The Filmmakers Who Put Pasadena’s Schools on Camera Will Be Feted at City Hall Event

When a Pasadena parcel tax failed and left public school funding short, Jim and Dawn O’Keeffe didn’t write a letter. They called 50 film crews.

On May 8, 2012, the O’Keeffes sent those crews into all 28 schools of Pasadena Unified School District, from sunrise to long after sundown, and captured a single ordinary day. The footage became Go Public: A Day in the Life of an American School District, a 90-minute documentary that eventually aired on more than 250 PBS stations in 40 states. On Thursday, the Pasadena Educational Foundation will honor them for it.

PEF’s annual “Celebrating Our Schools: Discover 2026” event is scheduled for 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Pasadena City Hall Courtyard, 100 N. Garfield Ave. The foundation, which PEF says has supported public schools in Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre for more than 50 years, will present its Exemplary Service Award to the O’Keeffes. PEF describes them as longtime supporters, volunteers and champions of Pasadena Unified School District and public education.

The evening also features what PEF calls an “award-winning” student showcase — hands-on exhibits and presentations highlighting student talent, creativity and achievement from schools across the district, including elementary through high school students. Light bites, drinks and conversation in the courtyard round out the program.

The O’Keeffes have described the project as an act of advocacy. “We would like to help change the conversation around public education,” Dawn O’Keeffe told the Glendale News-Press when the documentary was released. “We believe that it does work, but it needs to be supported, valued and celebrated.”

Dawn O’Keeffe currently serves on PEF’s executive board. Jim O’Keeffe directed and co-produced the film; Dawn co-produced it through their Pasadena-based production company, Blue Field Productions. Go Public won Best Documentary at the Catalina Film Festival and the President’s Innovation Award at the Burbank International Film Festival, according to Blue Field Productions.

PEF says it has distributed more than $7.4 million to the PUSD community through its Eaton Fire response fund. The foundation also says it has awarded $325,000 in teacher grants. PUSD serves more than 13,000 students in preschool and transitional kindergarten through 12th grade across a 76-square-mile area that includes Altadena and Pasadena.

General admission is $125. According to PEF’s notice, the deadline to purchase tickets is Wednesday, April 29, at 5 p.m. For tickets, visit pasedfoundation.org or email pef@pased.org. Sponsorship levels, as listed by PEF, range from $500 to $20,000.

In 2012, the cameras spent one day inside Pasadena’s schools. Fourteen years later, the students are still showing up — and Thursday, the community is invited to see what they’ve made.