Guest Opinion | PUSD School Board Candidate Pat Amsbry: Open Letter to The Voters of Northwest Pasadena PUSD District 3; Your Vote Matters

Dear Voters of Northwest Pasadena & PUSD District 3,

Whether or not you have school-aged children or you put your children in public schools, your vote in this specific PUSD race matters to nearly 15,000 students across the Pasadena Unified School District. Did you know that only 48% of PUSD’s 3rd graders read proficiently? 48% is a failure. In fact, the district has been failing these kids since 2016, well before the pandemic and all while my opponent was sitting on the school board. In addition, 53% of Hispanic students, 49% of African American students, and 76% of students with disabilities in 3rd grade are not reading proficiently. When the superintendent contract was up for review this year, my opponent gave a glowing review and voted to approve a 3 year contract  salary increase and a summer vacation, while PUSD teacher salaries continue to be at the bottom in the county.  

If you think this failure by the districts is ok, then vote for my opponent. If you think failing our children  is unacceptable and you want real change, then vote for me. I won’t give up on these children. I believe every child deserves an opportunity to succeed and thrive. 

There’s a reason that reading is the top priority of my campaign. As a Reading Partners tutor for PUSD students, I saw firsthand how early reading intervention for 1st and 2nd graders fundamentally changed the educational trajectory for students. Reading is the foundation for academic success for all subjects and their prospects in career and college. As your future PUSD Board member representative, I will advocate that we set high reading targets as part of the superintendent annual performance goals, specifically sharp increases in reading achievement for 1st and 2nd grade students. PUSD’s 2023-2024 target on literacy is 55% for third graders, a minimum increase in the percentage of proficient students of at least 3% year over year – that’s still failing! We must implement and support effective programs and methods BEFORE 3rd grade in order to raise reading scores, as well as providing effective interventions through higher accountability of district leaders, applicable and evidence-based assessments, on-going quality professional development for our teachers, and continued support and training at the school sites.

When I first decided to run for PUSD school board, many doubted our campaign, but I’m proud to say that over the past fifty-seven days we’ve made great strides. In a local school board race which typically averages $10,000 in fundraising, our campaign raised over $34,000, which shows the faith the people of our district have in our plan. We also earned the trust and the critical endorsement of United Teachers of Pasadena, representing 800 teachers, counselors, nurses, librarians, psychologists, and speech-language pathologists in Pasadena Unified School District, who make a difference to each student every day. I agree with teachers and staff that investing more in the classroom at the school sites over top heavy layers of administrative bureaucracy will have a direct impact on student outcomes. Given the national teacher shortage coupled with the high cost of living in Pasadena, it’s critical that we pay teachers and staff competitive salaries and wages in order to keep and attract quality educators, not lose them to neighboring districts or private sector jobs.

We earned the endorsement of leaders who know the needs of our local Pasadena community the best including Pasadena City College Trustee Dr. Steve Gibson, Pasadena Vice Mayor Andy Wilson, Pasadena City Councilmember Jess Rivas, former Pasadena Mayor Bill Thomson, and Uniting Parents of Pasadena Co-chair Brett Shears. We are also proudly endorsed by local community groups who serve as critical community partners to the success of PUSD school district: Planned Parenthood Advocates San Gabriel Valley Pasadena and Democrats of Pasadena Foothills. Finally, we are endorsed by the most generationally and racially diverse coalition of local leaders and groups. We are the only campaign endorsed by Latino leaders: Susana Porras, President of the Sunset Neighborhood, Julieta Aragón, Northwest Pasadena Commissioner, and Lorena Hernandez, former PUSD LCAP Parent Advisory Committee Co-chair, and many more.

Aspirations and titles are nice but my track record for delivering results speaks for itself. Through the work of my nonprofit Friends of Madison Elementary, I have a track record for closing the opportunity gap for hundreds of PUSD students, improving attendance thus increasing state Average Daily Attendance funding, improving reading resources and parent engagement. As a future Board member, I will demand the district do right by their special education students, in particular. Federal law guarantees the right to a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to kids with disabilities, including those with learning and thinking differences. PUSD must invest in staff, resources, and organizational reform to ensure the District’s 100% compliance with Individualized Educational Plan (IEP). Anything less directs taxpayer dollars into wasteful legal fees which would be better spent in the classroom. 

It’s been an honor and a privilege to run for Pasadena Unified School Board. 

I ask you for the opportunity to fight for the 15,000 students of Pasadena Unified School District.

I humbly ask for your vote.

Sincerely,

Pat Amsbry
www.Pat4PUSD.com