Madison Elementary Community Pushes Back in Defense of Controversial Principal Ruelas

 

Reacting to published reports of his imminent departure, a large number of supporters of Madison Elementary School Principal Juan Ruelas emerged Thursday evening to make their voices heard and to counter the last 18 months of outcry which predominantly called for Ruelas’ ouster.

The Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) board meeting saw angry, emotional and even tearful defenses of Ruelas from more than a score of teachers, parents and students, who praised the school leader for a “new attitude” and improved test scores at the Northwest Pasadena campus.

The large group of speakers necessitated the moving of the public comment section to the auditorium at nearby McKinney Elementary to accommodate the crowd. The Board then returned to its own chambers to complete the evening’s meeting agenda.

As one Spanish-speaking parent, surrounded by signs supporting the beleaguered principal, testified, “He did not come here to make new rules, he just enforced them. With rules and discipline, everything can be done.”

Continuing the theme, Madison parent and volunteer Alma Castillo told the board, “I have seen positive changes at Madison since Mr. Ruelas. I’ve seen an increase in school spirit, a new mural, a new sound system and new books and tech equipment.

“You should come to the school and see what we see,” she continued, adding, accusingly, “Your indifference indicates your lack of interest. You have no interest in supporting us.”

The accusations and defenses were the same spoken over the past year and a half since Ruela’s appointment by Superintendent Brian McDonald, only this time, the board was accused of not listening to the parents who support Ruelas, as opposed to the same accusations from parents who have complained about Ruelas at every board meeting since September 2015.

Said parent Ana Guzman, “Why do you want to remove him when he has done so much?”

Former Madison student Gabriel Salazar said he “changed his mind” about Ruelas, after he himself left Madison for middle school, telling the board, “I saw the improvements that he made at Madison, and now my younger brother there is doing better than I did there.”

For students Coby and Gabriel Reina, the prospect of losing Ruelas was more than they could face, as both broke down in tears, defending him before the board.

“Please don’t remove Mr. Ruelas,” said Gabriel, before walking away from the lectern, sobbing. It was one more sentence than Coby was able to muster.

New teachers, hired over the past year, were also supportive of Ruelas, including third-grade teacher Alexandra Campos, who said, “We are here to support Mr. Ruelas, because he is getting behind the kids, and so we are getting behind him.” Campos, for whom the Madison assignment is the first of her teaching career, added, “I have received nothing but support from him. It’s been awesome. I have loved working at Madison, I love my students and I love the staff that we work with, and I love feeling that the administrators support me, and that they stand behind and help me in whatever I do.”

Madison teacher Brianna Kather echoed Campos’ comments, saying, “I would be really disappointed if (Ruelas) left. This is my fifth year of teaching, and he has been the most supportive principal of all the principals I have worked with.”

Not every Madison teacher was convinced, however. Segundo Belmar, a longtime teacher who transferred out of the school in Ruelas’ first full semester, said, “Madison was my home for so many years. I felt like part of the community there. What I’ve experienced here tonight with the board makes me feel sad more than anything. I’m not surprised at this, though because I feel like they are desperate and trying to utilize people and using people, they’re using kids, and parents who have no coherence, they’re just talking and talking and talking, talking about teachers without even knowing us.”

Former Madison student Christopher Silva also wept as he defended the departed Belmar, and also singled out his former teacher, Mrs. Arnold, saying, “She was a great teacher.”

Local activist and labor leader Pablo Alvarado, who has spoken out against Ruelas’ leadership many times over the past two years, told the board, “This division of teachers, and of the school community, is your doing. I’m just trying to find a road map to peace here.”

Though it has been reported that Ruelas will leave the school at the end of the current semester, PUSD Board President Kimberley Kenne would not confirm this, saying, “Personnel decisions are up to the staff,” meaning Superintendent McDonald, who, according to Kenne, was traveling for two days, and unavailable for comment.

Returning to the evening’s agenda, the Board also approved a bid from Pinner Construction, Inc. for the Blair High School Campus Modernization Project. According to a report by Nelson M. Cayabyab, PUSD Chief Facilities Officer, PUSD will assume $15,363,444.41 of the total $20, 239,000.00. The remaining $7,875, 556.00 will be taken from other Measure TT funding sources.

The campus modernization plan includes the complete renovation of the main classroom and administration building with electrical, mechanical, plumbing and architectural upgrades throughout the entire building.