United Teachers of Pasadena will host a forum for Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education candidates Saturday, Oct. 3, at 2 p.m. at First Church of the Nazarene in Pasadena, the union said in a Saturday announcement.
The forum comes a month before the Nov. 3 general election for four of the school board’s seven seats, in districts 1, 3, 5 and 7, each for a four-year term. Three of those races are contested.
In District 1, incumbent board member Kimberly Kenne faces Felita Kealing, a school student recruiter. In District 3, incumbent board member Michelle Richardson Bailey faces Veronica Elias, whose ballot designation is educator/parent. In District 7, Dennis J. McNamara and Cynthia Torres, whose ballot designations are retired finance executive and education services consultant, are running for the seat held by Dr. Yarma Velázquez, who is not seeking reelection.
Candidates will answer questions in a moderated format and share their priorities and vision with educators, parents and the broader community, the union said in an announcement. Questions will come from union members, who include teachers, librarians, counselors, psychologists, speech pathologists and nurses. The event is free and open to the public, according to the union.
United Teachers of Pasadena, an affiliate of the California Teachers Association and the National Education Association, is the bargaining unit for the district’s teachers, counselors, librarians, nurses, psychologists and speech-language pathologists. It serves Altadena, Pasadena and Sierra Madre.
Incumbent board member Patrice Marshall McKenzie was the only candidate to qualify in District 5, so she will be appointed in lieu of election.
Board members are elected by geographic sub-district, and candidates must live and be registered to vote in the sub-district they seek to represent. The candidate with the most votes in each race wins, with no runoff. The district serves Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre, along with unincorporated county areas.
Vote centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3, according to the district.
NEED TO KNOW
Event: United Teachers of Pasadena community candidate forum for the Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education. When: Saturday, Oct. 3. Time: 2 p.m. Cost: Free. Where: First Church of the Nazarene, 3700 E. Sierra Madre Blvd., Pasadena.
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