Superintendent's Weekly Update

March 27, 2026

Dear PUSD Staff and Families,

With spring settling in, this week provided opportunities to be out on our campuses and in conversation with partners who share our work.

I had the chance to spend time at California State University San Marcos with fellow superintendents and University President Ellen Neufeldt. We had a thoughtful discussion about how K–12 and higher education can stay aligned as expectations for students continue to evolve after graduation. These conversations matter not because they produce immediate answers, but because they help us stay focused on what students need from us over time. I’m thankful for our strong partnership with CSUSM.

I also visited a number of our schools, and as always, those visits were the highlight of the week. They are a strong reminder that our work is connected. What happens in our classrooms each day builds toward what comes next, and strong partnerships help make those transitions clearer and more attainable for our students.

Thank you for the consistency and care you bring to our educational community each day. Have a fantastic weekend!

With gratitude,

Ben

Tune into Straight from the Supe with Dr. Traci Jackson and Melissa Yu

On the latest episode of Straight from the Supe, Dr. Traci Jackson, math teacher on special assignment, and Melissa Yu, math teacher at Meadowbrook Middle School, share their approach to high-quality, innovative math instruction and breaking down misconceptions about mathematics in school.

Watch or listen on your favorite podcast platform!

Spotify

YouTube

Apple Podcasts

Poway Community Foundation Grant Supports Playground Accessibility and Belonging

The PUSD Community Advisory Committee recently received a grant from the Poway Community Foundation to support the Manny Project Adaptive Swings Initiative. This funding will help bring adaptive swings to multiple elementary schools across the district, expanding playground access for students with disabilities and creating more opportunities for inclusive play and belonging. Read more about this partnership on our site.

American Heart Association Awards Grant to Mt. Carmel Heart Club

Mt. Carmel High School has been awarded a grant from the American Heart Association to expand CPR education and training through the school’s student-led Heart Club. This funding will help students lead awareness events, train others in CPR, and help develop a cardiac emergency response plan for the campus. Through this work, students are not only learning lifesaving skills, but also stepping into leadership roles that help make their school and community safer. To read the full story, click here.

Our AI Playbook is here to help families make sense of AI in schools and guide students in using it safely. As AI becomes a bigger part of everyday learning, having these conversations at home is more important than ever.

What’s inside the Playbook:

Guidance for Families
AI Defined
Digital Citizenship
Conversation Starters
Data Privacy
AI and Academics

Take a few minutes to explore the Playbook. It’s designed to make these discussions easy, practical, and meaningful.

DOWNLOAD THE PLAYBOOK

Next week, we open registration for “Stronger Together: Preventing Bullying Through Family–School Partnerships” the last event for the school year from our Family Engagement Series. It will be held online on April 22, 2026 from 5:00–7:00 p.m.

This event will feature a panel of experts who support student well‑being, including district leaders, mental health practitioners, and student and parent representatives who will discuss how we can work together to prevent and address bullying.

You will want to join in on this important conversation. Registration will open next week, and we will send a follow‑up email with the link once it is available.

PUSD Moving to New Mass Communications Platform

Poway Unified will soon finalize its transition to using Final Site as its new mass communications platform to replace Blackboard Connect. For families, the platform will deliver clearer, more accessible communications with improved translation accuracy and messages that are better tailored to the information most relevant to them.

To learn more about Final Site, visit our news page.

Important Links

Important Dates

March 31 - April 2, 2026 - Poway Music Festival (Info)
April 3, 2026 - D39 K-5 Show "Global Beats Music that Connects Us: Africa" (Info)
April 6 - 10, 2026 - District Recess, Spring Break

Click here for the full calendar.

A NOTE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT A NOTE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT