.png)
It has now been two weeks since what we all considered "normal" was ripped from us. In the time since then, we’ve grieved, persevered, and come together as the loving community that we are.
And now, it's time for your children to begin to go back to their classrooms, so that a part of their personal “normal” will resume.
I want to extend profound thanks to Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco and her hard-working Superintendent’s Leadership Team for putting in countless hours in getting our PUSD students solidly on the path back to school. I also want to thank our brave and resilient teachers and staff, many who have lost homes of their own, to put aside their own personal recoveries and come to work so that learning can once again take flight.
Today, at Pasadena City College, we brought all PUSD staff back for Reopen, Restore, Rebuild & Rise a wonderfully restorative, healing event. Teachers, administration and staff were able to see each other for the first time since the disaster and plan their returns to school in a collaborative, supportive environment so that the first day experience is a smooth one for our students. I was so thankful to be a part of that event and experience the beautiful energy that makes our District so special.
Below, you can review PUSD’s phased reopening plan, which begins tomorrow and continues until January 30th, when all PUSD students will be back at school.
Scott Harden
Pasadena Unified Board Trustee, District 4
Your Board at Work
Stay connected to the activities of the PUSD Board of Education.
Previously...
Regular Board Meeting
Thursday, April 16, 2025 @ 5:30pm
PUSD Education Center, Room 236
The PUSD Board of Education met in special session to tackle actions related to the repair of school sites damaged in the Eaton Fire. Here's what we accomplished:
• Authorized Emergency Repairs work at damaged school sites
• Proclaimed a local emergency
• Tabled a resolution of rebuilding the Eliot Arts Magnet School site for later discussion
• Received an update on PUSD facilities
• Progress on Academic and Operational Recovery
Friday Communiqués
Each Friday, PUSD posts information for the Board and public to review. Here are the latest posted communiques.
Topics
Here are some of the important issues the Board is discussing:
Fiscal Stablization
The Superintendent has led an effort to create a Financial Stabilization Plan to ensure that the District has the means to reverse the trend of a growing operating deficit.
Events
Keeping you in the loop on goings-on around the District
PUSD District 4 Community Forum: Public Education Funding 101
Meet your PUSD Board Trustee Scott Harden and engage in a discussion about how we fund public education. Learn about the ins and outs (and ups and downs) of how your tax dollars fund our public schools and how you can advocate for change. Refreshments and Spanish interpretation provided.
Resources
These are some handy sources of information when engaging in productive conversations about issues the District faces.
Learning and Advocacy
Learn how California’s education system works, so you can make a difference.
PEN is an independent grass-roots nonprofit organization that promotes family participation in public education to benefit all students in Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre. PEN provides parent education programs and services to help parents explore, evaluate, and engage with their public schools as well as representing a collective voice for parents with the Pasadena Unified School District.
Data Resources
These sources allow you to start your advocacy journey, monitor school and District progress, and compare student success across schools and Districts.
The Dashboard is an online tool designed to help communities access important information about TK-12 schools and districts. The Dashboard features easy-to-read reports on multiple measures of school success. Accountability plan metrics are linked to dashboard indicators at the district and school site level.
Additional reports are available on DataQuest, including more detailed information about school performance, test results, student enrollment, English learner, graduation and dropout, school staffing, course enrollment, and special education enrollment by program setting.
CAASSP reports test scores from the Smarter Balanced Assessment System (ELA and Math), CA Science Test, CA Alternate Assessments, and additional optional tools. These standardized tests provide necessary achievement data to
comply with federal laws.
The ELPAC is used to determine and monitor the progress of the English language proficiency for students whose primary language is not English. It assesses four domains: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. ELPAC scores are one of the criteria for English Learner reclassification.
Ed-Data is a partnership of the California Department of Education, EdSource, and the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT). It allows users to create graphs over time of education data, provides access to financial information, and allows for comparisons between districts.
Special Education Indicator Report
Indicators aligned with state and national targets publicly available in a weird word doc.
School Accountability Report Card (SARC)
Lots of the same stuff as the Dashboard, plus school-level details on curriculum, facilities, class sizes, staff like counselors, and some salary information.
California Healthy Kids Survey
The California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) is an anonymous, confidential survey of school climate and safety, student wellness, and youth resiliency.