a growing
sense of both possibility and urgency among parents, teachers and community
residents that strengthening our public schools is vital to having a vibrant
community.
This was clearly evident on Nov. 4, when more than 220
people — almost twice the number that organizers expected
— packed the Pasadena Senior Center for a forum called Civic
Investment in Our Public Schools...."
continued...
Tags: City, PUSD
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PUSD Art Wall
Posted by Websterwolf
on
Dec. 7, 12:12 pm
Reception for Student Art Wall Exhibition
Published on Wednesday, December 5
A
juried exhibition of artworks by talented Pasadena Unified School
District students will debut at an opening reception Saturday, December
15, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. outside the council chamber on the second
floor at Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave.
The
exhibition, which will be hung on the new student art wall adjacent to
the council chamber, represents the importance of art in Pasadena’s
public schools.
Sponsored
by the city of Pasadena and the Pasadena Arts & Culture Commission,
the wall displays artwork created by about 30 PUSD students from
kindergarten through 12th grade.
continued...
Tags: Art, PUSD
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PUSD Communication and Public Engagement Director Hired
Posted by Websterwolf
on
Dec. 7, 12:10 pm
Binti Harvey Selected to Re-open Communications Department
Published on Thursday, December 6
Pasadena
Unified School District (PUSD) Superintendent Edwin Diaz has announced
the appointment of Binti Harvey as the Director of Communications and
Community Engagement, fulfilling his commitment to reopen the
Communications Department. The appointment reflects PUSD’s commitment
to engage the communities it serves in improving students’ academic
achievement.
"Ms.
Harvey’s breadth of experience will be invaluable in communicating the
many ways in which Pasadena Unified serves students and the greater
Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre communities," Superintendent Diaz
said. "Her accomplishments in the field of public sector communications
will be invaluable to our efforts to work more closely with the
community. We are pleased to welcome her onboard."
continued...
Tags: communications, PUSD
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