Guest Opinion | Scott Harden: Celebrating PUSD’s Community Schools

As the Pasadena Unified School District enters a challenging era marked by fiscal constraints and declining enrollment… there’s a bright light shining on the horizon, illuminating the path of our public schools in new and innovative ways.

PUSD is embarking on another year of its Community Schools transformation initiative, with nine schools — Madison Elementary, Longfellow Magnet, Washington STEM Magnet, Eliot Arts Magnet, McKinley School of the Arts, Octavia E. Butler Magnet, John Muir Early College Magnet, Pasadena High and Rose City High — leading the way.

We often hear the cliché “it takes a village to raise a child” but in this case, nothing could be truer. Community schools are public schools with a “whole child” approach to education, recentering their operational models as “neighborhood hubs”, connecting students, staff, families and community members all working together to put students first so that they can thrive regardless of barriers to their success. By connecting academics, health, social services, youth and community development at the school site, students shine.

Community schools build capacity by following a continuous improvement model that draws on the values and expertise of those organizations and thought leaders around us. In education, we talk about the fact that engaged school communities are essential to student success. Community schools demand nothing less than full community commitment, as school strategic decision making is made closest to the school site, involving teachers, students, staff, service partners and neighbors to give input and tailor strategies specific to the students at that site.

For example, at John Muir High School Early College Magnet, students are taught “The Muir Way” and their curriculum and culture are modeled around culturally relevant instruction, racially just practices and bias awareness and mitigation. The school is led by Principal Dr. Lawton Gray, a recent recipient of an NAACP Ruby McKnight Williams Award for his work in education.

Meanwhile, over at Madison Elementary School, 90% of parents surveyed feel they are part of a welcoming school climate and they are invited to participate in planning alongside teachers and administration in programs like reading intervention, attendance incentives, and events that celebrate the cultures of the enrolled students through Mariachi and Baile Folklórico.

At Octavia E. Butler School and Eliot Arts Magnet Academy, staff and resources are sustainably retained through braided funding models that ensure multiple resources are interwoven to ensure arts and student leadership development programs are consistent year over year, and less dependent on the whims of one-time “now you see it, now you don’t” grant funding.

Schools that haven’t always been at the forefront of community investment like Rose City High School are shining due to strategic community partnerships with the Boys & Girls Club, career-tech educational programs, union trade organizations and tutoring partners have led to five new organized sports teams (Volleyball, softwall, basketball, soccer and flag football) which help incentivize students to excel academically and holistically.

Up the hill at Longfellow Elementary School, students feel the warmth of inclusion and cross-cultural-awareness. They learn to be multilingual scholars and contribute as global citizens. Students collaborate on a museum to exhibit the amazing things learned in the classroom. Teachers feel supported, and they spend over 50 hours a year in workshops and coaching to better themselves as facilitators of engaged learning.

The data shows success. Chronic absenteeism, a common struggle in public schools, especially during and after the pandemic, has seen marked change across our Community Schools. Madison Elementary has fallen from 62% in 2021-22 to just under 26% in 2023-2024. That’s a -35% drop! And overall has resulted in over 4,083 hours of provided tutoring, 133 counseling sessions, development of 27 enrichment programs, 855 take-home books, 42 trained parent leaders, 15 trained student leaders, and 40 brand-new musical instruments.

Community Partner organizations like the Boys & Girls Club, Collaborate PASadena, PUSD PTA, Day One, Young & Healthy, Pasadena Public Library, Pasadena Fire Department, Reading Partners, Twilight Adult School, Chap Care, STARS, the African American Parent Council, College Access Plan, Harmony Project, Pasadena Public Health, Pasadena Water & Power, Harambee Ministries, the Altadena Library and more have all wrapped their arms around our Community Schools and have said “we’re in” to ensure every child has every chance to succeed.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has made a substantial investment in Community Schooling state-wide with nearly $3.1 billion allocated in 2021 to support and expand the initiative. PUSD has benefited from this funding and through a programmatic partnership with Communities in Schools (CIS), receives additional money and training for community schools coordinators.

Community schools work when the community comes together to support student success in tangible and actionable ways. That’s the way public education should be.

I invite you to join me this Sunday morning, October 27th at 11am at Madison Elementary School, for PUSD’s 2nd Annual Community School Celebration. Stop by and learn about the “secret sauce” of what makes Community Schooling effective, how the community is embracing our Community Schools and how you can become part of the brighter future of PUSD. But first, take a moment to read up on community schools and our successful achievement at pusd.us/communityschools.

Scott Harden is a public school education advocate and Candidate for the Pasadena Unified Board of Education in District 4.