Latin American Citizens Awards at Madison Elementary Bring Out High Achievers, Protestors

Principals, teachers, community volunteers and students were honored Sunday morning at the 2016 Leaders in Education Recognition and Scholarship Awards Ceremony held at Madison Elementary School. The event was presented by Pasadena Altadena League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Council 3217.

Madison Elementary School Principal Juan Ruelas was chosen as Principal of the Year in Elementary Education, while Pasadena High School Principal Gilbert Barraza was named Principal of the Year in Secondary Education.

“I was very honored when I heard about this award,” said Ruelas, before the ceremony, “And I am just very honored and very humbled.”

Principal Ruelas has been a subject of controversy since being appointed last April by Pasadena School Superintendent Brian McDonald to his position at Madison, with a number of parents criticizing his leadership style at the predominantly hispanic school. As Ruelas’ award was being presented, in fact, more than 50 community members stood and turned their backs.

Ruelas praised the Madison parent community as well as its students, saying that conditions at the school had improved since his arrival, and that “we have a school of very happy children.”

“We all recognize that without a quality public school system, we cannot have a great city,” said Mayor Terry Tornek, “So, everyone who is working towards making Pasadena Unified School district a great district, really deserve to be recognized.

“There are differences of opinion about what should be happening in our school system,” he continued. “There are people here today who are supportive of the things that are happening in this school, and there are those who object to some of what has happened in this school, but achieving educational greatness and reform is never a neat and tidy task.”

Along with Ruelas and Barraza, German Barrero was named community member of the year; Monica Oregon was named parent volunteer of the year, Rocio Lisa was named LDRT of the year, and Veronica Yepez was named teacher of the year.

An emotional and grateful Yepez, said, “I never thought of teaching as just an ordinary job. I always thought of it as the greatest job, in the world.

In addition to the teachers and administrators, six pasadena students were awarded LULAC scholarships—Jose Muñoz and Yasmeen Estrada of John Muir High School, Jason Hernandez of Rose City High School, Cynthia Hernandez of Pasadena High School, Daniel Fiallo of Blair High School, and Aaron Sanchez of Marshall Fundamental School.

Pasadena Unfied School District Dr. Brian McDonald was billed as the keynote speaker of the event, but did not appear. A statement read from the podium said that Dr. McDonald had a scheduling conflict.

The League of United Latin American Citizens, founded in 1929, is the oldest Hispanic civil rights organization in the United States. Its mission is to advance the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, housing, health and civil rights of the Hispanic population of the United States.