Mountain Views News          Saturday, December 11, 2010

7

EDUCATION & YOUTH

 Mountain Views News Saturday, December 11, 2010 

 

PASADENA 
EDUCATIONAL 
FOUNDATION 

NAMES NEW 
EXECUTIVE 
DIRECTOR

Patrick Conyers, presently 
director of development for 
Southern California Public 
Radio (KPCC), takes the 
helm from Joan Fauvre, who 
is retiring after leading the 
organization for 16 years.


PASADENA– The Pasadena 
Educational Foundation 
announces the appointment 
of Patrick Conyers as its 
executive director, effective 
January 1st. Conyers, 
presently director of 
development for Southern 
California Public Radio 
(KPCC), succeeds Joan 
Fauvre, who is retiring on 
December 31st. Serving 
for 16 years as its executive 
director and for 10 years 
before that as a member of 
its board, Fauvre has long 
been an integral part of 
the foundation’s work to 
support the public schools 
of Altadena, Pasadena and 
Sierra Madre. 

 “My 26 years with the 
foundation have been a 
wonderful journey,” Fauvre 
says. “Working with the 
PUSD students, teachers, 
principals, staff and 
administrators and, of course, 
my own remarkable staff and 
board have kept me inspired 
and engaged in this work all 
these years. I’ve witnessed 
remarkable improvements 
in the schools and a huge 
increase in community 
engagement and support that 
I know will continue to grow 
with the foundation’s new 
leadership.”

 Founded in 1971 as the first 
organization of its kind in 
California, the foundation 
last year raised a record 
$11 million-plus from 
individuals, corporations and 
government grants. In the 
past 15 years the foundation 
has generated more than $90 
million for PUSD students, 
teachers, principals and 
schools. These funds have 
provided computers, after 
school programs, teacher 
training, science and math 
equipment and supplies, 
summer enrichment courses, 
field trips, technology, health 
care, college scholarships, 
musical instruments, arts 
programs and much more. 

 “Joan, the board, staff and 
volunteers of PEF have done 
a remarkable job raising both 
an awareness of the challenges 
our schools face and funds to 
help the PUSD meet those 
challenges,” says Conyers. 
“I’m humbled to have been 
chosen as Joan’s successor, 
and I intend to do everything 
possible to add to the great 
momentum she and the 
dedicated staff and board 
have built.”

 As KPCC’s director of 
development, Conyers 
managed the completion 
of the radio station’s $27 
million capital campaign, 
oversaw on-air pledge drives 
and membership efforts and 
managed all of the station’s 
fundraising-related events. He 
previously served as its major 
gifts officer. Before joining 
KPCC in early 2008, Conyers 
was director of development 
for the Pasadena Museum 
of History, where he helped 
develop curriculum for the 
PUSD’s My Masterpieces art 
program and where he serves 
as a trustee. Conyers also 
serves as chair of the City of 
Pasadena’s Arts & Culture 
Commission, which oversees 
the City’s public art policy 
and the City’s relationship 
with area arts organizations 
and artists. Conyers has a 
Ph.D. in European Economic 
History, an M.A. in European 
History, and a B.A. in History 
and Latin, all from the 
University of Iowa.

 ‘We are profoundly grateful 
to Joan for her remarkable 
dedication and for her 
enormous success in building 
community support for our 
public schools,” says PEF 
Board President George 
Brumder. “We will miss her, 
we thank her and we wish her 
well. 

SCHOOL DIRECTORY

Celebration of Human Rights Day

Five PUSD students introduced by Superintendent Edwin Diaz 
presented their award-winning essays on the topic of human rights

Winners: Raquel Zarate –John Muir High School, Ariana Solotoff C.I.S, Jean-Pierre 
Papouloute –Blair High School, Dibora Haile – Marshall Fundamental, Olivia Broslawsky 
– Pasadena High School Photo by Dean Lee/Story on Page 4.

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 

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 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

Walden School

74 S San Gabriel Blvd

Pasadena, CA 91107 (626) 792-6166 

www.waldenschool.net

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


Graduation Rate 

Rises to 79.4%

Pasadena, CA – The Pasadena 
Unified School District 
(PUSD) released high school 
graduation and dropout 
rates for the 2008-09 school 
year, reporting an increase 
in graduation rates and a decrease 
in dropout rates for all 
ethnic subgroups. 

In 2008-09, 79.6 percent of 
PUSD students graduated, 
up from 75.2 percent in the 
previous year. For the same 
year, the four-year dropout 
rate was 19.9 percent, down 
from 24.8 percent in 2007-
08. The four-year Los Angeles 
County dropout rate for 
2008-2009 is 24.3 percent 
and the statewide rate is 21.7 
percent. 

“Although the dropout rate 
is still too high, I am encouraged 
that the state report 
indicates that more PUSD 
students are completing high 
school, and that we are on 
track to meet our goal of cutting 
the dropout rate in half 
over a three year period,” said 
Edwin Diaz, Superintendent. 
“However, this report also 
reinforces the need to focus 
on narrowing the achievement 
gap among groups of 
students, as the data continues 
to show higher dropout 
rates for African American 
and Hispanic students.”

In June, the Board of Education, 
which has designated 
improving graduation rates 
as one of its highest priorities, 
adopted recommendations 
aimed at reducing the 
dropout rate by 50 percent 
and increasing graduation 
rates district-wide. A Dropout 
Task Force, composed of 
board members, educators, 
and civic and community 
leaders, developed recommendations 
to raise the graduation 
rate to 100 percent, 
and PUSD recently won a 
$2.4 million federal grant to 
support dropout prevention 
activities. 

PUSD’s comprehensive 
graduation improvement 
strategy includes: early 
warning systems designed 
to identify students at risk 
of dropping out, rigorous 
academic programs and 
support services to engage 
students, credit recovery 
programs, and targeted re-
engagement programs that 
identify out-of-school youth 
and encourage them to reenter 
school.

John Muir High School had 
the greatest improvement in 
the four-year dropout rate, 
decreasing from 33.8 percent 
in 2007-08 to 22.8% in 
2008-09. The four-year dropout 
rate at Blair decreased 
from 19.1% in 2007-08 to 
16.7% in 2008-09 while Marshall 
decreased from 9.6% in 
2007-08 to 5.1% in 2008-09. 
During the same period, Pasadena 
High School changed 
from 6.8% to 8.7% and Rose 
City from 96.4% to 90.6%. 

PUSD CUTS DROPOUT RATE BY ALMOST 5 PERCENT


Edwin Diaz, PUSD Superintendent congratulates PHS 
graduate Treavor Robinson during ceremony in June. According 
to the latest figures from the district, dropout rates 
are on the decline. Photo by S. Henderson


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Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com