South Pasadena Council PTA Invites You to a Rally for Our Children

Thursday, March 4, from 3-4 p.m., in front of the SPUSD Administration Building: 1020 El Centro Street

The governor’s budget proposal makes devastating cuts to schools, in the amount of $2.4 billion over the next two years, despite his pledge to protect education. The budget will also decimate children’s healthcare and family services.

For SPUSD these cuts translate to an additional $1,100,000 cut, or 5% of our total budget. This is on top of a $2,000,000 cut in 2009-10 and $3,500,000 that was cut over the last 2 years!

Our children have already lost  instructional assistants and other support positions.  If this proposal goes through, our children stand to lose even more teachers, counselors, arts specialists, and additional support staff!

The System is Broken!

Budget Reform is Crucial!

The Time to Act is NOW!

Letters to our legislators demanding a change in the number of votes necessary to pass a budget and a demand for a stable funding stream for education will be on hand.

• Sometimes there’s a fine line between news and advertising. Sometimes that line gets trampled.
• The death of SPHS student Aydin Salek prompts a bill proposal from Assemblyman Anthony Portantino that would “grant immunity from criminal prosecution to teenagers who seek emergency medical attention for someone possibly suffering from alcohol poisoning.”
• State Assemblyman Mike Eng pushes Caltrans to sell all the homes along the aboveground 710 route. It’s an odd about-face from the guy who opposed Portantino’s bill last year, which kinda would of done the same thing.
• iamnotastalker.com, well, stalks Kaldi’s.
• Via The Source: “Full-time students attending Pasadena City College (PCC) will soon be eligible to receive heavily discounted Metro passes – $30 for unlimited travel on all Metro bus and rail lines for an entire semester. Part of Metro’s I-Pass program, this new partnership will bring affordable transit to 8,800 community college students.”

The ambiguously titled blog Friends for Fullerton’s Future reports that Fullerton School District Superintendent Mitch Hovey played this video at a recent school board meeting. The blog suggests it might have been used to float the idea of a parcel tax. One gem from the post: “Enjoy the manipulation of children by the same mindless fools who put our current legislature in office.” Not exactly sure what that means.

Related: I’m really, really tired of bringing up No Cuss Kid, but yeah, thanks to Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, the first week of March is now possibly at some time in the future Cuss Free Week in the state of California. And yes, McKay Hatch is now the national youth spokesperson for the Parent Television Council, which is the org that protests pretty much anything on television.

• First, you can take a look at SPUSD’s official release.
• For the Burbank perspective, here’s a reaction piece from the Burbank Leader. The story contains this absolute: “South Pasadena, with its multimillion-dollar homes backing up a respected school district, is about a quarter of the size of Burbank.” I guess Burbank is filled with hobos, which might make a parcel tax a hard sell.
• The Pasadena Star-News gives an unbiased assessment. It’s titled “South Pasadena Unified Chooses Steady Hand for Top Post.” And no, it’s not an Op Ed piece.
  

Let me put this in perspective. If the president of your company calls for a mandatory meeting, you attend. If the president of the United States asks to give a — let’s be honest — completely innocuous talk to the youth of this country, it’s within his right … him being the leader of the free world and all that. Bush did it. Reagan did it. Get over it.

Enough ranting. After the jump, an unrelated video of healthcare reform protesters (I just have a sneaky feeling its the same people outraged this time around) and the full release from the district.

President Obama’s speech to students on September 8, 2009
September 4, 2009
Next Tuesday, September 8, our students will have an historic opportunity to hear from the presidency about some of our primary concerns as educators: students setting goals and working hard in school to achieve those goals. In 1991 President Bush addressed the nation’s students on live television from an American history classroom in Washington, D.C. Next Tuesday, President Obama will do similarly as our nation seeks to raise the bar on student achievement.

Before and after the 15-20 minute presidential address, our teachers will talk with students about the importance of setting goals and working hard in school to reach those goals. Teachers and administrators are always seeking out ways to more fully engage students in their education. Any constructive opportunity we get to meaningfully engage students is good for all involved.

As educators our focus will remain on respect for the presidency and the message, regardless of how we feel about the president. We hope that as a result of a conversation about goal setting and hard work, all students in SPUSD will be even more committed to excel this year in school.

If you have any questions or concerns about next Tuesday’s address, please read the speech on Monday at http://www.whitehouse.gov/mediaresources/. If after reading the non-partisan address, you have concerns, please contact me at 626-422-0579 between 3:00-5:00 p.m.

With great respect for the presidency and you the parent/guardian,

Steve Seaford
Assistant Superintendent
Instructional Services

The Governing Board of the South Pasadena Unified School District recently took action to hire
professional consultants to work with the Board in the search process to fill the position of Superintendent.

The Cosca Group, a consulting firm specializing in executive searches, was hired by the Board to assist in obtaining a new superintendent. The Board has met with the consultants on two occasions and, in accordance with the search process, encourages community members as well as staff, students, and parents to meet with the consultants to share ideas and thoughts pertaining to the strengths of the District as well as needs and critical issues. In addition, the consultants will be seeking input regarding the characteristics desired in the new superintendent.

The Board is pleased to announce that Dr. Steve Goldstone of The Cosca Group will conduct the public meeting on Thursday, July 9th in the District Office Board Room from 6-8 p.m., thus providing an opportunity for community input into the process.

Although the open forum has been scheduled to allow for maximum participation, individuals who cannot attend a forum are urged to complete a survey form available in Room 6 of the District Office at 1020 El Centro Street, as well as on the District website - www.spusd.net.

Sylvia Carroll
Executive Secretary to the Superintendent
South Pasadena Unified School District

• Inside Private Lives extends its run at the Fremont Centre Theatre, which pushes the production past the one-year mark in South Pas.
• Pasadena Unified School District might try and follow South Pasadena’s lead and push for a parcel tax. The district is facing a $14 million deficit. The question is whether a city as large and diverse as Pasadena can garner the two-thirds votes necessary to pass the tax in a special election.
• Speaking of the parcel tax, and not to belabor the point, but the South Pasadena Review has yet to post the results of Measure S on its site.
• The South Pasadena Educational Foundation’s Summer School program is bucking the state trend and offering some classes.

In the end, 41% of registered voters in South Pas turned in their ballots. Considering that last month’s statewide special election had a lackluster turnout of about 28%, we should be proud of ourselves.

Celebratory message from the district after the jump:

YES on MEASURE S!!

THANK YOU! Because of the community’s support, Measure S has passed! You have made it clear that our students’ education is a priority. The passage of Measure S is a clear statement of support for the outstanding education provided to our students. Thank you for the hard work and dedication of the parent volunteers, students, teachers, classified staff and community of citizens who have created the fantastic district we have today. On behalf of the Governing Board of South Pasadena, we thank you.

There have been many involved with this successful campaign, however, much credit needs to be to the chair of the Citizens’ Committee, Mr. Brett Barnard. Because of his leadership, planning and organization, Measure S was a strong and well-run campaign. Brett, the Governing Board and the community deeply thank you for your service.

Truly, this has been a community effort. To everyone who have assisted in and supported this campaign, we thank you.

We will immediately begin the process of building back the services that would have been eliminated without your support of Measure S. This successful campaign has a profound effect on our students’ education.

Again, THANK YOU for your confidence in our schools and for ensuring our students continue to receive the best services and education possible in South Pasadena.