The following summary was issued by the PUSD Office of Communications on May 14, 2013. Additional points raised during the discussion (from PEN Program Director Susan Schwartz’ notes) are highlighted in gray below.

*************************************************************************

The District Office of Communications' goal in convening the Superintendent’s Parent Cabinet is to get parents’ perspectives on pressing district issues and together develop workable solutions. Meaningful collaboration with parents to improve the academic achievement of all students is a strategic priority in PUSD.

Superintendent Gundry discussed the following items: 

• 21st century learning skills as the district’s approach to implementing the common core standards and preparing students for success in college and the workplace. Along with college preparatory academics, PUSD will focus on critical thinking, communication, collaboration and the ability to create and innovate as overlaying, sustaining skills. 21st century learning skills should not be confused with mastery of the latest technology, since the ability to navigate electronic devices and the sustained skills to use them to accomplish goals and develop products are two different thing
• The district’s signature programs, including the new Washington Middle School STEAM magnet, which saw more than 100 applications in its first year. The expansion into middle school of the dual language immersion programs in Spanish and Mandarin Chinese and linkages with the International Baccalaureate programs was also discussed.
• The growing acclaim won by PUSD’s College & Career Pathways.  PUSD has more state-certified pathways than any other district in California and is considered a leader in linked learning.  College & Career Pathways offer college preparatory academics in themed academies such as the App Academy at Pasadena High School. 
• The City/School Work Plan which is already having positive results in bringing together the resources of the City of Pasadena and the PUSD to improve the quality of life and public education for residents. To learn more, go to http://www.cityofpasadena.net/HumanServices/School_City_Partnership/
• Superintendent Gundry urged parents to learn more about the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), Governor Jerry Brown’s proposal that would bring approximately $4 million to PUSD next year. The LCFF is based on the premise that children who are at greater risk, such as those from low-income homes and those who are acquiring English, need additional resources to learn. To learn more about the Local Control Funding Formula, go to http://caweightedformula.com/

DISCUSSION 

We enjoyed a candid discussion on the issues listed above.  

• Parent Cabinet members said that while communication between the district and home is satisfactory, there is concern about communication between teachers, students and parents.  As a way to ensure that faculty and staff have embraced 21st century learning skills, you suggested “branding” of 21st century skill items in student class work.
• Parents expressed concerns about the transparency of PUSD’s budget process.   Lydia Finkley, a Field Elementary parent and chair of the District Advisory Council (DAC) urged parents to get informed about the process by attending meetings of the DAC, where discussion, training and support on budget development is provided for school site council members.
• Parents expressed a desire to connect with each other and to keep communication ongoing.  Consider this email a first step to keep us connected.   We have set up a webpage at www.parentcabinet.pasadenausd.org.
• In planning for future meetings, parents requested the agenda in advance and an opportunity to submit suggestions for discussion.

OTHER POINTS RAISED DURING DISCUSSION (PEN staff notes) 

Re: 21^st Century Learning:

·         What are the District’s desired outcomes from educating parents about 21^st C Learning?

·         “When I hear about it from my kids I’ll know it’s really happening.”

·         “If I don’t see the adults (teachers and staff) implementing the 4 Cs, how can I expect them to be teaching those skills to our kids?”

·         Don’t waste time and money putting on programs about Common Core or 21^st C Learning; SHOW US that it is HAPPENING.

Re: Technology:

·         We want to see our children using a computer lab/using technology regularly. Parents get frustrated with hearing that teachers are not comfortable with technology.

·         The digital divide is deep in PUSD. Not everyone has a computer, but almost everyone has a phone that can receive text messages, if not a smart phone. District and schools (including parent groups) need to be able to make better use of this communication tool.

Re: Challenges to Parent Engagement:

·         A McKinley parent said that “parents will talk to me who will not talk to the school.” (Important role of parent leaders at school sites!)

·         A Washington Middle School parent expressed frustration over the difficulty of re-launching the PTA that was disbanded several years ago because of improprieties. “The principal is forthcoming, but without a PTA there is no way to mobilize parents.”

·         A Roosevelt parent said that many parents at her school “see school as being like daycare.” There is no “culture of collaboration” – parents lack the skills and tools they need to support the school or their children’s learning, but they when they do go to a PTA or ELAC meeting “they just go there for the snack.”

*************************************************************************

The next meeting will be planned in September 2013 and the Office of Communications will contact you once a date is confirmed.   The Superintendent’s Parent Cabinet will meet on a quarterly basis. 

Suggested items for discussion may be submitted to Parent/Community Engagement Coordinator Hilda Ramirez-Horvath. Questions also can be directed to Hilda at 626-396-3606.

The Pasadena Education Network is very interested in the future of our school district and working with PUSD to achieve the vision and mission outlined in the district’s strategic plan. Therefore, we are committed to actively participating in the Master Plan Task Force boundary discussion and process. We believe that parent and community participation is vital to achieving a successful outcome and that collecting real feedback from current and future stakeholders will add value to the process. The PEN Board of Directors and staff have responded to the issues posed at the first meeting.

1. PEN Leadership believes that the overarching education goals for this process should include:

• Many schools in PUSD have excess capacity. With two elementary schools serving less than 300 students, and another four with less than 400 students enrolled, it is increasingly difficult to provide our students with the resources, support, and programs they deserve. Based on 2009-2010 capacity figures and 2012-2013 student enrollment figures, a large number of elementary schools aren’t at 90% capacity. Additionally, not all of the middle and high schools are at capacity which further creates a drain on resources and a lack of enriching programs and services. Demographic information projects further declines in enrollment. Nobody wants to close schools, but the board and administration need to decide if they want PUSD to be a district of small schools with limited program options and support services, or a district with fewer schools that provide a comprehensive, academically challenging curriculum and a coherent set of specialized programs.
• Rationalize whether and when a school is a choice/signature/magnet program. Right now there are “schools of choice” with no distinguishing program; “signature programs” located at neighborhood schools, “signature programs” that comprise entire neighborhood schools, and plans to continue establishing “academies” and other special programs all over the landscape. These programs appear to have been established and located opportunistically, with no guiding logic. We believe an overarching vision needs to be developed so programs can be measured against a set of criteria before being established. Then a logical decision can made about whether students would be best served if the program is school-wide or within another school, and what location is best suited for the specific program.
• Equity in that all students, no matter where they live or their socio-economic status, should have access to an excellent school that challenges them to reach their full potential.

2. We believe the process should include:

• Boundary Overlaps
• Transportation
• Dual Language Programs
• Other Signature/Magnet Programs
• Magnet Schools
• Schools of Choice
• School Consolidation options
• Feeder Patterns
• San Rafael Disposition
• Secondary “Merit” School
• Other: School Capacity including “Right Sizing” schools and school grade configuration

DLIP, Signature and magnet programs, magnet schools, choice schools and merit school all seem to fall under the same category of specialized academic programs.

We do NOT feel the process should include: Facilities Master Plan Construction/Modernization

3. We prioritized the boundary decision criteria as follows (High, Medium, Low):

• M   Students should live as close to their school as possible (neighborhood schools) – “As possible” are the operative words; it’s important to have good quality schools available in every geographic area of the district
• L    Safety issues (minimize crossing of major streets/highways)
• H   Student enrollment should match with design capacity of schools
• H   Minimize socio-economic disparities between schools
• H   Try to keep students together as they move between schools (clean feeder patterns) – This is especially important for signature programs and will reduce uncertainty as families transition to middle and high school; middle and high school attendance zones should comprise specific schools and not split up student populations.
• M   Keep “perceived” neighborhoods together at one site

Based on School Board members' responses to the above points, it does appear that the "Boundary Committee" will broaden its scope. At the May 14 School Board meeting, Board members will be asked to appoint some or all Board members to a "Master Plan Task Force," which will reconvene on Tuesday, May 21 at 6 pm in the PUSD Board Room.

PEN Board and staff will do our best to keep you informed about this process, and encourage you to get involved.

Chris Brandow                                              Nancy Rose Dufford
Chair, PEN Board of Directors                   Executive Director
chrisbrandow@gmail.com                         nancy@penfamilies.org

Jennifer Andelin – daughter in kindergarten this year at Longfellow
Kathryn Roberts – daughter in 3rd grade this year at McKinley, and a son who will be starting kinder there in the fall
Oana Tudusciuc – daughter in kindergarten this year at Hamilton
Tina Renzullo – currently teaching Transitional Kinder at McKinley
Margie Homer – twin boys in kindergarten in the Mandarin Dual Language Immersion Program at Field
Jacquilyne Camarillo – son in kindergarten at Norma Coombs.

Questions for Parent Panelists

Looking back to when your oldest child was about to start kindergarten, what was one of your biggest concerns or uncertainties? Panelists shared their concerns about the longer day; a more structured learning environment (for children coming from developmental preschool setting); whether their child would be challenged or bored; and, “I don’t speak Mandarin! How will my children respond, and how will I be able to help them?”

For those of you with a younger child starting school this fall, is there anything you learned the first time through that has changed how you and your family are approaching that first day of school this time around? Kat Roberts said that, on the one hand, she realized that the transition from a developmental preschool program to the more structured classroom did not turn out to be a problem for her daughter, her son is a completely different person. So she still has some of the same concerns, but with less intensity as she has seen her older child thrive in the new environment, and feels great confidence in the teachers.   

Teacher Questions

How do you see children handling the transition to kindergarten, what do teachers do to facilitate the transition, how parents can support that? Children often transition more easily than their parents do. There are some children who cry when their parents leave on the first day, but we are prepared for that. Most children are fine after a few minutes, and the more calm and confidence you as a parent can project, the easier it will be for your child.

As much as you are anticipating that first day, know that your child’s teacher is also anticipating and preparing. We spend a lot of the first weeks with stories and activities that help everyone get to know each other, learn the way to behave in the classroom, learn what to expect and how to participate.

Parents can support a good transition by visiting the school with your child ahead of time (Open House, back-to-school social) and by establishing bedtime routines, particularly as the start of the school year approaches. It is important that children get enough sleep. You do not need to buy any classroom supplies for your child (although teachers will have wish lists – tissue, wipes, etc.), but it is good to practice with backpack zippers and lunchbox/snack containers, so that your child doesn’t have to wait for an adult to come and help him or her.

Give an overview of what the kindergartener's day looks like. What are some of the things that happen during the first day, first week or two? A lot of what we do is establish routines. (Teachers also take everyone to the bathroom multiple times during the first week, though parents are encouraged to send along a change of clothes, just in case.) We usually spend much of the morning on English Language Arts. This is not all sitting at desks, includes listening to stories, singing songs, and so on. There is a snack break. We might come back and do more language arts or math-related activities, then go to lunch. After lunch there is usually a short rest time. Children don’t have to go to sleep, but some do. In the afternoon we might do science or a social science lesson. Art is incorporated into a variety of lessons, as is music. It is a busy day, every day.

A few more Parent Questions

What has been the most challenging for you and your child in making the transition to school? What have you found most rewarding?

Challenges include: child making friends with many new children, but parent does not necessarily know the children or their parents; exposure to children raised differently; children are tired, may “lose it” at the end of a long, busy day – especially early in the year.

Rewards include: watching your child become more independent; make new friends; be excited about what s/he is learning; children speaking to each other in a different language; opportunity to volunteer in the classroom.

Parting Advice: Many schools’ PTAs set up playdates for incoming families, and there is often a social event for families just before school starts. The Pasadena Educational Foundation (PEF) offers an “Intro to Kinder” program for mainstream as well as the two DLIP programs as part of its Summer Enrichment Program. [Catalog available at: www.pasedfoundation.org]

Take the opportunity to volunteer. Even if you cannot be in the classroom on a regular basis, there are many ways to support the teacher and the class, and you will learn a lot about what your child’s day is like at school.
 

FOR A MORE IN-DEPTH DISCUSSION, CHECK-OUT THE TRANSCRIPT OF THIS 2010 PARENT PANEL DISCUSSION.

• Review of Board Policy re Master Planning
• Presentation of Available Data
• Objectives for the Planning Process
• Philosophy – Educational/Programmatic Goals
• Identification of Priorities in Key Areas
• Next Steps, including Scope of Project

By consensus of the Board, the membership of this committee consists of the full Board. All sitting Board members were present with the exception of Tom Selinske and Ramon Miramontes (who is coming off the Board). District 3 Board member-elect Tyron Hampton also participated. District staff were represented by Superintendent Jon Gundry, Budget Director John Pappalardo, and Chief Academic Officer Brian McDonald. Board President Renatta Cooper facilitated the discussion.

Staff had proposed that the Committee use this first meeting to establish rules of conduct, a meeting schedule, and an agreed-upon list of process outcomes. The Committee discussed but did not decide on objectives for the planning process, philosophical basis or goals for the district that would drive those objectives, and key priorities.

As a NEXT STEP, Dr. Pappalardo recommended and the Committee agreed that Board members submit their own prioritization of the bulleted lists included in the meeting agenda attachment:

• Process outcomes
  
• Boundary adjustment/decision-point criteria

Members were given two weeks to consult with their constituents, with the deadline for submitting their priorities by May 3. PEN encourages its members and other stakeholders to consider what outcomes and decision-making criteria they believe should guide this process, and to let their Board representatives know what they feel is important.

Background

When the Board voted to close Loma Alta and Burbank Elementary Schools beginning with the 2011-12 school year, the schools’ attendance areas were reassigned to other schools, with then-enrolled families given priority registration for the following fall. It was recommended at that time that the Board come back and make adjustments to the attendance zone map in the near future. Last December, the Board agreed to revisit the boundary adjustment question this spring.

Last summer, the state cut funding that was earmarked for Measure TT projects, forcing PUSD to make substantial (~$70 million) reductions in the Facilities Master Plan budget. Cuts were made “comprehensively” in the sense that all construction projects were reviewed, but budget cuts were made school by school – there was no District-wide programmatic review at that time. Much of this work was done in the Board’s Facilities Subcommittee, which will have to be reconstituted now that two of the three members have left the Board.

When the Board agreed last December to review the boundary map this spring, the consensus was that it was too late to begin consideration closing any schools for the 2013-14 school year.

The Scoping Discussion

As District staff noted in its recommendation that the Board begin discussion of the boundary adjustment process, “there are many program related issues that may be reviewed, updated, and recommended as an outcome of this process.” These include:

• Disposition of the San Rafael campus
• Dual Language Immersion Programs
• Schools of choice (i.e., Don Benito, NCAS, and Marshall, which do not currently have attendance zones and can be accessed only through open enrollment)
• Magnet or “signature” programs, including DLIP but also the STEAM Academy, IB, a proposed secondary “merit” school, and the various high school college and career pathways programs
• Transportation
• Feeder patterns
• Facilities Master Plan (construction/modernization projects)
• School consolidation options

PUSD Budget Director John Pappalardo recommended keeping the scope of the Committee’s work as narrow as possible, focusing on boundary adjustments and related decisions that need to be made in the short term – such as the disposition of the San Rafael campus and transportation service questions.

PEN staff, during public comment, argued that the scope of work should be more comprehensive, providing a solid framework for making consistent decisions about programs, based on a clearly articulated vision and set of goals for the District as a whole. Superintendent Gundry, in his opening remarks to the Committee, agreed, saying: “This is an opportunity for the Board to implement the kind of planning that we need to be doing – not just to solve immediate problems, but to determine the direction of the district.”

Sample Criteria

To the extent the process addresses adjustment of the boundary map – but to some extent as this full-Board Committee looks at larger programmatic goals as well – the Committee will need to establish a set of criteria for making decisions. Sample criteria (listed in an attachment to the meeting agenda) include:

• Students should live as close as possible (neighborhood schools).
• Safety (minimize crossing of major streets/highways).
• Match student enrollment to design capacity of schools.
• Minimize socio-economic disparities between schools.
• Minimize transportation.
• Try to keep students together as they transition from school to school (develop/support feeder patterns).
• Keep perceived neighborhoods together at one site.

These criteria were not discussed at this meeting, but Board members were asked to submit their preferences as to which of these criteria are most important.

Review of Demographic Data

Much of the meeting was devoted to a presentation of demographic data by Scott Torlucci of Davis Demographics & Planning, Inc. Key points from Torlucci’s presentation:

• PUSD is and continues to be a declining enrollment district. Between 2008 and 2011, births decline annually, and this trend is expected to continue over the next seven years, resulting in a decline of approximately 160 students annually.
• Davis projected a decline in out-of-district students comparable to the in-district decline (essentially based on declining family demographics in the area); this could be adjusted to account for the influx of DLIP families.
• The overall ratio of kindergarten enrollment in a given year to the number of births that took place five years earlier is 56%. (Housing prices and policies contribute to new and growing families moving out of the area, so this figure does not necessarily mean that only 56% of school-aged children living in Pasadena, Altadena, and Sierra Madre are enrolled in PUSD schools.) Transitional kinder is helping to boost overall K-5 enrollment, but this program is too new to be picked up in the overall birth:kinder statistic.
• The majority of attendance zones and grades are experiencing out-migration.

- Intra-district transfers are extensive, with only 7 of 16 neighborhood schools currently serving more than half the PUSD students residing in their attendance zones.
- District-wide, out-migration is highest at the 1st-2nd grade and 5th-6th grade transition points. Net in-migration occurs at the K-1st, 7th-8th, 9th-10th, and 11th-12th grade transition points.

Discussion

Much of the Committee’s discussion focused on the demographic data. Other key points raised during the meeting included:

• The current Facilities Master Plan is focused on Measure TT construction/renovation projects. State budget reductions forced a comprehensive budget review of these projects last summer, but the Master Plan itself is overdue for revision which would include a District-wide programmatic review of schools and programs.
• Dr. Pappalardo cautioned that a larger scope could mean a year or longer planning process. Board member Kim Kenne responded that a comprehensive process need not preclude making some decisions in the nearer term, and that, indeed, any decisions that would take effect in 2014-15 should be made by this fall, so that families can begin to make informed enrollment choices for the following year.
• Outgoing Board member Ed Honowitz and community member Felita Kealing urged the Board to keep the goals outlined in the 2010 Strategic Plan “front and center” in this process.
• While increasing PUSD’s “share” of the local student population continues to be a consideration in programmatic and facilities decisions, the primary mission is to serve students who attend and are expected to attend PUSD schools. Superintendent Gundry made a pitch for supporting Governor Brown’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) proposal, which he argued would provide districts like ours with the resources to close the achievement gap for children with the greatest needs.
• The question of whether we should explicitly plan for becoming a smaller district was raised. Board members Kim Kenne and Ed Honowitz both pointed to the costs of maintaining many smaller schools: more combination classes, fewer resources (such as librarians, nurses, and counselors) available at each school site, harder to offer a rich range of electives at secondary, etc. In 2008, when the School Board approved making the District’s grade configurations more consistent, it also adopted a recommended size range for elementary (400-700 students), middle (700-1000) and high school (1500-2000). Based on current enrollment, 10 of 18 elementary schools are within the recommended size range; six of the remaining eight are “too small.” All but one of the seven middle school programs are smaller than the recommended size, and three of the four high schools are below what the Board had identified as optimal, with PHS being slightly “too large” at 2,028 students.

Next Steps

The Committee will continue to meet as a full-Board committee, with meetings scheduled for Saturdays and Tuesday evenings to allow for participation of members with full-time jobs as well as members of the community.

Committee members were instructed to submit the following by Friday, May 3:

1) A statement or list of overarching goals for the process
2) A prioritization of the program-related issues that should be considered part of the scope of work, or outcomes of the process
3) A selection (from the bulleted list of sample criteria) of the preferred criteria to be used in making boundary adjustment decisions.

• Middle school electives – Dr. Asrani has addressed parent concerns about the lack of meaningful electives by working with the middle schools to revise their master schedules for next year.  Students will have a six period day including English, Math, Social Studies, Science, PEN, and an elective.  More enriching electives will be available and foreign language will be available to 8th grade students.

• Providing principals with a standardized evaluation for them to use for teacher observations – Academic programs and courses are taking a priority, but they have had some initial conversations and plan to address this by the end of May.

• Defining a consistent math pathway – There is a Math Department Chair meeting on May 15 to discuss the middle and high school course sequence. The sequence is planned to align with the Common Core math curriculum and one of the expected outcomes from this meeting is a definition and plan for a consistent math pathway.

• Ensuring that principals get the data they need in a timely manner – Getting data in a timely manner is under discussion as well. Some semester data is being used for their current master schedule discussions.

Given such far-ranging implications, decisions made this Saturday about the scope and desired outcomes of the boundary adjustment process could impact the governance of our District for years to come. The Board could take this opportunity to develop a clear vision for the District, providing a basis for setting priorities and aligning services and resources to support academic achievement and instruction goals. Or they could choose to limit the scope to revising boundary maps, addressing specific decisions that need to be made (such as disposition of the San Rafael campus or whether Washington Middle School, as a wall-to-wall STEAM Academy, should continue to have an attendance zone or be designated a school of choice) without establishing a purpose-driven context for those decisions.

There will be opportunity for public comment at the beginning of the meeting. The agenda is available online. A PEN staff person will attend the meeting and take notes, but given the importance of this discussion, we would encourage our members to attend in person if possible.

Background

When the Board decided to close Loma Alta and Burbank Elementary schools beginning in the 2011-12 school year, it was recommended that attendance zone boundaries be reconsidered "in the near future." The 2010 Census showed an 18% decline since 2000 in the number of school-aged children living within the area served by PUSD, and this trend is not expected to reverse in the next decade. In December 2012, The Board gave the go-ahead for a Boundary Committee to convene this spring. All District boundaries will be looked at, with any changes to be implemented July 1, 2014.

The Board decided that the Boundary Committee would consist of a majority of the full Board of Education.

Potential Outcomes and Criteria

The staff-prepared attachment to the April 20 Board Meeting Agenda lists some of the "many program-related issues that may be reviewed, updated, and recommended as an outcome of this process" – including:

• Boundary overlaps
• Transportation
• Feeder patterns
• Dual language programs
• Other signature/magnet programs
• Magnet schools
• Schools of choice
• Secondary "merit" school
• Facilities Master Plan construction/modernization
• San Rafael disposition
• School consolidation options

Potential criteria the Committee might choose to use in making boundary adjustments and other decisions include:

• Neighborhood schools (students attend school nearest their residence; minimize transportation needs; keep perceived neighborhoods together)
• Safety issues
• Student enrollment matched to school capacity
• Minimize socio-economic disparities among schools
• Create/maintain clear feeder patterns

As you know, the Pasadena Education Network is a nonprofit organization that was founded by parents, for parents like you.  We are looking for new and dynamic leaders to join our Board of Directors. As a Director, you’ll not only be part of the governance body that determines PEN’s direction in both and short and long term, but you’ll receive many personal benefits.  You’ll have opportunities to connect with community and PUSD leaders.  Because of our close working relationship with the school district, you’ll receive the most up-to-date information about public education in our community.  And, you’ll have an opportunity to have an impact on our schools and our students. 

You’ll also gain experience on a nonprofit Board.  If you have career or volunteer goals that include Board membership, serving on the PEN Board will give you a great Board experience plus it will be fun and rewarding.

In just a few years, PEN has gained the respect of the community and the school district.  Our local politicians and business leaders support PEN and work closely with us to effect change in PUSD.  We have had a direct impact on PUSD, and you can, too by joining our Board.  We have representation on many PUSD committees including the Strategic Planning Committee, Open Enrollment, Parent Engagement Action Team, and the Budget Advisory Committee.  We represent the voice of our members and work with the PUSD to resolve issues of concern to our parents. We interact with district administration on a regular basis.

 We want to add new Board members in May 2013 for one or two-year terms.  We hope you’ll consider joining us.  Board members are not required to be current or incoming PUSD parents, although our by-laws stipulate that PUSD parents will continue to have majority representation on the Board.  Being on the PEN Board typically requires a time commitment of 5-7 hours a month.  As a Director, your role will include:

• Determining the goals and policies for the organization

• Connecting with our members and the community to make sure we continue to meet the needs of parents

• Providing direction and feedback for our Executive Director

• Helping to reach our fundraising goals so we can sustain PEN’s impact today and for the future

 Though not requirements, some of our specific needs for the Board are:

• Assist with fundraising, both by connecting PEN with individual donors and planning fundraising activities. A parent who is has financial experience, such as a CPA

• Become more representative of the diverse community within which we operate

• Connections to the political, corporate, and/or philanthropic community

• Expertise in any of the following areas: fundraising, technology, financial management or investments, and/or human resources
  

If you are interested in finding out more about joining the Board, please send an email to PEN Board Chair Chris Brandow at chrisbrandow@gmail.com by April 19, 2013.  All of our members will have an opportunity to vote for the PEN Board of Directors later this spring.

Thank you!

PEN Board of Directors

Chris Brandow, Chair

Larry O’Brien, Vice-Chair

Nury Arrivillaga, Secretary

Emily Mencken, Treasurer

Amelia Chapman

Catherine Stringer

Erik Valderhaug

As a result, last summer we began the process of gathering information about the issues parents consider when making a decision about what middle school to attend, and what PEN and PUSD can do so more families consider staying in PUSD for secondary school.

Through this process we learned that the level of academic rigor was the major concern for parents when considering whether to send their student to a PUSD middle school. Academic rigor, for the purposes of our work, included the quality of teaching, class size, elective and enrichment opportunities, and instructional resources. Although social environment was a concern to parents prior to starting middle school, the level of concern dropped significantly once students entered middle school.

The complete report, Transition to Middle School: PEN's Results and Recommendations, is now available. It includes the background, process for gathering information, findings, analysis, and our recommendations, which are grouped into four sections:

1. What can PUSD Do to Increase Academic Rigor & Create a Culture of High Expectations?
2. What Can PUSD Do to Improve the Social Environment & Create a Culture of High Behavioral Expectations?
3. How can PEN and PUSD work together?
4. What can PEN do to Support a Culture of High Academic & Behavioral Expectations at PUSD Middle Schools?

Following those sections are the complete Survey and Focus Group Findings that informed the recommendations.

PEN presented this report to Chief Academic Officer Dr. Brian McDonald and Executive Director for Secondary Education Dr. Fal Asrani at the end of February. They were very appreciative of all the work PEN has done and acknowledged that this is valuable information and a great tool that PUSD can use to improve the middle school program. Based on our recommendations and Dr. Asrani’s observations since her recent arrival in PUSD, she identified four areas that she would address first:

• middle school electives
• providing principals with a standardized evaluation for them to use for teacher observations
• defining a consistent math pathway
• ensuring that principals get the data they need in a timely manner.

We plan to meet again before Spring Break. Dr. McDonald and Dr. Asrani have also requested that PEN present the report to the full Board of Education in April.

This is important work, and we appreciate all the time and effort so many of you put into this lengthy process. We believe that through our collaboration with PUSD, and by representing your voices and advocating on your behalf, that PEN will have a positive impact on the PUSD middle schools the way we have on the elementary schools. 

View/Download the full report: Transition to Middle School: PEN's Results and Recommendations

Back to TOP

Parents as Leaders (PAL) is a free workshop series, offered by PEN in collaboration with PUSD's Office of Communications and the Welcome Center community liaisons, designed to develop and strengthen parent leadership capacity throughout our school district. The PAL series includes something for leaders at all levels of experience, from an orientation to the schools and the District to hands-on skills to help you lead meetings and work collaboratively with diverse groups of people.

The first session, Orientation to Schools and the District was offered this year on March 16, 2013. A great starting point for incoming or new PUSD parents as well as for parents who have some experience but are thinking about getting more involved – or getting others more involved – the March 16 morning session covered:

• How the District is organized – who makes which decisions, and how parents can have a voice
• Student Data – how learning is assessed and how the data is used to target instruction and improve academic achievement
• School Budgets – where the money comes from, how different funds can and cannot be used
• Parent Leadership – opportunities at all levels and examples to inspire emerging leaders

Notes and materials from the March 16 Orientation to Schools and the District PAL workshop are now available online.

PEN and PUSD have collaborated to offer Parents as Leaders workshops since 2010. Participants tell us they have picked up valuable knowledge and applicable skills – and that they valued the opportunity to meet and learn from other parents throughout the district. Because parent leadership is fluid and dynamic, this year we are offering not one workshop, but three. The March 16 workshop provides an overview, great for beginners but useful for long-time PUSD parents who want to get a better handle on how things work.

Other programs in this year's PAL series:

Session 2 – "Shared Values through Different Eyes" – a workshop to help leaders recognize and work with people from diverse backgrounds, temperaments, and skills (April 29 6-8:30 pm)

Session 3 – "Collaborative Leadership" – hands-on skills needed to build and maintain your leadership team, conduct effective meetings, and sustain parent engagement and involvement at your school (June 25, 9 am -12 noon)

To reserve a spot in an upcoming workshop, please RSVP to PEN (866-216-7334 / info@penfamilies.org) or to the PUSD Welcome Center (626-396-3600 x88340 / mikuriya.tracy@pusd.us.) Space is somewhat limited, and preference will be given to parents who register in advance. However, we will do our best to accommodate all interested parents!

The Work Plan was developed to align District, City and available community resources around specific results to bring greater accountability for student achievement and quality of life outcomes while also addressing service gaps and avoiding duplication of services. If approved on Tuesday and implemented over the next three years, the Plan would position Pasadena and PUSD to join the ranks of progressive communities that have embraced a "community schools" approach to meeting the needs of youth and families by setting common goals and strategizing together on an ongoing basis.

Development of the draft Work Plan itself reflects an unprecedented commitment on the part of the School District and the City. PUSD Chief Academic Officer Brian McDonald and Pasadena Human Services & Recreation Dept. Director Mercy Santoro have led the effort, working closely with the support of PEF Grantwriter Linda Machida, PUSD Health Programs Director Ann Rector, and Pasadena Public Health Dept Director Dr. Eric Walsh. Dozens of front-line PUSD and City staff provided input as the plan was being developed, and several community meetings have been held over the past two months in an effort to gather feedback from a range of stakeholder groups.

In their joint invitation to community members to attend the joint meeting and Work Plan presentation this Tuesday, McDonald and Santoro stated,

"PUSD and the City are committed to working together to foster 21st century learning skills that improve student outcomes, support our local economy and ensure the City grows as a local and global center of innovation. The Work Plan builds on existing commonalities and shared values. Although no new PUSD or City funds are identified, the Work Plan’s success is seen in the positioning of resources towards key results and the partnerships created."

The Work Plan will be presented at the Annual Joint Meeting of the PUSD Board of Education and City Council, which starts at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 19, in the Council Chambers at Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave. Spanish translation and Child Care will be provided. To reserve Child Care, please call the City at 626-744-4386.

More information about the School-City Partnership is available on the City of Pasadena's website. Invest in PUSD Kids also has info about importance of parent turn-out at tonight's joint meeting