Enthusiasm and Energy Sweep Back to School Breakfast for 2,000 Pasadena Unified Staff Thursday

Waves of enthusiasm swept through a sea of the 2,000 Pasadena Unified School District staff, teachers, and administrators at a kick off event on Thursday morning that recognized and equipped educators for the school year starting August 18.

Under the leadership of Superintendent Brian McDonald and his newly-built administrative team, key Pasadena Unified players say the district is making strides toward boosting a positive image of the district.

“A few years ago we were an afterthought. Now there is a different sense in the community about where we are as a district and where we are headed. I think people have a much more favorable view,” McDonald said.

Parents, labor unions, and teachers who attended the event agreed that McDonald’s vision of going from a “good district to a great district” is slowly becoming a reality as he enters his second year as superintendent.

“The district is definitely on an up swing. People are buying into it. There’s hope, there’s belief. They see that there is sincerity in the message being delivered,” President of the California School Employees Association Rosemarie Riley said.

The teacher unions met with McDonald the day before the kickoff event. Riley and United Teachers of Pasadena President Alvin Nash said they felt that McDonald listened to the unions’ concerns and addressed some of the issues immediately within his speech.

“He’s following through, it’s not just lip service. I feel confident we’re going to reach something that’s good for everyone,” Nash said. “The overwhelming attendance, it was the most I’ve seen back on the first day in a long time. I think that’s reflective of what’s going on and how people feel about the positive changes in the district.”

Nash previously lead a teacher revolt that shut down the board of education meeting in 2013 when an agreement could not be reached about teacher salary.

Salary still stands as the “elephant in the room,” which McDonald addressed during his speech.

“We won’t play games with you. We will be honest in our dealings and be professional. I also ask for you to be patient. Change is difficult and it takes time,” McDonald said. “I want you to know who I am. I’m a straightforward person, I don’t play games. I put everything on the table. That’s who I am.”

The room erupted with applause after his statements. The audience also cheered when he said the district would reallocate some money toward training teachers and professional development.

“I heard you loud and clear on your comment cards when you said, We need more support in the area of special education,” McDonald said, breaking to let the applause finish. “We are reducing central office positions and we are creating positions that will be site based. We’ll take some things off of your plate. This is what we’re doing.”

The district is working on customer service on every level, trying to make teachers, parents, students, and anyone that enters the administrative office to the classroom feel that they are welcome and wanted.

“The morale is something they are really addressing. The energy in that room made you forget the ‘I don’t knows’ and you engaged. It was really great,” Riley said.

Leading out by example and training the rest of his staff to follow, McDonald greeted and shook hands with three custodian staff before opening a door.

“When you work with children you have to inspire them everyday. In order to inspire them you have to be inspired yourself. It goes all the way up. It has to begin somewhere so this was a great start to the school year,” Communications specialist Hilda Ramirez Horvarth said.

Chief Academic Officer Shawn Bird gave a motivational speech saying teachers, principals, cafeteria staff, security staff; all have the opportunity to change the trajectory of student’s lives.

“Next Tuesday were going to welcome back 17-18,000 students. These students expect us to be their teacher, their mom, their father, their nurse, their chef, their counselor,” Bird said. “What are you going to do this year to elevate your status to super hero? Any adult on campus has the power to be a super hero.”

After the kick-off the teachers received professional development seminars that taught them how to use new classroom technologies and how to use a new grading system. The teachers were given time to plan, work and collaborate with each other before they get into the classroom.

This was the first year to give teachers professional development at the start of the school year rather than part way through the year.

“Rather than at the end, were jumpstarting into the school year with the human capacity. Thank you to all the negotiations that got us to this point,” Helen Chan Hill, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Professional Development said.

Field Elementary 5th grade teacher Erin Musik welcomed the changes and said she “got more out of the day” with the professional development at the start of the year.

“I feel inspired to go and make a difference. It reminds us of why we’re here. And they get us pumped up and ready to go,” Musik said.

During the event the district honored the employee, principal, teacher, and volunteer of the year.

“The vision that was shared by the superintendent was compelling, just knowing that each of us is a difference maker in children’s lives everyday. That can get lost in life and details everyday,” John Muir High School Principal Timothy Sippel said.

McDonald emphasized how important his listening tour was last year to create the many changes need and resolve issue.

“Everyone is more open for conversations,” Felita Kealing said, a Marshall parent and volunteer for Pasadena Educational Foundation. “It seems like the community has become smaller because people are really talking. That brings people closer together.”

Corner Bakery provided breakfast for the event.