Mountain Views News          Saturday, September 11, 2010

8

EDUCATION & YOUTH

Mountain Views News Saturday, September 11, 2010

SCHOOL DIRECTORY

September 21, 20106:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Broadcast before a live studio audience from the Southern California PublicRadio Crawford Family Forum on KLRN TV, Charter Cable Channel 95, and inSpanish, on the Arroyo Channel, Charter Cable Channel 32.
Board of Education President Bob Harrison will deliver the Annual State of Schools Address, followed by a paneldiscussion including Superintendent Edwin Diaz, students, teachers and parents. Moderator Karen Evans will guidethe in-studio and broadcast audience through an exploration of timely, relevant topics in public education such as: 
Find Answers! Speak Your Mind! Send your questions and comments:
For more information or to join our live studio audience, visit goPUSD.com/townhall, call626.396.3606, or find PUSD on Facebook.
State of Schools Address 
Join the Conversation!
and Town Hall ForumYou don’t have to be in the studio to make your voice heard! Join the conversation in one of many ways:
via emailto communications@pusd.usvia textsend "PUSD [your message]” to 41411via Twittertag your tweets with #StateOfSchoolsvia FacebookShare your reactions and perspectives withothers in real time on the PUSDFan page.
Bring the Issues Home!Host or attend a “Viewing Party,” a social gatheringwith friends and neighbors where you can enjoy the show and join a stimulating dialogue.
Motivating StudentLearningLiving on 
a BudgetThe Power of Parentsand CommunityThe 2010 PUSD Annual
Alverno High School

200 N. Michillinda Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 355-3463 Head of School: Ann M. Gillick 

E-mail address: agillick@alverno-hs.org

Arcadia High School

180 Campus Drive Arcadia, CA 91007

Phone: (626) 821-8370, Principal: David L. Vannasdall

Arroyo Pacific Academy

41 W. Santa Clara St. Arcadia, Ca, 

(626) 294-0661 Principal: Phil Clarke

E-mail address: pclarke@arroyopacific.org

Barnhart School

240 W. Colorado Blvd Arcadia, Ca. 91007

(626) 446-5588 Head of School: Joanne Testa Cross

Kindergarten - 8th grade

website: www.barnhartschool.com 

Bethany Christian School

93 N. Baldwin Ave. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 355-3527 Principal: James Lugenbuehl

E-mail address: jml@bcslions.org

Carden of the Foothills School

429 Wildrose Avenue, Monrovia, CA 91016 626/358-9414 
626/358-5164 fax office@cardenofthefoothills.com

The Gooden School

192 N. Baldwin Ave. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 355-2410 Head of School: Patty Patano

website: www.goodenschool.org

High Point Academy

1720 Kinneloa Canyon Road

Pasadena, Ca. 91107

626-798-8989

website: www.highpointacademy.org

LaSalle High School

3880 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Pasadena, Ca. 

(626) 351-8951 Principal: Patrick Bonacci

website: www.lasallehs.org

Monrovia High School

325 East Huntington Drive, Monrovia, CA 91016 

(626) 471-2000, email: schools@monrovia.k12.ca.us

Norma Coombs Alternative School

2600 Paloma St. Pasadena, Ca. 91107

(626) 798-0759 Principal: Dr. Vanessa Watkins 

E-mail address: watkins12@pusd.us

Odyssey Charter School

725 W. Altadena Dr. Altadena, Ca. 91001

(626) 229-0993 Head of School: Lauren O’Neill

website: www.odysseycharterschool.org

Pasadena High School

2925 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Pasadena, Ca. 

(626) 798-8901 Principal: Dr. Derick Evans

website: www.pasadenahigh.org

Pasadena Unified School District

351 S. Hudson Ave. Pasadena, Ca. 91109

(626) 795-6981 website: www.pusd@pusd.us

St. Rita Catholic School

322 N. Baldwin Ave. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 355-9028 Principal: Joanne Harabedian

website: www.st-rita.org

Sierra Madre Elementary School

141 W. Highland Ave, Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 355-1428 Principal: Gayle Bluemel

E-mail address:gbluemel220@pusd.us

Sierra Madre Middle School 

160 N. Canon Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 836-2947 Principal: Gayle Bluemel

Contact person: Garrett Newsom, Asst. Principal

E-mail address: gbluemel220@pusd.us

Weizmann Day School

1434 N. Altadena Dr. Pasadena, Ca. 91107

(626) 797-0204

Lisa Feldman: Head of School

Wilson Middle School

300 S. Madre St. Pasadena, Ca. 91107

(626) 449-7390 Principal: Ruth Esseln

E-mail address: resseln@pusd.us

Pasadena Unified School District

351 S. Hudson Ave., Pasadena, Ca. 91109

(626) 795-6981

Website: www.pusd@pusd.us


PUSD LAUNCHES SCHOOL 
CONSOLIDATION STUDY 
COMMITTEE

Pasadena, CA – The Pasadena 
Unified School District 
(PUSD) announced that a 
School Consolidation Study 
Committee (Committee) 
will meet for the first time 
this Saturday to begin 
its exploration of school 
consolidation and closure to 
narrow the budget deficit. In 
response to an unprecedented 
$30 million loss of funding 
over the past three years, and 
the prospect of sustained 
enrollment declines in 
the foreseeable future, in 
December, the Board of 
Education approved school 
consolidation to help decrease 
expenditures and generate 
ongoing revenue to support 
instructional priorities.

“There is no easy way to identify 
schools for potential closure. 
It’s traumatic for the staff, 
parents and students at any 
school under consideration, 
and our goal is to minimize 
the negative impact on school 
communities by focusing 
on equity and transparency 
throughout this process,” said 
Superintendent Edwin Diaz. 

The three-year budget adopted 
in June identified the closure 
of a minimum of three 
unidentified schools in 2011-12 
to reduce operating expenses 
associated with excess capacity 
on school campuses. The 
Board of Education established 
the School Consolidation 
Study Committee to assist the 
Superintendent in developing 
a recommendation regarding 
school consolidation and 
closure. The Committee is 
comprised of a diverse group 
of stakeholders representing 
Altadena, Pasadena and 
Sierra Madre, parent groups, 
collective bargaining units, 
school site administration, and 
other community groups.

In a series of meetings over the 
next month, the Committee 
will analyze demographic 
studies, the PUSD asset 
management report, 
configurations of similar-sized 
districts, and the potential 
educational, financial, 
facilities, and neighborhood 
impacts of closing the schools 
under consideration. Based on 
this analysis, the Committee 
will develop a list of candidates 
for closure. 

Superintendent Diaz described 
the Committee’s work as 
follows, “We have two charges: 
to most effectively utilize 
our resources, and to take 
advantage of our real estate 
assets to support the quality 
of our educational programs.” 
Issues and policies to be 
considered by the Committee 
include the potential use of 
administrative facilities such 
as the District Service Center 
and the Education Center, 
school attendance areas, and 
sites’ potential alternative uses.

The school communities 
under consideration will 
have opportunities to 
hear the Committee’s 
recommendations and provide 
input at multiple community 
forums, which are tentatively 
planned for early October. 
The Committee will evaluate 
the additional information 
provided at the community 
forums before making 
final recommendations in 
a report to Superintendent 
Diaz. Following his review 
of the Committee report, the 
Superintendent is tentatively 
scheduled to make his 
recommendations to the Board 
at its meeting on November 9, 
2010. 

The Committee will hold its 
first meeting on Saturday, 
September 11, 2010 at 9:00 
a.m. in the Board of Education 
Room. PUSD will provide 
periodic updates to staff, 
parents, and community 
members as the Committee 
conducts its study. Members 
of the public may obtain 
additional information about 
the school consolidation 
and closure process at www.
pusd.us, or at (626) 396-3600, 
extension 88989.

PUSD School Consolidation 
Committee Members:

 

Raul Borbon

Joy Costello

Jon Fuhrman

Catherine Senn-Larsen

Pedro Cisneros

Jennifer McCreight

Nancy Dufford

Sole Teramae

Ken Roberts

Lisa Fowler

Nancy Walsh

Alyson Beecher

Marion Cathcart

Freddie Hughley

Jeffrey Leming

Caroline Bermudez

Charlene Tucker

Timothy Sippel

Kathy Onoye

Elizabeth Blanco

Carla Boykin

“If God is Willing and 
the Creek Don’t Rise”

 It’s been five years since 
Katrina tore families apart. 
Five years since we found our 
government wasn’t entirely for 
the people-at all. Five years 
since the levees, and the hearts 
of residents living along the 
Gulf Coast, broke, left flooded 
by saltwater tears. Five years 
since brown and blue images 
stained our television sets, 
only exposing the pain and 
their faces, shielding us from 
the pain in their cries. It’s been 
five years.

 What do we have to show 
for it?

 Toxic, government distributed 
FEMA [Federal Emergency 
Management Agency] trailers, 
that’s what. Mass-produced, 
formaldehyde-a hazardous 
chemical gas-infested trailers. 
These trailers, cheaply thrown 
together and made from waste 
materials, were designed 
to protect the thousands of 
displaced Katrina victims, 
but, being laced with harmful 
toxins, have only caused harm. 

 Watery eyes, congestion, sore 
throat, coughing, and nausea 
are all common symptoms 
felt by the displaced residents 
trapped in these toxic, tin 
boxes; many of whom are 
elderly women and children.

 Have we learned nothing 
about preparation and 
consequence? Or is money still 
more important than the safety 
of the people? Cutting corners 
contributed to Katrina’s 
disaster recovery, and cutting 
corners is going to prolong it. 

 It’s been five years and 
hundreds of families along the 
Gulf Coast are faced with the 
decision of living in a harmful 
tin box, or a cardboard box. 
It’s been five years and actors, 
like Brad Pitt and Sean 
Penn, are still picking up the 
government’s slack. It’s been 
five years and New Orleans is 
still mourning. And, although 
the media coverage has slowed-
but, thanks to Spike Lee, hasn’t 
come to a complete halt—the 
need for assistance hasn’t. 

 In five more years, what will 
be?

 Trish Collins is a High School 
Senior and regular contributor 
to the Mountain Views News.

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Limited time offer.
PUSD PREPARES FOR 2010-2011 
ACADEMIC YEAR 

 With less than a week before students head back to school, 
the Pasadena Unified School District’s (PUSD) principals, 
administrators and teachers are completing leadership training, 
professional development sessions to hone math, language arts, 
history and arts teaching skills, finalizing instructional plans, 
and readying schools and classrooms for Tuesday, September 
14, when approximately 19,000 students return to school. 

 With student achievement up throughout the district, according 
to results of the California STAR tests released last month, PUSD 
this year will concentrate on implementing the district’s new 
10-year strategic plan that calls for college-prepared and career-
ready graduates, a greater focus on parent engagement, and a 
fundamental shift in district’s culture. 

 “The $23 million budget cut we sustained this year means that 
we have to do more with less, be more thoughtful and strategic 
about the way we use our resources, and prioritize the initiatives 
that will help keep the momentum of student achievement going,” 
said Superintendent Edwin Diaz. “Our priorities as a district 
this year will be college and career pathways in the secondary 
schools, transparent budgeting, and parent engagement.”

 Guided by data about student achievement, attendance, and 
customer service surveys, teams of administrators, teachers 
and parents from each school are developing plans to target 
areas for improvement this year. The district will continue its 
focus on middle school and high schools, which demonstrated a 
significant rise in student scores this year after implementation 
of the secondary school reforms. 

 Because of budget cuts, most school libraries will be closed 
this year, although some schools collaborated with parents and 
community groups to raise funds and open libraries part-time. 
PUSD employees are furloughed, and the school year is shorter 
for students by two days.

 District schools and facilities will be closed Tuesday, September 
7 through Thursday, September 9 because of teacher and other 
employee work furloughs.