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PCC President Rocha wants more local students to enroll

by Joe Piasecki
Pasadena Sun

Pasadena City College President Mark Rocha will take part in a community meet-and-greet on Thursday in hope of encouraging more local students to enroll at the college.

The event includes a question-and-answer session and takes place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Villa Parke Community Center, 363 E. Villa St., Pasadena.

Because roughly two-thirds of PCC students live outside the school’s immediate surroundings, Rocha is trying to spread the word that local students get priority registration for classes.

“There is a lot of bad news out there about education budget cuts, so we want to reach out to our community and let them know that they should not be scared away,” said Rocha. “We cannot give everyone what they want exactly when they want it, but we still can give anyone something of what they need to get started toward their goal.”

More at the Pasadena Sun.

 

 

Free reading tutoring program for grades 1-6 offered

from the City of Pasadena

In conjunction with the non-profit organization Kids Reading to Succeed, the Villa-Parke Community Center offers a free monthly reading assistance program for children in grades 1-6.  One-on-one tutoring is available the first Saturday of each month from 8:50 to 11 a.m. 

The Saturday Reading Program is intended to help children improve their reading skills and, in the process, develop a love of reading. 

Parents are asked to try to sign up their children at least one week in advance of each Saturday program, although drop-ins are welcome. 

To register or for more information visit Villa-Parke Community Center at 363 E. Villa St., or call (626) 744-6530.

More information about Kids Reading to Succeed can be found online at www.kidsreadingtosucceed.org.

Muir teacher gets $25,000 prize

John Muir High School Social Studies teacher Manuel Rustin was honored with the National Milken Educator Award during assembly at the Pasadena school on Tuesday, January 31, 2012. Above, Rustin, left, looks at the oversized check being held by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, center, and school principal Sheryl D. Orange, right. Lowell Milken, Chairman and Co-founder of the Milken Family Foundation presided over the ceremony. (Raul Roa/ Pasadena Sun)

by Joe Piasecki
Pasadena Sun

A history teacher at John Muir High School in Pasadena was presented Tuesday with a Milken Educator Award, one of the profession’s highest honors and bestowed on only 40 teachers in the nation each year.

Manuel Rustin, 32, received a standing ovation from hundreds of Muir students, faculty and school district administrators after the surprise announcement at a school assembly.

The honor comes with a $25,000 prize meant to encourage exceptional young teachers to stick with the profession, said businessman and Milken Family Foundation Chairman Lowell Milken, who presented Rustin with the award.

More at the Pasadena Sun.

 

Linn speaks on commercialism and children's play at Pacific Oaks Feb. 7

Pacific Oaks Children's School is sponsoring a parent education event with Dr. Susan Linn on Tues., Feb. 7.

Linn, an instructor on psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, will speak about the importance of play and her views on how such variables as commercialism and media prevent children from creative play.

In her new book, The Case for Make Believe, Linn argues that while play is crucial to human development and children are born with an innate capacity for make believe, the convergence of ubiquitous technology and unfettered commercialism actually prevents them from playing. In modern-day America, according to Linn, nurturing creative play is not only counter-cultural—it threatens corporate profits. Both timely and important, The Case for Make Believe helps readers understand how crucial child's play is—and what parents and educators can do to protect it.  At the heart of the book are stories of children at home, in school, and at a therapist's office playing about real-life issues from entering kindergarten to a sibling's death, revealing feelings they can't express directly, and making meaning of an often confusing world.

Pacific Oaks College & Children’s School has played a crucial role in the development of early childhood education in the United States for more than half a century. Founded in 1959 by a small group of Quaker families, Pacific Oaks College is dedicated to the fundamental Quaker principles of inclusion, social justice, and the valuing of every human being. The College’s faculty has developed innovative curriculum and tools that are widely used in early childhood and teacher training programs—both in the U.S. and throughout the world. Pacific Oaks is well-known for its leadership in a learning-through-play curriculum, and for the ground-breaking anti-bias curriculum that has been implemented in schools throughout the country and is often required reading in early childhood teacher training courses. Founded in 1945, the Children’s School is widely recognized today as one of the finest preschools in the nation. For more information, see www.pacificoaks.edu.

When: Tues., Feb. 7, 6:30 PM.

Where: Pacific Oaks College, 55 Eureka St., Room 40, Pasadena

Cost: Free and open to the public.

 

PUSD redistricting task force schedules Altadena area meetings

by Timothy Rutt

The task force that is drawing new districts for the Pasadena Unified School District will be holding a series of meetings in the next month, including two forums to seek public comment.

A regular meeting for the task force will be held Jan. 17 at Mountain View Cemetery, 2400 N. Fair Oaks Ave. at 6 PM.

The Saturday forums will be held on Jan. 28 from 1-3 PM at the Altadena Library, 600 E. Mariposa St., and on Feb. 4 from 10 AM-noon at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1757 N. Lake Ave.

The next regular meeting of the task force will be on Feb. 7 at 6 PM at the Western Justice Center, 55 S. Grand Ave. in Pasadena.

 

New district plans could change school district elections

by Joe Piasecki
Pasadena Sun

Plans to elect school board members from separate geographic districts might force several incumbents to battle each other at the polls and could open at least two seats to newcomers.

Four preliminary district maps, each slicing the Pasadena Unified School District into seven distinct zones, are now up for public debate.

Under one scenario, four of the seven current board members — Ed Honowitz, Elizabeth Pomeroy, Tom Selinske and Kim Kenne — would find themselves boxed into a single district that stretches from Altadena to the Foothill (210) Freeway.

In another, board allies Scott Phelps and Ramon Miramontes would have to battle for the same seat in the 2013 elections in a district bordering La Cañada Flintridge.

Either map would force voters to choose between Selinske and Kenne when their terms end in 2015, assuming both choose to run again. The two most current maps under consideration can be viewed at www.pasadenasun.com.

More at the Pasadena Sun.

 

PUSD schools lose nearly $2 million in state cuts

By Joe Piasecki
Pasadena Sun

The latest round of state budget cuts will cost Pasadena Unified schools more than $1.8 million this year and set smaller local school districts back tens of thousands of dollars.

Gov. Jerry Brown announced last week that a projected $2.2 billion shortfall in state revenue would force Sacramento to reduce attendance-based funding for schools and slash reimbursements for student transportation expenses.
South Pasadena and San Marino schools are mostly spared the pain of $248 million in statewide cuts to transportation funding, but the shift hits Pasadena particularly hard.

More at the Pasadena Sun.

 

 

PUSD Special Education Advisory Committee meeting Monday at Edison

Dr. Elizabeth Blanco, PUSD's executive director of special education, wil be the speaker at the December Pasadena Unified School District/SELPA Special Education Dept. Community Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting  on Mon., Dec. 12.

The CAC will meet on Mon., Dec. 12, from 6:15-8:30 PM at the Edison Professional Development Complex, Rm. 211, 119 W. Palm Avenue, Altadena. There will be free childcare and translation available.

Send questions for Dr. Blanco to joycac1@gmail.com

More details at: http://cac.pasadenausd.org

 

Eliot Winter Concert and Open House Dec. 13

Eliot Middle School, 2184 North Lake Ave., invites the public to its Winter Concert and Open House on Tues., Dec. 13, 5:30-8:30 PM.

The event features performances by the school band, orchestra, jazz band, and the Eliot Middle School Spirit Team.

There will also be displays of student work, including art and a robotics exhibit, a photo booth, raffle, and a chance to visit the new student garden.  There will also be a PTA fundraiser bake sale, and a crafts sale.  Hot cider and refreshments will be available.

Reporter's Notebook: From observer to the hot seat

By Joe Piasecki,
Pasadena Sun

With tensions boiling over at Pasadena Board of Education meetings and a coach’s scuffle with a student at John Muir High School generating headlines, I wasn’t so sure that touring Marshall Fundamental School as honorary Principal for a Day on Nov. 8 was the best use of my news-gathering time.

I was wrong.

Witnessing a typical day at Marshall — students learning, teachers teaching and extracurricular activities in full swing — served as a valuable reminder that rumors of the demise of public education have been greatly exaggerated.

It’s a message worth sharing.

More at the Pasadena Sun.

 

The race is on for 2012 school year

Christian Vaca, left, and Jacob Pettit, 10, both evaluate the PUSD school boundaries in Pasadena on Thursday, November 10, 2011. (Photo by Alex Collins, Pasadena Sun)

By Joe Piasecki

Pasadena Sun

With dozens of options to choose from, Pasadena parents whose children will change schools next year are at their marks in a race to find the best fit.

Shopping for schools has evolved into a lengthy, complex and often anxiety-driven fall ritual in Pasadena, a city divided in its perceptions of public schools and one of Southern California’s more competitive marketplaces for private school operators.

“For parents who can afford at least some of the private schools, I think there’s a lot of pressure to get their children into the perfect school that is going to ensure them success the whole rest of their lives,” said Susan Savitt Schwartz, program director for the Pasadena Education Network. “They start to think like there’s one school I’m looking for that’s the best and I have to get into, and if I don’t, then my child is going to lose out in life.” 

More at the Pasadena Sun.

Explore PUSD's Mandarin immersion program Tuesday night

There will be a Mandarin Dual Language Immersion Program Information Night on Tues., Nov. 22 at the Field Elementary School cafeteria, 3600 Sierra Madre Blvd., Pasadena, from 6-7 PM.  The program includes:

• What is Dual Language Immersion?
• Open Enrollment process for Dual Language Immersion Programs in PUSD
• Meet current MDLIP parents

Child care will be provided. RSVP to mdlippasadena@gmail.com

Also,the Pasadena Education Network is hosting "Navigating Open Enrollment" on Tues.,  Nov. 29 at the Pasadena Central Library at 7 PM. This is a great opportunity to learn more about PUSD's enrollment system.

Open enrollment is January 11 - February 1, 2012. This year, the language immersion programs will participate in open enrollment. They will not have their own enrollment periods like they have in the past.

PUSD Special Education meeting looks at student anxiety

"How to Help Your Child Deal with Anxiety" will be the topic Mon., Nov. 21, at the Pasadena Unified School District/SELPA Special Education Dept. Community Advisory Committee meeting.

Dr. Gwen Palafox, Clinical Psychologist and Dr. Diane Danis, MD, Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics

The meeting will be at the  Edison Professional Development Complex, 119 W. Palm Avenue, Altadena, starting at 6:15 PM.   There will be free childcare and translation.

More details at: http://cac.pasadenausd.org

 

War of words at Pasadena school board meeting

By Joe Piasecki
Pasadena Sun 

Tension between African-American and Latino residents erupted during a Pasadena Board of Education meeting that drew more than 100 people Tuesday, with groups directing harsh words at school leaders and each other.

African-American activists who sat on one side of the room took turns accusing board members of putting political and personal differences ahead of student achievement, saying too little was being done to serve minority children.

A group of Latino parents who gathered on the opposite side of the chamber also lobbed criticism at the board for frequent public infighting, but leapt to the defense of its only Latino member, Ramon Miramontes, who came under fire from Pasadena attorney Joe Hopkins.

Hopkins, who organized the African-American presence, accused Miramontes of fostering conflict and influencing district policy to put Latino students’ needs before those of blacks.

More at the Pasadena Sun.

 

 

PUSD districting task force to meet at Loma Alta Tues. night

The Pasadena Unified School District's districting task force, which will  draw up geographic districts for school board members, meets  tomorrow, Tuesday, at 6 PM at the auditorium at the former Loma Alta School, 3444 N. Canon, Altadena.

PUSD: a district divided

By Joe Piasecki

Pasadena Sun

Conflict and acrimony between factions of the Pasadena Board of Education are threatening to erode confidence in the city's public schools, which some observers see as pawns in a power struggle that is rooted outside classroom doors.

The seven-member board is routinely divided 4-3, with the minority accusing board President Renatta Cooper and her allies of delaying important agenda items and preserving the status quo in a system that they believe needs a shakeup. Critics of the board minority say its members adopt a purposely confrontational approach that serves broader political ambitions far better than it serves the district's nearly 20,000 students.

Board member Scott Phelps said the conflict is driven by differing views of the board's mandate. A member of the minority bloc with Ramon Miramontes and Kim Kenne, Phelps said, “Elected representatives should be governing the school district, but the majority prefers the administration work out all the decisions and we just sort of approve them.”

More at the Pasadena Sun.

 

 

PUSD board considers censuring Phelps

By Joe Piasecki
Pasadena Sun

 

The Pasadena Board of Education has called for possible censure of board member Scott Phelps over accusations that he violated confidentiality agreements and obstructed efforts to hire a district superintendent in June.

The 4-2 decision on Oct. 18 to hold a censure hearing on Tuesday fell along entrenched dividing lines, with members Ramon Miramontes and Kim Kenne coming to Phelps’ defense.

Phelps, who was absent from the meeting, decried the effort as political payback for his criticism of a superintendent candidate who took herself out of the running following his comments on Facebook and the Pasadena Star-News website.

“Since late June they have plotted their revenge,” Phelps said in an interview. “This censure [attempt] is their revenge.”

More at the Pasadena Sun.

 

Marshall's "Boosterpalooza" fundraiser this weekend

Marshall Fundamental High School's Marching Band and Color Guard Boosters are holding a "Boosterpalooza" (of course) on Saturday and Sunday at the Marshall campus, 990 N. Allen in Pasadena.

There'll be a yard sale, a car wash, e-waste recycling, and even lunch for sale, all in one place, to support the two groups.

The fundraiser will run from 8 AM-3 PM.

 

Muir clash draws district scrutiny

By Joe Piasecki and Ana Facio-Krajcer
Pasadena Sun

A physical clash between a John Muir High School student and the school’s football coach has prompted Pasadena Unified School District officials to review policies on searching students and their property for weapons and other contraband.

Coach Ken Howard has been placed on administrative leave pending investigation of the Sept. 28 incident, and the 15-year-old student has not returned to campus.

Different versions of events emerge from interviews with the boy and an attorney for Howard.

The incident appears to have started with an attempt by school officials to search a group of students for a knife. Before it was over, the student had suffered scratches and bruises on his neck, according to the boy and his mother. In accord with Sun policy, the newspaper is not publishing the name of the student or his mother in order to protect the juvenile’s identity.

More at the Pasadena Sun.

 

 

PUSD board members clash over agendas

By Joe Piasecki
Pasadena Sun

Simmering tensions among Pasadena Board of Education members boiled over this week with accusations that some members have stifled attempts to raise controversial ideas for public discussion.

In hopes of reaching détente, the board will make the agenda-setting process more public.

“This will reinstitute faith in the process,” board member Ramon Miramontes said. Miramontes had accused board President Renatta Cooper of withholding debate on expansion of charter schools and renegotiating union labor contracts.

Miramontes wants officials to consider changing Washington Middle School, which has failed to meet federal academic improvement standards for 10 years, into a district-sponsored charter school.

He’s also pushing to renegotiate union contracts to require as much as 50% employment of local workers in school construction projects — a topic initially raised more than a year ago.

Cooper said both topics were delayed because of lack of staff reports following the exodus last school year of the district’s previous facilities director and superintendent.

Board members on Tuesday ranked the priorities of dozens of backburner topics by written ballot, with consensus that Supt. Jon Gundry would deliver scheduling proposals at the next meeting.

More at the Pasadena Sun.

Teachers: launch Into the school year with NASA/JPL

from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Take your students along for the ride as NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory embarks on one of its busiest years of launches and mission events yet! We’ve made it easy with our 2011 Classroom Launch Pad ( http://1.usa.gov/o178jH ), a handy list of classroom activities and resources directly tied in to key mission and science concepts and aligned with national science and math standards.

Study the ocean’s role in climate change with NASA’s Aquarius mission; follow the Juno mission on its journey to peer beneath the clouds of Jupiter; take a closer look at the moon’s interior with GRAIL; join the Dawn mission’s investigation of the giant asteroid Vesta; and prepare for launch with the next Mars rover, Curiosity.

The 2011 Classroom Launch Pad also features links to educational online and mobile apps, games and additional resources from NASA/JPL, including the Space Images app, Eyes on the Solar System, the Build a Space Mission game and JPL’s Educator Resource Center.

Keep your class engaged in space and science all year long with our newest feature: One Smart Thing, fun factoids from real JPL scientists, engineers, tour guides and other in-the-know personalities. Look for one of these interesting tidbits each Wednesday on Facebook ( http://www.facebook.com/NASAJPLStudents ) and Twitter ( http://twitter.com/#!/NASAJPL_Edu ). Or sign up to receive them automatically by text message. Simply text JPLSMART to 67463 to subscribe. (Message and data rates may apply. Must be 18 or older to subscribe.)

Want to hear from other teachers? Jessica Potter, who participated in this summer’s CSU STAR program, which gives aspiring teachers an opportunity to gain hands-on research experience, shares her story and tips at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/education/index.cfm?page=290#juno . Read more about the STAR program and find out how you can get involved, here: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/education/index.cfm?page=291 .

PEN offers fall parent programs

from the Pasadena Educational Network

The Pasadena Education Network (PEN) kicks off its fall program schedule with “What You Should Know about Choosing an Elementary School" on Thursday, October 6 at 6:30 p.m. at All Saints Church, Sweetland Hall, 132 No. Euclid Avenue, Pasadena.

Selecting a school is one of the most important decisions a parent will make, yet myth and misperception often cloud conversations about schools. One of PEN's most popular programs, this session provides parents of pre-school aged children with valuable information about what to look for when evaluating a school for their children.  Parents whose children attend Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) schools will be on hand to share their experiences in public school.   

Leading the presentation will be Dr. Mikala Rahn, the president of Public Works Inc., a Pasadena-based non-profit organization that provides independent program evaluations of schools throughout the state.  The program also includes social time and refreshments when parents can talk with one another and PUSD parents.

PEN’s other programs for parents include “What to Look for When Choosing a Middle School” (October 11), “Choosing a Middle School/Parent Networking Night” (November 10), and “Navigating Open Enrollment in the Pasadena Unified School District (November 29).”  Complete program information, school information, and school tour schedules are available at www.penfamilies.org.

All programs are free. Spanish translation is available.

The Pasadena Education Network is an independent, grassroots nonprofit organization that promotes family participation in public education to ensure a quality education for all students in Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre. PEN provides services to help parents explore, evaluate, and engage with our community’s public schools.

Pasadena Education & Resources Expo on Sept. 17

The Pasadena Education & Resources Expo will take place on Sat., Sept. 17, at the Family Life Center at Lake Avenue Church, 393 N. Lake Ave Pasadena from 10  AM- 3 PM. The event, open to the community with free admission and workshops, will give parents, grandparents, teachers as well as K-12 students an opportunity to access the latest in educational resources.

In addition to visiting expo exhibitors, students and their parents will have the opportunity to participate in educational workshops. Workshop pre-registration is available on the expo website. An exciting Kids Zone will feature face painting, arts & crafts by Lakeshore Learning Materials, balloon art and storytelling. Get excited & organized for a successful new school year. 

For more information visit www.pasadenaeducationexpo.com or call 626.600.2052

PUSD districting task force meets Tuesday to finalize language

by Timothy Rutt

The task force that will draw geographic boundaries for seats on the Pasadena Unified School District board plans to finalize the language of PUSD charter changes at a meeting this coming Tuesday, Sept. 6.  The task force will meet at the  Armenian Community Center, 1060 N. Allen Ave., Pasadena, at 6 PM.

The school district is planning to change from at "at-large" system for school board seats to one that establishes a geographic district for each board member.  The changes are an attempt to head off lawsuits that may be filed if the "at-large" system were to continue.

Once approved by the task force and the board, the District will have to pay for an election to finalize the changes.

The proposed changes in language are in the document after the jump.

Budget ax looms over schools

By Joe Piasecki
Pasadena Sun

Local public schools and Pasadena City College could face a combined $9 million in budget cuts come January if state finances fail to improve over the next three months.

Cuts to K-12 schools in the area would likely result in districts draining reserves, sending out layoff notices and shortening the school year.

The budget Gov. Jerry Brown signed in June projected that the economy would improve as the year wore on, and that the state would receive $4 billion more than originally anticipated in tax revenues.

If those predictions fell $2 billion or more short, lawmakers agreed to make nearly $1.8 billion in cuts to K-12 budgets and reduce funding for community colleges by $72 million. Revenue came in nearly $540 million below projections in July, according to the state controller’s office.

More at the Pasadena Sun.

A revolution at PUSD?

Parent's rights group sets its sights on John Muir High School

By Joe Piasecki
Pasadena Sun

Pictured: Parent Revolution organizer Alfonso Flores helps a parent sign in before the group's meeing at the Jackie Robinson Center on Friday, July 29, 2011. (Photo: Roger Wilson, Pasadena Sun)

A controversial movement to increase parental authority over public education is quickly gaining traction in Pasadena.

A parent group recently forced a change in the principal’s office at Jefferson Elementary School, and organizers are now setting their sights on John Muir High School.

At Jefferson, where enrollment last year was more than 85% Latino, a group of Spanish-speaking mothers long at odds with school administrators has organized under the banner of Parent Revolution, advocates of California’s “parent trigger” law.

Under the law, if a majority of parents whose children attend an underperforming public school file a petition, they can impose drastic changes ranging from replacing teachers or administrators to converting campuses to charter schools.

More at the Pasadena Sun.

New PUSD chief Gundry charts his course

By Joe Piasecki
Pasadena Sun

New Pasadena Unified School District Supt. Jon Gundry wants local schools to join a growing national movement that emphasizes computer technology and training students for emerging industries.

Before taking the helm July 27 at Pasadena Unified School District, Gundry served as interim superintendent of the L.A. County Office of Education, where he pushed local school districts to join the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.

The coalition of education advocates and technology companies, often referred to as P21, has spearheaded initiatives in 16 states for educators to emphasize practical skills — critical thinking, communication, technology and entrepreneurial aptitude, for example — alongside more traditional academic fare.

Photo: Tim Berger, Pasadena Sun

More on this story at the Pasadena Sun.

Diaz to be honored at Young & Healthy annual meeting June 26

Young & Healthy, the nonprofit that helps provide health care to the uninsured and underinsured children in Pasadena area schools, will honor departing Pasadena Unified School District Superintendent Edwin Diaz with the J. Donald Thomas Award on Sun., June 26 at the Armory Center for the Arts.

Since March 2007, Superintendent Diaz has led organizational improvements, innovative reforms and strategic partnership to enhance student achievement in Pasadena Unified School District. During his tenure, student achievement has improved, as demonstrated by 53-point increase inthe District’s Academic performance Index (API).

Mr. Diaz has more than 30 years of experience in California public schools. He has won numerous awards for his work in public education,including the California State University of Los Angeles Distinguished Educator Award.

Young & Healthy’s J. Donald Thomas Award is given to those whose dedication, perseverance, and selfless devotion to the well-being of children exemplifies the spirit that led to the founding of this extraordinary health care program. By making this award, Young & Healthy recognizes the priceless gift of service to children in need.
For information on attending this event, which is also the Young & Healthy annual meeting, please call (626)795-5166 for information and reservations.

More on Burbank School plans

Courtesy of a reader who shares these links about plans for Burbank Elementary School from the almost-impenetrable PUSD site:

Documents are here: http://pusd.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=12&clip_id=383&meta_id=58984

Board meeting video is here: http://pusd.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=12&clip_id=383&meta_id=58983

What the school board is looking at is relocating several district programs into Burbank as follows:

• Relocating a Pasadena Mental Health program now at McKinley school due to modernization work at McKinley
• Relocating the LA Universal Preschool from Loma Alta Elementary, also slated to close at the end of the month
• Moving the Burbank preschool to another location onsite.
• Relocated the Pre-K/Special Ed programs from Hodges Children's Center.  This will free up space for other programs at Hodges, which include clinics for speech and physical therapy.
• Relocating staff development programs from Edison to Burbank
• Create an "Academy for Success Elementary Program" at Burbank.

Reconfinguring Burbank for the new uses and moving equipment will have to take place between the end of school this month and the beginning of the new school year at the end of August. Estimated moving and related costs are $150,000 to $170,000, of which $100,000 is toward paving the soccer field for staff parking.

 

Altadena Schools sets new signature goal for petition

Altadena Schools, the organization seeking to form an Altadena school district distinct from Pasadena Unified to boost student performance, announced today that they are going to seek 2,500 more signatures on their petition to begin the process of splitting from PUSD.

Altadena Schools has been working for over four years to garner 7,000 signatures to begin the process of holding a special election to create the separate school district.  The organization submitted a 7,200 signature petition last fall, only to see the county registrar reject about 2,000 signatures for various reasons.

Altadena Schools audited the registrar's results and, according to Chief Proponent Bruce Wasson, "The Registrar's team took great care and did a terrific job. In the end, a little under 1,900 signatures were edited."

As there is no deadline for submitting the signatures, Wasson said in an email that petitioning will resume after "support for the [Altadena} Declaration has caught up with the petition."

The Altadena Declaration is a three-point statement of school priorities that includes teacher effectiveness, creating a longer classroom day and school year, and welcoming "every public school that sends every low-income child to college."  Altadena Schools is seeking public support for the declaration, which is available here.

The full text of the news release is at: http://www.altadenaschools.net/news.shtml

 

Loma Alta Elementary plans a final bash April 30

Loma Alta Elementary School, 3544 N. Canon Blvd.,  one of the schools that will be closed by the Pasadena Unified School District at the end of the year, is inviting the families of all alumni past and present for a a final celebration.

Sat., April 30, from 9 to noon, join the Loma Alta PTA what they call a "morning of fun, family, and fitness" with a book sale, game booths, face painting, scavenger hunt, fitness walk, and "final mile" marathon to celebrate the school's 60 years of service to the community.

Special guests include PUSD Board members Renatta Cooper and Ramon Miramontes, as well as Pasadena City Councilman Chris Holden.  

 

"Race to Nowhere" at Aveson tomorrow, 6:30 PM.

Aveson Charter School is holding a screening of the film, Race to Nowhere on Thurs., Feb. 3 (tomorrow) .  Screening followed by discussion starts at 6:30 PM.  A limited number of tickets are available and can be purchased at the door ($15) or online ($10,  www.RaceToNowhere.com  (click on "Screenings", then "Find a Screening", scroll down towards the bottom of the page under "Domestic Screenings" and you will find "Aveson" located just below "California"):

"A concerned mother turned filmmaker aims her camera at the high-stakes, high-pressure culture that has invaded our schools and our children’s lives.  This remarkable new film shines a light on the price young people pay for this “race to nowhere.” High-stakes testing has replaced meaningful teaching and learning.  Cheating is commonplace. Stress-related illness, depression and burnout are rampant. Many young people arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired.  Attend a screening and become part of the grassroots phenomenon that is feeding a groundswell for change."

There will be child care available.   Tom Sawyer is asking for families to make their $5 fee payment in cash directly to a Tom Sawyer staff member upon drop off.  The program will be held on the green level in room B1 and B2.

PUSD open enrollment open now thru Feb. 11

Pasadena Educational Network reminds us that open enrollment begins this week:

The general filing period for Open Enrollment applications begins today, January 24, and continues through 5:00 pm on Friday, February 11. Applications must be filed online this year. Computer terminals and assistance will be available at the District office Welcome Center and at school sites on specified days. Applicants will receive an electronic confirmation upon successfully filing their online application.

For a list of projected openings by grade level at each school site, click here. 

REMEMBER: Open Enrollment (OE) applications are not processed in the order filed. At the end of the application period, applications will be assigned random numbers and reviewed in random order.

You may list up to 3 choices, in order of preference. If space is not available at your first choice, you will be wait-listed for that school, and your second and (if necessary) third choices will be considered. You will not be wait-listed for your second or third choice schools.

Families will be notified by letter of the results of the Open Enrollment application process the first week of March.

NOTE: Families interested in either of the Dual Language Immersion Programs (Mandarin-English or Spanish-English) - if you did not already apply for a DLIP program during the December Priority OE period, you will have another opportunity to apply during the week of February 28-March 4, 2011. You may want to think about your back-up plan now, in the event that you don't get into a DLIP program during this second application period. If your neighborhood school is not your preferred back-up plan, be sure to submit a general OE application before the Feb. 11 deadline.

 

Pasadena Educational Network announces tours, coffees

The Pasadena Educational Network has put out a schedule of activities for this week and next for parents who are considering/changing schools in the next school year:

Wed., Jan. 12,  8:30 AM - Eliot Middle School tour
Fri., Jan. 14, 9:30 AM - Jackson Elementary School tour
Fri., Jan. 14  11:00 AM- Franklin Elementary School tour

Next week:

Wed., Jan. 19, 7-8:30 PM - coffee for parents looking at public middle school options - parents from Eliot, Marshall, Blair and Wilson will participate - contact: MScoffeeJan19@penfamilies.org or call 866-216-7334 for location and other info or to RSVP.

Thurs., Jan. 20, 7-8:30 PM - coffee for parents interested in Webster or Hamilton Elementary Schools - contact: CoffeeJan20@penfamilies.org or call 866-216-7334 for location and other info or to RSVP.

And coming up this Sat., Jan. 15, starting at 7:30 AM,  Eliot campus beautification / tree-planting.  Contact Lauren (398-8711) or Barbara (396-5680) for more info - community volunteers welcome!

PUSD to close Burbank, Loma Alta; secession group claims foot-dragging

Much to nobody's surprise, the Pasadena Unified School board voted to close down Burbank and Loma Alta Schools, reports PSN. Reporter Brian Charles' story points out that the closure will only increase friction between Altadena -- which has already lost several schools in recent years -- and the school district.

Meanwhile, Altadena Schools (Altadenablog sponsor), which is trying to secede from PUSD to start a new school district, is claiming that county officials are stalling the process.  Altadena Schools submitted over 7,100 signatures on a petition to start the process of secession, and the county rejected almost 2,000 of them.  Altadena Schools requested a chance to audit the disputed signatures in a Nov. 8 letter to the county, and accused county officials of stalling the process in a statement released Tuesday.

PUSD consolidation committee issues final report

The PUSD consolidation committee -- which recommended closing Burbank, Jackson, and Loma Alta Schools in Altadena, and transferring the Normal Coombs program to Burbank -- has just released its final report.  No major surprises so far, but we're chewing over the text right now and will present a summary soon.

PUSD's Altadena fact sheet needs remedial work

The Pasadena Unified School District has just put up a page on its website about the petitition from Altadenans for Quality Education to create a separate Altadena school district, and somebody needs to redo their work.

The page links to a PDF document that the District names "School District Reorganization Process and Timeline" in the link.  The document itself (pictured), however, is called something else: "Altadena School District Petition Fact Sheet."

It begins with some facts about Altadena students' attendence in PUSD schools, giving a date as of Oct. 6, 2010, just last week.

But it goes really bad at the timeline, which it calls a "tentave timeline" ("tentave" is not a word, last we checked -- "tentative" is probably better.  This is from the school district, remember).

"Time travel" would be closer to the mark: The timeline begins with "Signatures verified by the County Superintendent" -- in November, 2009.  Or about 11 months BEFORE the signatures were actually submitted.

It then calls for a series of hearings, a feasibility study, etc., with the county superintendent of education ordering an election -- in Sept., 2010, a month before signatures were submitted -- and schedules an election in March, 2011. 

If the election carries, we go back in time again to July 2010, when it says "Reorganization effective."  Which means there is an Altadena Unified School district ... uh, right now.

We've got a message in to PUSD.  We'll let you know what they say.

 

 

 

Don Benito carnival looking for sponsors

Don Benito School is having its annual Autumn Carnival on Sun., Oct. 24 from 12-5 PM, and they are in need of sponsors for carnival booths.  A business or family can sponsor a booth and receive appropriate credit.  Individuals or businesses can also make a monetary contribution toward the event itself or a booth.  They're also looking for donations of needed supplies or goods.  For more information or to make a donation, contact Monique Davalos [PHONE NO. REMOVED BY REQUEST 5-2-11] moniquedavalos@gmail.com.

 

Furious parents attend PUSD consolidation meeting

PSN's Brian Charles covers Monday night's meeting at Eliot Middle School about potential school closures.  Loma Alta looms large on the chopping block, as does Burbank  and Jackson.  Added into the mix is the potential closure of high-ranking Norma Coombs Elementary, and Altadena Schools' efforts to create a breakaway district.  Needless to say, some parents -- including Altadena parents, who have already seen Noyes, Audobon, and Edison school buildings in Altadena close as public elementary schools -- are not happy.  A good overview of the issues and passions.

PUSD sets times for school consolidation meetings

Town councilman Ken Roberts, vice-chair of PUSD's school consolidation committee, tells us that decision time is near to determine the three schools that the district will close to meet its budget.

The committee will meet on Friday night, Oct. 1, 5-8:30 PM and Saturday morning, Oct. 2, 9 AM-1 PM at the McKinley School auditorium. Parking is available across the street in the Administration Building lot off of Oak Knoll.

This will be followed by two community input meetings, on Mon., Oct. 4, at Eliot Middle School from 6:30-8:30 PM, and at Wilson Middle School on Fri., Oct. 8, 6-8 PM.

Translation services will be available at all meetings, Child care will also be available.

Roberts writes: "We are coming down to the decision point, which on Saturday, Oct. 2 the committee is tasked with narrowing down the school[s] that would be recommended for closure."

The committee will make final recommendations in a report to Supt. Edwin Diaz in October.  Following his review, Diaz is tentatively scheduled to make a recommendation to the board of education at the Nov. 23 meeting.

According to Roberts, the format of the Community Input Meetings are (subject to some modification):

• Station Circulation: Audience members will go to 4 stations: (30 minutes)

• Station 1 – Map of existing attendance boundaries (large poster board)
• Station 2 – Foundational documents (Board item closing schools, press release, charge, criteria, committee membership)
• Station 3 – Committee process (large poster board)
• Station 4 – Preliminary Recommendation (handout)

• Presentation

• District Staff will provide a brief overview of School Consolidation Needs (5 minutes)
• Committee Members will provide a presentation outlining the preliminary recommendations (10 minutes)

• Public Comments
  • Audience Members will have a chance to offer comments after filling out a speaker card (1 hour, 15 minutes)
  • Participants will also be able to provide written comments at the meeting for consideration and will also be reminded of the e-mail address where comments can later be sent.

PUSD to use social media for "State of the Schools" address Tues.

This year's annual Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) "State of the Schools" address will not only be broadcast live on television, but streamed on the internet and will enlist social media (such as Facebook and Twitter) for viewer questions.

The speech, by Board President Bob Harrison from Altadena, will be broadcast from the Crawford Family Forums at Southern California Public Radio.

The broadcast will take place on Tues., Sept. 21, starting at 6 PM.  The broadcast can be seen on KLRN, Ch, 95 on Charter Communications), or Spanish simulcast on the Arroyo Channel (Charter Ch. 32).

Online, the broadcast can be seen at http://goPUSD.com/townhall

Viewers can sent in comments in four ways:

Email, communications@pusd.us,

SMS (text): Send “PUSD [your message]” to 41411

Facebook: www.facebook.com/PasadenaUnifiedSchoolDistrict

Twitter: tag your tweets with #StateofSchools

There will also be viewing parties throughout the district, including Jackson Elementary, 593 W. Woodbury Rd.

PUSD school consolidation meetings underway

Altadena town councilman Ken Roberts is a member of the Pasadena Unified School District's School Consolidation Committee, which is charged to recommend the closure of three elementary schools in the funds-strapped district. 

Roberts reports that the committee is meeting on a very aggressive schedule, with community forums coming up the week of Oct. 4 (exact times, dates, and locations to be announced).  You can keep informed on the committee's work at this website, and can send the committee a comment, question, or concern at:

consolidation@pusd.us

PUSD, parents, and community partner to help schools

PUSD released the following press release about McKinley and Webster Elementary schools:

Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) schools are partnering with parents and the local community to help close the budget shortfall caused by deep cuts in state funding, officials announced today. The partnerships help schools continue offering rigorous academics that prepare students for success in college and careers. Events are planned in the next few days at two PUSD schools to celebrate partnerships and to prepare math, science and art rooms for the start of the school year.
 
“Parents and the local community are stepping forward to ensure that our students get vital standards-based experiences,” said Superintendent Edwin Diaz. “Our schools are forging connections with families and the local community and are making great things happen for our students.”
 
On Saturday, August 7, McKinley K-8 School will receive a $10,000 donation for its annual fund from HRock Church at its City Fest event. HRock Church selected McKinley School after seeing the school’s website appeal for funds to sustain its signature arts focus.   McKinley families are invited to the City Fest from 12 noon to 4 p.m. A check presentation ceremony is scheduled at 6 p.m. at the Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena.
 
Created in coordination with McKinley School PTA, McKinley’s annual fund seeks donations to help bridge the school’s funding gap and sustain the arts and science programs that have won the school accolades.
 
“This generous donation will ensure continuity in providing quality art programs for all students,” said McKinley School Principal Marisa Sarian. “The arts make a significant difference on learning and achievement for all students, especially for those who are at risk of failure. We are truly grateful for this tangible support from HRock Church, especially at such a critical time.”
 
On Monday, August 9, Webster Elementary School parents and volunteers will work to set up a math and science room and an arts room.   At 10 a.m., a committee of parents will meet to put the final touches on a plan to create Webster’s Art Loft, an arts resource room that connects units in Language Arts and Social Studies to hands-on art projects. For example, after learning about a particular artist and the history of his or her culture, students will go to the Art Loft where they will create art projects in the style of the artist they just studied. This month, parents will assemble art easels and other donated art supplies so that the room can be ready for the start of the new school year. Webster’s PTA allocated $5,000 to create the art loft.
 
At 10:30 a.m., a group of parents and volunteers from the Carnegie Foundation will set up Webster’s new Science and Math Discovery Room. Funded by a $5,000 grant obtained by Carnegie from the Hearst Foundation for educational outreach, the Math and Science Recovery Room will feature computers for student research, equipment such as microscopes, and a place where Carnegie scientists and Caltech mathematicians can work with students each week. Parents and volunteers will help prepare hands-on math and science projects so that teachers are freed from time-consuming setup and cleanup tasks, and instructional time with students and can be maximized.
 
“I want my daughter and other children in the community to experience what it’s like to be a scientist and an artist,” said Jane Wylie, a molecular biologist and former Caltech employee who chairs Webster PTA’s math and science enrichment committee. “I want her and other children in the community to get hands-on learning experiences that take them beyond the fundamentals that they learn in a textbook.”
 
To other parents who would like to do something to help schools through the current budget crisis, Wylie says, “Show up and be willing to support teachers and schools where they need help, whether it’s raising funds and designing learning experiences or cutting paper at home,” said Wylie, whose daughter will enter first grade in September.
 
“These partnerships expose children to experiences in math, science and art that would be unavailable given the limited resources of our school and our district,” said Webster Principal Sharon Lefler. “The experience in both rooms is designed to be standards-based and at the student’s grade level. Our volunteers’ work is completely aligned to learning standard.”

 

Webster Elementary School is located at 2101 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena 91104.

thx to Monica, for bringing this to our attention.

Odyssey Charter School book drive thru July 30

Odyssey Charter School is looking for gently used childrens' books for grades K-8. Donations help to build classroom libraries and save the school thousands of dollars each year.

Donations can be dropped off at Odyssey Charter School between 10 AM. -2 PM until July 30.

725 West Altadena Drive
Altadena, CA 91001-4103
(626) 229-0993

For questions or more information, please contact taffanylim@gmail.com

Bright Futures Scholars celebrate 2010 graduates

Pictured: The Bright Futures Scholars class of 2010.

The Quality of Life Center, Inc., and 1,000 plus guests honored local students from the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) during the 5th Annual Bright Futures Scholars Graduation and Awards Luncheon at the Pasadena Convention Center on June 6.

The Bright Futures Scholars Support Program, now in its seventh year, provides leadership development, as well as personal mentoring to local middle school and high school accelerating achievers, including many with economic challenges. Carefully selected mentors encourage and provide avenues for these scholars to climb above the challenges and focus on improving their quality of life.

Volunteer mentors include US Congressman Adam Schiff, California Senator Carol Liu, Assemblymember Anthony Portantino, Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich (Honorary Dean of Scholars), Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard, and many other dedicated leaders and volunteers such as physicians, clergy, corporate CEOs, attorneys, scientists, engineers, artists, educators, law enforcement officials, managers and administrators. To date, the program has assisted more than 1500 area students.

To participate in the Bright Futures Scholars Support Program, all students must maintain a 3.0 GPA and above. Program participants represent eleven local schools and are required to attend monthly leadership development meetings, participate in television tapings that air four times weekly on Public Access television. In addition, scholars maintain a website and a newsletter that is circulated throughout San Gabriel Valley in public and private schools. They are also involved in many community activities and play a vital role by sharing views as young leaders.

Qualifying Bright Futures Scholars attend a seven day Washington D.C. Leadership Spring Retreat where they gain knowledge in exercising their constitutional rights and actually discuss issues and pending legislation with members of congress, senators and others on Capitol Hill.

This is possibly one of the many things that make programs created by Dr. Sandra Thomas, Dean of Scholars and CEO of the Quality of Life Center, Inc., so promising. She has assembled groups of students, from as diverse an ethnic and economic base as you are ever likely to find, but who share one commonality—these students are academic achievers with a dream. They are encouraged to reach for the stars, believe in themselves and work hard to accomplish great things.

Dr. Thomas stated, "The program is designed to fill a particular gap in the educational system. In our effort to leave no student behind, we have somehow, at times, neglected many of our brightest. Through the scholars program, academically gifted students are given the extra attention and developmental opportunities needed to excel and become tomorrow's leaders.   They exemplify what can be accomplished when positive exposure is offered to young scholars truly focused on making a difference for themselves."
 
For further information on the Quality of Life Center and the graduation and awards luncheon, contact La Wanda Burnes (626)798-5433, email:qualityoflifecenterinc@yahoo.com or go to our website:www.qualityoflifecenterinc.com

 

PUSD's African-American Parents Council kick off at Altadena Elem. tonight

PUSD's newly chartered African-American Parent Council will hold a kickoff celebration with music, food, and conversation at Altadena Elementary School.

The council's objective is to build, bolster, and maintain relationships between parents, students, educators, and community partners.

The AAPC invites students, families and community members to attend the
kickoff celebration and learn how to get involved.

EVERYONE is welcome and encouraged to attend!



AAPC Kickoff Meeting and Celebration
Friday, June 18, 2010, 5:30-7 PM
Altadena Elementary School
743 E. Calaveras St.
Altadena, CA 91001

Dinner, entertainment, and activities mark the celebration. All families are invited to attend and learn more about the AAPC.

Aveson greets neighbors of proposed new campus

Editor's note: we're pleased to welcome our new correspondent, community journalist Devon Pettengill.

by Devon Pettengill
for Altadenablog

Representatives of the Aveson Charter Schools hosted a "meet and greet" with neighbors at Loma Alta Park Gymnasium on Thursday night to discuss the relocation of Aveson’s upper school students to the commercial building at the corner of Lincoln Ave. and Altadena Dr. Aveson hosted the meeting to address any concerns neighborhood residents might have and to hear ideas about the role the school might play in the immediate community.


Aveson Charter School is comprised of two schools: Aveson School of Leaders (ASL), serving grades K-5 and Aveson Global Leaders Academy (AGLA), serving grades 6-12.  Both schools currently occupy the old Noyes school campus on Pinecrest in west Altadena. Aveson has been told it must relocated its older students in response to the concerns of the school’s neighbors, who claim that when Aveson opened three years ago PUSD promised them it would not include a high school.

Aveson co-founder and Executive Director Kate Bean led the discussion with current Aveson students, parents, and staff providing enthusiastic back-up.  Neighbors expressed concern about traffic complications regarding pick-up and drop-off of students. Aveson is planning to stagger the beginning of its school day with that of Odyssey Charter School down the street to address such concerns.

Aveson "June Jubilee" June 5

Aveson Charter School is holding its annual June Jubilee event coming up on Sat., June 5. It's a family affair featuring games, music, food and prizes for kids and their parents in a low-key festival atmosphere. There will be face painting, bounce houses, kid's crafts, a silent auction and a plant sale. And of course those regular favorites, confetti eggs and snow cones!

This free community event is open to everyone, students, families and our local community. Tickets for food and games can be bought on the day.  Discounted tickets can also be purchased in advance by credit card or PayPal at the Aveson website, aveson.org. 

Come out and experience a slice of what makes Aveson a great place to learn and grow!

Saturday June 5th, 10am- 4pm
1919 E. Pinecrest Drive, just above the intersection of Allen Ave and Altadena Drive

Altadena Schools @ Coffee Gallery Thurs. at 7 PM

Organizer Bruce Wasson reminds us that the Altadenans for Quality Education will hold their next "coffee shop hop" meeting at the Coffee Gallery tomorrow at 7 PM.  The Coffee Gallery is at 2029 Lake Ave., and Laura Berthold Monteros has an update on the meetings here.

Palm St. neighbors and Almansor: two sides of the street

(Editor's note: We're very pleased to welcome Altadena community journalist Laura Berthold Monteros as one of our correspondents.)

by Laura Berthold Monteros
For Altadenablog

The property on the north side of a quiet stretch of East Palm is a rustic compound that has historically been home to a YMCA camp and Bienvenidos, an unobtrusive residential facility for young children.  The property on the south side is lined with well-kept single-family homes.  The north side is currently in escrow to The Almansor Center, which wants to adapt it for use as an educational center for autistic children.  The south side displays red and yellow signs that shout, “No School on Palm”.

As opposed as the two viewpoints are, both seem to be trying to respectfully address their differences.  A statement from the Palm Street Area Residents Association (PSARA) reads, in part, “We appreciate their meeting with us during their ‘due diligence’ phase….”  Further down, PSARA compliments the work of the center with at-risk youth and children with autism.

For her part, Nancy Lavelle, founder and president of Almansor Center in South Pasadena, wants to bring residents in on the process and to ensure their concerns are addressed.  “We are still studying various concerns the neighbors have brought forward,” she said in an interview on Monday.  “We welcome continued dialogue with the neighbors.”

But the differences are real and intractable.