Candidates running for Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education seats shared their views about issues of importance to the district’s students and parents as well as the local community in a forum organized by the League of Women Voters Pasadena Area on Monday, October 10.
The forum was split into two sessions. Three candidates who participated in the first session included District 1 candidate Billy Malone, a member of the Altadena Town Council, and incumbent Kimberly Kenne, who has been a board trustee since 2011.
District 3 candidate Rose Bowl Aquatics Center board member Patrick Amsbry, who is challenging Michelle Richardson Bailey, also attended the first session. Richardson Bailey was not able to attend the forum due to a death in her family.
Four candidates including District 5 candidate Patrice Marshall McKenzie and Xilian Stammer, who are competing for the seat currently occupied by Elizabeth Pomeroy, and District 7 candidates Juan Pablo Albán and Yarma Velázquez, who are competing for the seat occupied by Scott Phelps, attended the second session.
Biggest Issues Facing the District
The forum revolved around the candidates’ views on how to address the biggest issues facing the district.
For Kenne, the most important issue being faced by the district is addressing the impact of the COVID pandemic on learning.
“Some did well during remote learning and others not as well. We are choosing to accelerate learning but we know we have to be mindful of gaps that kids might have developed during the remote learning.”
The incumbent board member also said equity is also a big issue.
Amsbry, for his part, said beyond the social emotional learning gap and the educational gap brought about by the pandemic, the district has an exigent need to address challenges related to special education and reading issues in young children.
He added transparency and accountability are also among the biggest issues in PUSD.
“We need transparency in this district and accountability from the superintendent. We have a large budget and we need to make sure it is being spent appropriately for the right programs, for the right kids and in an equitable fashion for all school sites.”
For Malone, the most important issue the district is facing is the “PR issue.”
“I believe that the biggest problem we have is making sure that we hear the whole district, not just those showing up at meetings,” Malone said.
Support for Immigrant Families
When asked what the schools should do to support immigrant families, Kenne said PUSD schools should be more welcoming.
Kenne also said schools should ensure that information is available in multiple languages and that there are people who can translate for families.
For Amsbry, a lot should be done for immigrant families.
He said schools should provide resources “to make sure that they do feel welcome and that they do know where they can go for different types of resources.”
School Safety
The candidates were asked how they can combat the negative stereotypes about PUSD schools and guarantee the safety of students in light of school fights, which are being shared on social media.
McKenzie said in order to combat negative stereotypes about PUSD, the district must share good news. “If we are not sharing good news then there’s not a way for people to know that.”
On the sharing of school fights online, McKenzie said PUSD should be teaching students digital citizenship to make sure they understand the harmful effects of sharing such content.
To increase trust in public schools, staff must do a better job, be more transparent, engage people and have them visit schools, said Velázquez.
Kenne for her part stressed the importance of balancing the need of students who are getting into trouble and the students that are affected.
“We have to make sure that extra support is there,” she remarked.
“We have to keep emphasizing relationships with teachers, other staff on campuses, and ensure that we have activities for students so that they are engaged in a positive way.”
Amsbry said more counselors are needed on campuses to prevent school fights.
“I believe we need more mental health professionals on our campus to work with these kids, certainly to find kids that are repeat offenders and find special help for them. The goal should not be to expel them but to work with them and integrate them back to the society,” said Amsbry.
Renewal of McDonald’s Contract
The candidates were also asked if they would support the renewal of Superintendent Brian McDonald’s contract.
Last March, McDonald’s contract was renewed until 2026.
During the discussion, Stammer said it is important to examine the superintendent’s performance and how he holds the staff he hired accountable before saying ‘yes’ to renewing his contract.
“We need to be able to understand what we are measuring and have clear goals of how a successful performance looks like,” Velázquez said. “I think the administration, specifically the superintendent, needs to have clear measurable goals that he is working towards and clear measurements of assessment.”
Albán said he believes McDonald currently enjoys the support of the school community. He also pointed out that the reputation of several schools including San Rafael, Jackson and Altadena Arts improved under McDonald’s leadership.
“To me, let’s continue, let’s build, let’s improve and not throw everything out,” Albán said.
The candidates were also asked about their position on class size, charter schools and other issues at Pasadena Unified. The complete forum can be accessed here Districts 1 and 3: https://youtu.be/KEJ_obKSIyY / Districts 5 and 7: https://youtu.be/djRL4AXXLW0.
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