Engage with PUSD

Once you’ve gotten involved at the school level, you may want to learn more about PUSD as a school district. Whether that’s understanding governance or school budgets, joining a district level committee, attending School Board meetings or community forums, this is where you can make a difference not only for your own child, but for all children. Over the years, PEN parents have been some of the most involved parents. They have held many leadership positions for district-level parent groups, and even been elected to the School Board.

  • District-level Parent Groups

  • Who’s Who at PUSD (District staff & School Board)

  • Learn more about Education in California


district-level Parent groups

African American Parent Council
The District-level AAPC supports and advocates on behalf of African American students and families. All are welcome to attend the AAPC’s monthly meetings, which often feature guest speakers in addition to giving parents a chance to connect and share their experiences and knowledge. AAPC also sponsors district-wide programs, including an annual Black Living History Museum and Math Power Hour.  

Community Advisory Committee (Special Ed.)
Mandated by California law, the CAC advises the district on the development of its Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) Local Plan and Annual Services and Budget Plans. The CAC recommends annual priorities to be addressed by the plan, assists in parent education and the recruitment of parents and other volunteers, encourages community involvement and supports activities on behalf of individuals with exceptional needs. CAC monthly meetings are open to the public.

District English Learner Advisory Council (DELAC)
DELAC supports and represents the parents of English Learners (ELs) at the District level. Each school’s ELAC sends a representative to the monthly DELAC meetings, which are staffed by the Language Assessment and Development Department (LADD) office. The DELAC advises the district and provides an annual training for ELAC officers on their roles and responsibilities.
DELAC apoya y representa a los padres de los estudiantes de inglés (EL) a nivel del Distrito. El ELAC de cada escuela envía un representante a las reuniones mensuales de DELAC, que cuentan con personal de la oficina del Departamento de Evaluación y Desarrollo del Lenguaje (LADD). El DELAC asesora al distrito y brinda una capacitación anual para los funcionarios de ELAC sobre sus funciones y responsabilidades.

Foster Youth Council (FYC)
The Foster Youth Council is a space for foster parents, guardians and community to get involved in their student's education and to obtain information about district services for foster youth. The FYC meets monthly on Tuesdays, alternating between a mid-day (11:30 am-1:30 pm) virtual meeting and an evening (6-7:30 pm) hybrid session.

District Advisory Council (DAC)
DAC supports and represents the School Site Councils. Monthly meetings include guidance and speakers, and are a great way for SSC members (or any member of the community) to learn more about District budgeting and how spending decisions impact student achievement.

Local Control Accountability Plan Parent Advisory Council (LCAP PAC)
Parent Advisory Committee members represent the student groups targeted by California's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and review and comment on the district’s annual Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) as mandated by state law. Members serve three-year terms.

PTA (Parent Teacher Association) Council of PUSD
PTA Council is the District-level umbrella group for all of the school-based PTA units. Council provides training to unit leaders, support for keeping school PTAs in good standing, opportunities to network with PTA leaders across the District, and a voice for parents, families and students.


who’s who at pusd

District Staff

School Board
Voters elect seven Board of Education members by geographic area to serve four-year terms. (Type your address into school locator app, open “advanced search” and click on “Trustee Zones” to find out which Board member represents you.) The duties of the Board include adopting the annual budget, approving all expenditures, establishing district policy, authorizing employment of personnel, approving textbooks and courses of study, and approving new and innovative academic initiatives.
PUSD Board of Education meetings are held monthly on a Thursday. Agendas, livestream of board meetings, and video recordings of past meetings can be found here.

Education in california

Many of the decisions our school district makes are dictated or shaped at the state level. Here are several resources to help you learn more about how California’s system of education works.

California Department of Education
The California Department of Education’s core purpose is to lead and support the continuous improvement of student achievement, with a specific focus on closing achievement gaps. The CDE website includes data on school enrollment, demographics and standardized testing.

Ed100
Ed100 is a free, self-paced online course designed to help the average parent, caregiver, educator or community member understand how California's complex education system works. Includes short (5-minute) online “lessons” in English and Spanish to bring you up to speed about education in California (funding, class size, achievement data, advocacy, and more!), plus a blog with timely education-related topics. Ed100 is produced by a small team, including a former California State PTA president, with the goal of helping more of us become well-informed advocates for public education in our state.

California State Budget

California Budget & Policy Center works to improve public policies so that all Californians can participate fully in the state’s economic, social, and political life. Among other issues, CBPC analyzes state spending and other policies related to education: K-12 schools, community colleges, and the CSU and UC systems, highlighting how California can strengthen its most basic investment in the state’s future and improve outcomes for all students.

Ed Source
EdSource is an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization whose mission is to clarify complex education issues and to promote thoughtful policy decisions about public school improvement.
Curriculum and Instruction

Understanding your Student’s State Testing Report – This Calif. Dept. of Education video shows parents how to read and understand your child’s score report for the 2016-2017 California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP).

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) – California’s Common Core standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The State of California Dept. of Education’s implementation plan includes resource links geared towards parents & students, teachers, and administrators.

21st Century Learning – Read more about the skills that fuse academics with critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity and innovation.

Additional Resources for Education Programs

Pasadena Educational Foundation (PEF) raises between $12 and $15 million dollars a year for the Pasadena Unified School District from large government grants, foundation grants, individual and corporate donations. These support large programs like the high school College & Career Pathways as well as enrichment programs in the arts and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), sports and athletics, health, and more. PEF also cultivates community partnerships through programs such as Principal-for-a-Day and the Realtor Initiative, and provides fundraising and accounting support to nearly every school’s Annual Fund.

California Consortium of Education Foundations
CCEF is a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to improving public education by building the capacity of the 600 local education foundations in California.  

Moms taking notes at meeting

Big Ideas

Sometimes parents have BIG ideas that go way beyond the bake sale!  If you have an idea that would have a big impact on our students and schools, but think that no one would be interested… think again.  Here are three examples of parents who had very big ideas that are now part of PUSD’s academic programs.

App Academy  

Pasadena High School’s App Academy is a four-year computer science pathway program that was created by PEF with the support of PUSD parent Shawn McCreight. The developer of Encase digital forensics software, Shawn worked with PEF to develop a curriculum and program where students learn computer science and computer programming, and use these skills to create websites, games, and more.  For more information visit the App Academy website. 

Math Academy

When McKinley parents Jason and Sandy Roberts started coaching their son’s Math Field Day Team, they encountered some very advanced math students who they challenged with increasingly advanced math concepts.  From that, they founded the Math Academy, where they created a curriculum that radically accelerates the learning curve of mathematically gifted students.  Officially adopted by PUSD, the program starts in 6th grade at three PUSD middle schools.  Students complete BC Calculus by the end of 8th grade.  The high school curriculum, at Pasadena High School, combines college-level pure and applied mathematics.  Contact Sandy Roberts or visit the Math Academy website.

Math Power Hour

Members of PUSD’s African-American Parent Council wanted to know why African-American students were underrepresented in advanced math courses at the secondary level – and what they could do to close the opportunity gap. In collaboration with United Teachers of Pasadena (UTP) and the District’s curriculum & professional development team, they developed Math Power Hour (MPH), a program matching trained volunteers with 1st and 2nd grade students identified as needing support to build math confidence and master grade-level skills. AAPC leaders recruited, trained, and placed over 70 volunteers with students of all races and ethnicities. Although the pilot program was interrupted by the pandemic, the program was well-received and is expected to expand once volunteers can return to campuses. Contact info@aapcpusd.com or visit www.aapcpusd.com for more information or to volunteer.

Armenian Academy
When a private Armenian high school in Pasadena announced that it was shutting down in June 2020, Blair parent Maro Yacoubian worked with Superintendent Dr. Brian McDonald and the PUSD executive leadership to find a solution for the displaced students and the community. Providing students with an enriching experience in the Armenian language, history, literature and culture seemed like a natural fit with the International Baccalaureate program offered at Blair, and Maro’s vision for an Armenian Academy was the result. The Academy team created the first IB Armenian Literature course in the nation with students from 17 different cities attending. Course offerings now serve Blair students in grades 6-12, and the program has garnered both regional and international acclaim.  It also inspired PUSD’s first elementary Armenian Academy world language program at Webster Elementary, which began with offerings for TK-1st graders in 2022-23 and will expand through 5th grade in 2023-2024.