Candidates Forum at Altadena Community Center

Altadena and Pasadena Branches of the NAACP invite you to attend:
The Pasadena Unified School District Board Candidate Forum
When: Saturday, February 24, 2007
Where: Altadena Community Center, 730 E. Altadena Dr., Altadena, CA 91001, 626-794-7999
Time: 9-9:30am Refreshments, 9:30am-noon Forum
Co-sponsored by: Altadena Town Council Education Committee, Delta Sigma Theta Pasadena Chapter, NBCDI, Black Male Forum, National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Women in Action, and other Greek and Community Organizations
Please come and join us in meeting the School Board Candidates. This is the time to ask your questions and to voice your concerns before you vote Tuesday, March 6, 2007.

this (and one other forum at The Spot restaurant on Lincoln--see complete list of forums posted above) will most likely be the only candidates forums in Altadena, so i highly suggest everyone attend and bring a friend.

mahalo,
justin

One-sided Pasadena Star-News story on AUSD

the below story, by Cortney Fielding of PSN, is incomplete and biased.
although ms. fielding attended the mentioned ATC Ed Comm meeting on Jan 24, she did not ask the committee members for quotes, documents, clarification, or information. the only person interviewed for this story was shirlee smith, apparently.
ms. fielding did the same thing for the last story she did on AUSD, dated Dec. 4, 2006.
there are various inaccuracies throughout:

"Altadena school activists criticized
By Cortney Fielding, Staff Writer
Pasadena Star-News
Article launched: 1/26/2007, 9:25:17pm PST

ALTADENA- A leader in this community's movement to secede from the Pasadena Unified School District is calling for two of his fellow activists to step down.
During a meeting of the Altadena Town Council's education subcommittee earlier this week, member Jerry Rhoads said two of the Altadenans for Quality Education's three chief petitioners - responsible for overseeing the collection of 7,000 signatures needed to spark a county feasibility study - should be dismissed.
Rhoads said local children's advocate and cable television host Shirlee Smith, who writes a Pasadena Star-News column, and Bruce Wasson have continuously refused calls from the committee to report their progress. Rhoads also said Wasson has refused for months to turn over petitions to the sheriff's Altadena station, which has agreed to hold them for safekeeping.
'They have been completely unresponsive,' said Rhoads, recommending the pair be replaced with 'civil leaders,' such as members of the town council.
'Let's make this a civic movement, not a private one,' he said.
The group of Altadena residents exploring PUSD secession said it has collected 2,500 of the signatures needed to begin a Los Angeles County Board of Education study that would examine the feasibility of breaking away from the Pasadena Unified School District.
The study would be the first step toward creating an Altadena Unified School District.
After learning of Rhoads' remarks Friday, Smith said his charges against her and Wasson were completely unfounded.
'My parents cautioned me about nonsense in life,' she said. 'Need I say more?'
She said she was busy working the night of the committee meeting and said that it saddened her that Rhoads was devoting 'so much energy on nonsense.'
'Seven thousand signatures are needed,' she said. 'In the end, it doesn't make any difference who the chief petitioners are. I could care less whether I'm one, or none.'
Rhoads made his comments during a committee discussion on the possibility of requesting the Town Council to officially endorse the AUSD movement. He said he could not vote for the plan unless his conditions were met.
'It's the only way I can see doing it,' he said.
The committee meeting was also planned as a public forum to allow community members to voice their feelings about an Altadena school district. But only six members of the public attended. Committee members siad the open forum had not been adequately publicized, and rescheduled it for next month.
Discussion on Rhoads' proposition and voting were tabled until after that meeting."
cortney.fielding@sgvn.com
626-578-6300 ext. 4494

mahalo,
justin

Altadena's Partial List of Grievances as Performed by PUSD

written by Steve Lamb [in reponse to a composite of observations about PUSD's search for a new superintendent (specifically item #10 under "the major challenges facing the district in the years ahead" section, which reads "10- Altadena attempting to pull out of the district, potentially removing a large portion of the system and exacerbating the challenges listed above") as authored by Myra Martin Booker of Linda Vista-Annandale Association on Monday, September 25, 2006, and sent to Pasadena Neighborhood Coalition Chairman Dale Trader] on Thursday, October 15, 2006, and sent to Pasadena City Council, Altadena Town Council, PUSD Board of Education, Pasadena Neighborhood Coalition, AUSD Now! Steering Committee, Altadena NAACP, and Supervisor Michael Antonovich's staff:

"The consideration by Altadena of removing itself from the PUSD is a result of several major 2000 pound gorillas in the room that no one from Pasadena will publically address. These are as follows:
1. Continuing lack of respect for the concerns and needs of Altadena's citizens and students.
2. Continuing 'dumping' of undesirable land uses by not-for-profits controlled by predominantly Pasadena boards of directors, in Altadena. This includes the endless effort to place various programs that are not wanted in Pasadena in Altadena.
3. Failure after nearly 40 years of alleged special programs, integration, and various so called reforms to raise the level of education for minority students. In fact the level of education for minorities is BELOW what it was when Judge Manuel Real issued his integration order, and the PUSD schools have been reorganized into not a defacto, but a dejure system of segregated and unequal schools. These schools are failing minority and not so wealthy kids on a level that even the late Gov. George Wallace would have found intolerable.
4. A financial system in the PUSD that favors connected no bid contractors.
5. The fact that the PUSD is NOT supplying services required by state law to individual handicapped students, but is uspplying well connected local not-for-profits with outrageous sums of money to educate kids who could be educated more inexpensively and effectively.

The State of California will not allow Altadena to leave the PUSD, no matter what positive effects would be gained by our students, if the PUSD would be harmed. It is a false statement that Altadena leaving the PUSD would harm the PUSD at all. By state law, if Pasadena would be injured, our kids must continue to suffer. An outrage to any fair minded Democratic citizen.
-Altadena Town Councilman Steve Lamb"

mahalo,
justin

Replacing a Chief Petitioner...

in the "Background" section of the "Territory Transfer Analysis from Inglewood USD to Culver City USD" report, it reads:
"On May 25, 2005, LACOE [Los Angeles County Office of Education] received a letter from Dr. Boodnick of the Ladera Heights Civic Association requesting that Mr. Raymond be replaced by Ms. Cheryl Cook as one of the chief petitioners."
Dr. Boodnick and Mr. Raymond were both original chief petitioners of that petition effort. The report makes no mention of LACOE's Committee on School District Organization's response to the replacement request. In a response to an email by myself, Mr. Daniel Villanueva, Secretary of LACOE's CSDO, wrote on Tuesday, January 23, 2006:
"A Chief Petitioner could submit a letter indicating that they are no longer a Chief Petitioner. A petition must have at least one Chief Petitioner and no more than three. To replace a Chief Petitioner, the remaining Chief Petitioner's must submit his/her name and contact information. No statement needs to be made regarding resignationg or replacement. -Daniel G. Villanueva"

later i spoke to him on the phone, and he clarified that a chief petitioner must give his/her consent in order to be replaced by another chief petitioner.

mahalo,
justin

PUSD's Timeline to Adopt 711 Recommendations

TIMELINE FOR USE OF PROPERTIES NOT NEEDED FOR SCHOOL PROPERTIES

January 23, 2007- Regular meeting presentation by Miller Brown & Dannis

February 6, 2007- Study session discussion of 711 recommendations

February 13, 2007- Regular meeting Adoption of 711 recommendations, as presented or revised [emphasis added].

at the Jan 23 meeting, Janet Mueller of MB&D gave the school board a power point presentation titled "The Surplus Property Disposition Process: Options, Roles, & Responsibitlies of the Pasadena Unified School District." apparently, Ms. Mueller gave different advice to the school board than she did to the 711 Committee. among other things, she said it was not advisable to move a charter school that was already located at a site, and that officially describing the closed school sites, etc., as "surplus" before determining where charter schools would be located is inappropriate, as they are obligated to provide sites for charter schools under Prop. 39. she recommended the board get through their Prop. 39 process before determining which sites are surplus, which is apparently not what she told the 711 Committee.

all of this means the timeline above is temporarily null and void. however, that doesn't mean PUSD won't adopt the 711 recommendations with little or no announcement to the public. the sooner the ATC adopts the new Ed Comm resolution, the better. Altadena's position on our closed school sites MUST be part of the discussion before PUSD makes its decision that affects our community.
we'll see what happens at the Feb 6 board meeting.

here's Mary Dee Romney's description of the Jan 23 meeting, as posted to Greatschools:
"A presentation to the BOE Tuesday night (Janet Mueller, Esq., Miller Brown & Dannis) on legal process for the declaration and/or disposition of surplus properties included the requirement to calculate housing for 'in-district' charter school students in district-wide facilities plans.
Since many charter students are expected to be former PUSD students, this sets a new reality for the 711/surplus process.
Presented to the BOE Tuesday night was this:
'If closed sites are to be offered to Charter Schools, complete Proposition 39 evaluation process before making surplus determination.'
This is not entirely a bad development, for two reasons:
1) It will force the PUSD to set sound and legal and fair standards for making judgments in the charter petition process, and
2) It will force PEF's Mr. Honowitz and Mr. Babcock to first consider the education/facilities needs of the community's K-12 children before plopping their non-profit friends onto closed school sites and/or ground leasing sites for development and revenue.
-Mary Dee Romney"

mahalo,
justin

New resolution passed by ATC Ed Comm

The first "711 committee report" resolution focused on the actual 711 report, disputing the facts it used, the makeup of the committee (i.e. lack of Altadena representation), and the conclusions it came to. The Altadena Town Council, at its January 16th meeting, tabled the resolution until its February meeting. i was late to the Jan. meeting, and missed the 711 resolution discussion. many, including myself, felt the resolution was lacking a critical piece of information: what the community wants for our closed Altadena schools sites (Noyes, Audubon, & Edison elementaries), namely, short term leases for educational uses. i rewrote the resolution, included this position (which is consistent with a joint resolution passed last Aug/Sept 06 by the town council and several other neighborhood associations), and after an hour and a half discussion, it was passed 8-2 by the ATC Education Committee. the two opposing votes only did so because they wanted the resolution to go even further; they wanted it to include a sentencement that excluded "stand alone high schools at elementary campuses" from the list of acceptable uses. the others felt that should be dealt with later on a separate, case by case basis. otherwise, they approved the resolution. in our minds, time was of the essence. PUSD had quietly released their timeline to adopt the 711 recommendations, which we disagreed with. according to that timeline, which has since been debunked by PUSD's own law firm, Miller Brown & Dannis, PUSD was to have one study session on Feb. 6 to discuss the recommendations, and then adopt them on Feb 13, one week before our next Altadena Town Council meeting. we concluded Altadena's opinion must be known before PUSD made their decision that would affect our schools. now the timeline is unclear. MB & D told the school board they cannot adopt the recommendations by the 13th, meaning we (the ATC) have more time to discuss my (& now the Ed Comm's) new resolution before PUSD makes their decision. if PUSD decides to "lease" our school sites to non-educational uses for 40-99 years (basically sell), the community will never get them back. they will be lost to educational use forever. this is unacceptable. those properties have been built and maintained by the financial contribution of the tax payers of Altadena, as stated in the resolution.

see the new resolution, the old one, and the joint one from last fall below.

mahalo,
justin
_____________________________________
ATC Ed Comm- New "711 Resolution" approved 8-2 on Jan. 24, 2007

Whereas, the Pasadena Unified School District has closed three elementary schools in the Altadena area and has suggested that additional schools may be closed; and

Whereas, public school sites, once diverted to non-education purposes, can not be replaced except at great public expense; and

Whereas, Altadena area public schools are an important historical and architectural resource of the Altadena community that have been built and maintained with the financial resources of generations of Altadenans through the property taxes paid by Altadenans; and

Whereas, Altadena area public schools are an important part of the open space plan of the Altadena Community and should, during off-school hours, be available, without charge or fee, for recreational use by Altadenans; and

Whereas, the PUSD 7-11 Committee did not include adequate representation of Altadena proportional to the number of Altadena school sites under the committee’s consideration; and

Whereas, the Pasadena Unified School District in holding legal title to the properties of the Pasadena Unified School District must exercise the duty and care of a fiduciary to maintain and preserve said properties for the future benefit of the residents of Altadena; and

Whereas, school sites not needed for public school purposes should remain available for future public school purposes;

Now Therefore Be It Resolved that all closed school sites in Altadena should be used for alternative educational purposes including charter schools, private schools, and child care facilities, and excluding retail, housing, administrative/office use, and/or continuation schools; and

Be It Further Resolved that we strongly urge the Pasadena Unified School District, in consultation with local neighborhood associations, residents, and the Altadena Town Council, to immediately enter into no more than five year subject-to-annual-review lease agreements with charter schools, private schools, and child care providers for the use of closed school sites in Altadena; and

Be It Further Resolved that all school sites in Altadena should be utilized for after-school and summer recreational purposes; and

Be It Further Resolved that we strongly urge the Pasadena Unified School District, in consultation with local neighborhood associations, residents, and the Altadena Town Council, to immediately enter into agreements with appropriate city and county recreational departments to utilize the open space of all district properties in Altadena; and

Be It Further Resolved that this resolution shall be presented to the Board of Education of the Pasadena Unified School District, the 7-11 Committee of the Pasadena Unified School District, the City Council of the City of Pasadena, the City Council of the City of Sierra Madre, and the Board of Supervisors of the County of Los Angeles.
___________________________________________
ATC Ed Comm- Old “711 Comm. Report” Resolution
Tabled at ATC meeting on Jan. 16, 2007

Whereas, the Pasadena Unified School District has closed three elementary schools in the Altadena area and has suggested that additional schools may be closed; and

Whereas, at the Pasadena Unified School District 7-11 Committee public hearing at the Altadena Community Center, the Education Committee of the Altadena Town Council invited the entire 7-11 Committee to meet with the Education Committee, and only two members of the 7-11 Committee met with the Education Committee; and

Whereas, the makeup of the 7-11 Committee does not comport to the requirements of the Education Code; and

Whereas, the recommendations of the 7-11 Committee do not adequately take into account the views expressed by the Altadena Community at the 7-11 Committee’s public hearing and the subsequent meeting of the Education Committee; and

Whereas, public school sites, once diverted to non-education purposes, can not be replaced except at great public expense; and

Whereas, Altadena area public schools are an important part of the open space plan of the Altadena Community and should, during off-school hours, be available, without charge or fee, for recreational used by Altadenans; and

Whereas, Altadena area public schools are an important historical and architectural resource of the Altadena community that have been built and maintained with the financial resources of generations of Altadenans through the property taxes paid by Altadenans; and

Whereas, because the 7-11 Committee, without independent audit or verification, relied on statistics provided by the Pasadena Unified School District regarding the number of classrooms, number of students per classroom, and other statistical matters, it is the consensus of the Altadena Town Council that the 7-11 Committee’s report is fundamentally flawed; and

Whereas, because the capacity calculations contained in the 7-11 Committee report do not take into account the need for classroom space for special education, music, art, vocational education, evolving technology, libraries, and other special uses, it is the consensus of the Altadena Town Council that the excess capacity calculations of the 7-11 Committee are overstated; and

Whereas, the capacity calculations contained in the 7-11 Committee report are based on the continued use of portable classrooms which detract from the aesthetic and open space design and amenities of school campuses and because it is the consensus of the Altadena Town Council that portable classrooms should be removed from all campuses when there is sufficient capacity in permanent buildings; now

Therefore Be It Resolved, that for each of the reasons enumerated above, the Altadena Town Council goes on record as opposing and objecting to the conclusions of the 7-11 Committee Report, the makeup of the 7-11 Committee, and the statistical basis used by the 7-11 Committee to reach it’s conclusions.
________________________________________
Joint Resolution on the use of PUSD School Sites
Adopted by Pasadena Neighborhood Coalition, Altadena Town Council, West Pasadena Residents’ Association, and other community groups Aug/Sept 2006

Whereas the school sites and facilities comprising the Pasadena Unified School District are the equitable and historical legacy of generations of Pasadenans, Altadenans, and Sierra Madreans; and

Whereas the school sites and facilities comprising the Pasadena Unified School District were built and have been maintained with financial resources generated from the people of Pasadena, Altadena, and Sierra Madre; and

Whereas the people of Pasadena, Altadena, and Sierra Madre built and have maintained the school sites comprising the Pasadena Unified School District for the purpose of providing educational facilities and open space throughout the communities of Pasadena, Altadena, and Sierra Madre; and

Whereas the Pasadena Unified School District in holding legal title to the properties of the Pasadena Unified School District must exercise the duty and care of a fiduciary to maintain and preserve said properties for the future benefit of the residents of Pasadena, Altadena, and Sierra Madre; and

Whereas the Pasadena Unified School District has determined that the level of enrollment in the schools comprising the Pasadena Unified School District necessitate that some of the schools within the Pasadena Unified School District should not be used for public school purposes; and

Whereas, school sites not needed for public school purposes should remain available for future public school purposes;

Now Therefore Be It Resolved that all closed school sites should be used for alternative educational purposes such as charter schools, private schools, and child care facilities; and

Be It Further Resolved that we strongly urge the Pasadena Unified School District, in consultation with local neighborhood associations and residents, the Pasadena Neighborhood Coalition, and the Altadena Town Council, to immediately enter into one year subject to annual renewal review lease agreements with charter schools, private schools, and child care providers for the use of closed school sites; and

Be it Further Resolved that all school sites should be utilized for after-school, weekend, and summer recreational purposes; and

Be It Further Resolved that we strongly urge the Pasadena Unified School District, in consultation with local neighborhood associations and residents, the Pasadena Neighborhood Coalition, and the Altadena Town Council, to immediately enter into agreements with appropriate city and county recreational departments to utilize the open space of all district properties; and

Be It Further Resolved that this resolution shall be presented to the Board of Education of the Pasadena Unified School District, the 7-11 Committee of the Pasadena Unified School District, the City Council of the City of Pasadena, the City Council of the City of Sierra Madre, and the Board of Supervisors of the County of Los Angeles.
___________________________________________
PASADENA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
BOARD OF EDUCATION
BOARD MEETING NOTICE AND AGENDA
JANUARY 23, 2007
D. PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT OF CLOSED SESSION ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE BOARD Elbie J. Hickambottom Board Room 236351
S. Hudson Avenue, Pasadena, California 91101
E. ADJOURNMENT OF CLOSED SESSION
F. REGULAR MEETING - 6:30 P.M.
K. SPECIAL PRESENTATION
3. Miller Brown and Dannis. Janet Mueller of Miller Brown and Dannis will report on the roles and responsibilities of the Board regarding use of school buildings or space not needed for school purposes.
Q. ACTION ITEMS
1. Acceptance of the Williams 2nd Quarter Summary Report [BR 124-B]. It is recommended that the Governing Board of the Pasadena Unified School District accept for public record the Williams 2nd Quarter Summary Report. There are no financial implications.
ATTACHMENT Q-1 BR 124-B MOTION-SECOND-VOTE
2. Approval of Timeline for Use of Properties Not Needed for SchoolPurposes. It is recommended that the Governing Board of the PasadenaUnified School District approve the timeline for use of properties notneeded for school purposes.
ATTACHMENT Q-2 MOTION-SECOND-VOTE
R. INFORMATION ITEM
1. Budget 2007-08. Dr. Stephen Hodgson will provide information on the upcoming budget study session scheduled for February 6, 2007, including a discussion of principles for guiding future budgetary decisions.
S. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Facilities and Capital Projects. The Facilities and Capital Projects Subcommittee will provide a brief report of the status of work to date, and presents the following recommendation for approval:
a. Acceptance of Guiding Principles Regarding Proposition 39. It is recommended that the Governing Board of the Pasadena Unified School District approve the guiding principles regarding Proposition 39.
ATTACHMENT S1.a. MOTION-SECOND-VOTE