Guest Opinion | Michelle Richardson Bailey: The Honor Has Been Mine

It has been an honor serving as President of the Pasadena Unified Board of Education in 2023. My time as President of the Board ends officially on December 11, 2023, when the leadership of the Board transitions to our current vice president, Kim Kenne. Of course, I will remain on the Board to complete the remaining three years of my current term as representative of PUSD District 3. 

The past year saw major changes in the district’s direction to advance academic excellence for all students. 

I am proud of our work in adopting a visionary five-year Strategic Plan that honors the great diversity of our community, blending cultural responsiveness and academic excellence to ensure that every PUSD student is well-equipped for success in an ever-changing world. My colleagues on the Board came together with our expert staff to elevate the voices of key segments in our community that represent the breadth, cultures, roles, and schools within our district. 

One of my proudest achievements is elevating the voices of students to the governance level by placing students on the Board of Education. This was accomplished through the amazing work of the PUSD Student Think Tank. I firmly believe that the student’s voice plays an integral role in determining the direction of their education. 

PUSD students are showing progress in standardized testing in both English and Math despite state and nationwide drops in achievement as schools continue to recover from the pandemic. Although this progress is cause for celebration, Black and Latinx student achievement is still not where it should be. We must continue to push to close gaps and accelerate the achievement of our district’s Black and Latinx students. 

To address these persistent issues, this year PUSD launched the Black Student and Family Task Force in partnership with the African American Parent Council, deepening the work launched by my 2020 resolution in support of Black students. 

PUSD has also made tremendous progress in raising compensation for teachers and other employees with a 10% salary increase last year and another 10% increase this year – raising teacher salaries by 20% in just two years. 

We ended the last fiscal year with a balanced budget, reflecting good stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and earned positive credit ratings on Measure O bonds. We prioritized three schools for upgrades and modernization. In addition, the Board approved a five-year plan for the remainder of bond funding. 

While discussions on the Board sometimes got heated, I am proud of what we accomplished together. My colleagues on the Board sometimes disagree on the “how,” but we never disagree on the “why” of our work together to serve the students, staff, and families of PUSD. We’re

prioritizing equitable access with consistently strong outcomes for all students and paying special attention to the needs of historically marginalized populations and students receiving special education services. 

Looking ahead, I am committed to embracing accountability and our commitment to continuous improvement and dialogue with educational partners. I will continue to be a champion for Workforce housing and the expansion of Career Technical Education. Together, we will ensure that our investments align with the priorities our school community has identified. 

Imagine how much we will accomplish for our children when we focus on working collaboratively to overcome challenges; I am encouraged by the educational opportunities that await them now and in the future. 

Michelle Richardson Bailey represents District 3 on the Board of Education of the Pasadena Unified School District. She was first elected to the Board of Education in March 2017 and serves as President of the Board in the 2023 calendar year.