Altadena: Our Public Schools

Public Schools are central pillars of democracy in our local communities. They were created to help shore up our democratic republic. Of course, the accountability movement, with its billionaires, would love to say that public schools should be run like businesses. However, public schools are not businesses. They are part of our government. Here is an article from 2014 that is relevant in our pre-election day conversations about Measure I and J here in Pasadena. Founding Fathers agreed: Funding public education is not debate   "Public schools by their nature require tax dollars. Spending money on public schools does not inherently make them bloated, it makes them public." 

The Pasadena Education Facebook page is a great place for information. An article from The Stanford Daily was posted today about a Stanford study and the inequity in our public schools. It is titled "Stanford-coordinated study finds persistent inequities in California public schools." One of our parents wrote this insightful comment: The main thing that stood out for me was the paradox -- that isn't news to anyone here -- of a school district perpetually struggling with funding crises despite the abundance of multi-million-dollar homes and frequent sightings of luxury vehicles on our streets and in our parking garages.  McKinley is a particularly striking example, being located within walking distance of Pasadena's financial center...and several high-end shopping and dining destinations. Yet we keep having to fight for every dollar, to repeatedly justify vital resources, never mind the ongoing dream of installing a shade structure so that our children don...

The school board meeting last Thursday was packed with students, teachers and administrators coming to make public comments about a possible consolidation plan for PUSD. Each person got two minutes to voice their opinions. Two minutes of talk from seemingly random people may sound uninteresting for some, but when we consider that democracy is maintained by participating in public spaces one can see public comment from an interesting perspective. Being able to speak freely in public is a component of democracy. Doing this in concert with one another is a force of nature. One of the topics at this meeting was the plan to consolidate and possibly close schools within PUSD. One of those schools is in Altadena and this is a contentious subject as Altadena has already had five public schools closed leaving us with five public schools still in operation. We also have four charter schools and one private school within our boundaries. Public schools and school board meetings are pub...

Life reveals contrasts and if you're lucky enough to see them you can tell an important story. Last night I attended a wonderful event at Eliot Arts Magnet Academy. It was a gallery exhibit of the Alice in Wonderland costumes. The principal and the teachers were there with PUSD administrators and school board members. It was happy, joyful and teeming with good will. I discussed the school, the community, and the purpose of public school with many people. It was democracy in action. The students were proud of their work and I was happy to be an Eliot parent. After the event I got in my car and and checked my email. A post had gone up on a local neighborhood forum and it was filled with negativity (and untruths) about PUSD in general. The overall student body was mentioned in a negative light. I responded immediately and spoke of the event I had just attended. The sentiments expressed in the post are indicative of opinions that were rooted in our community a long time ag...

This is a new blog dedicated to the public schools here in Altadena. We believe that the public school system is integral to a democratic republic. Public schools are public spaces and they are vital to a democracy. The picture above is from the 18th Avenue school in Newark, NJ. It was built in 1876. In 2012 it was closed due to low enrollment and it is now a for profit charter school. Privatization of public schools runs counter to a democracy. Administrators: LeighAnn Samuel Jennifer Hall Lee

We received this document in the other day and were surprised to see an Altadena public school (a PUSD school) on the list as a potential closure. Potential. This is a key word. Please read the document for a full understanding of what will be discussed. http://pusd.granicus.com/ MetaViewer.php?view_id=15& event_id=350&meta_id=106103 There is a meeting of the School Board on Thursday night. We will be there! FYI: Altadena has had 5 public schools close in the past. Here is the list: Altadena school closures: 1. Audubon Elementary 725 W. Altadena Drive Altadena (When was Audubon closed?) 2. Noyes Elementary 1919 Pinecrest Dr. Altadena (Closed June 2006) 3. Edison Elementary 119 W. Palm St. Altadena (Closed June 2006) 4. Burbank Elementary 2046 Allen Ave. Altadena (Closed June 2011) 5. Loma Alta Elementary 3544 Canon Blvd. Altadena (Closed June 2011) Pasadena closures: 1. Linda Vista (2006) 2. Allendale (2006) Quote ...