Guest Opinion | Pasadena Unfied School District Superintendent Brian McDonald, Ed.D. | Statement on Elections

Much has been said in this election season that has cast our schools and our district in an unfavorable light. This hyperbole only hurts our children and they deserve so much more.  

I am proud of the way that our district has handled the challenges of the recent past. Now more than ever, this district needs a united Board of Education that will govern with vision and creativity and create a positive outlook on what we can achieve together. This is not the time for divisiveness or negativity; rather, we must all draw upon our individual and collective strengths. 

 A united board with a common moral imperative does the best work for a school district and that is what our students need right now.

Here are a few noteworthy examples of the innovative steps that our district has taken recently to ensure the best learning experience for our students.

• Literacy: We all know the importance of literacy. While PUSD is in line with the state average, we must strive for more. To that end, the Pasadena Unified team of educators and I have developed a 2022-23 Literacy Plan for Transitional Kindergarten through 12th grade – a plan which is forward-thinking and builds on, but is not stuck in the past. Our comprehensive plan to ensure a balanced, consistent, and differentiated instruction approach that ultimately improves reading achievement and contains a multi-pronged approach, which includes: teacher development, high quality curriculum, screening and assessments, considerations for English learners and an in-depth examination of special education. I am confident that this Literacy Plan will put us on a path toward significantly increased literacy rates for our students.

It is here that a unified board is indispensable.

• Equity in Education. In 2020 our board passed two resolutions in which we commit to our Black and Latino students to make sure they thrive in our schools: PUSD Resolution 2566, Pasadena Unified School District’s Commitment to Black Students, and PUSD Resolution 2586, Pasadena Unified School District’s Commitment to Latina/o/x and Indigenous Students. 

In these resolutions, we pledge to do all we can to eliminate racial disparities and improve Black and Latino student achievement, thereby acknowledging the importance of their success. Moreover, these resolutions promise to provide culturally relevant materials and resources for students and caregivers, as well as take other action steps to help uplift these students. Deep work is already underway. 

• Innovative Programs. Our district recently received a $15 million Magnet School Assistance Program (MSAP) grant from the U.S. Department of Education to create and expand three magnet programs. This is the third major magnet grant awarded to PUSD since 2013 and we are among only 19 programs in the U.S. to receive it.  Getting the third grant from the federal government is an indicator that PUSD is on the right track. The new five-year grant will allow us to bring an environmental science program to Washington Elementary STEM Magnet, add a new Cross-Cultural Learning magnet at Longfellow Elementary, and enhance the visual and performing arts and French programs at Eliot Arts Magnet. The MSAP grant also brings expanded language learning opportunities and increases pathways between our elementary and middle schools. 

Importantly, the award provides funding to develop thematic innovative programs that bring students together from different social, economic, ethnic, and racial backgrounds, while also providing teachers with professional development and collaboration opportunities. In our increasingly diverse world, PUSD’s commitment to creating programs that help us meaningfully interact with one another in an educational environment are essential.

I look forward to working with the next Board of Education and I’m hopeful that voters will elect a board that shares our community’s vision of an excellent and inclusive district for all students.