PUSD UPDATE

Dear PUSD Community,

One of the goals in my 100-Day Plan is to listen to the PUSD community about our district’s strengths, challenges, and strategies for improvement. I invite you to join me at a Town Hall on Wednesday, September 27 from 4-6 p.m. at Octavia E. Butler Magnet. Details are below.

In this week’s Update, we celebrate our creative teachers, welcome new leaders to the PUSD family, and invite you to see our student achievements. PUSD is hosting the annual College Night.

Please take a few minutes to catch up on the latest district news and have a great week!

Sincerely

Elizabeth J. Blanco, Ed.D.
Interim Superintendent

Join Interim Superintendent Elizabeth J. Blanco at a Community Town Hall meeting on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 in the library at Octavia E. Butler Magnet.

Coming soon! Our annual college fair will be on Wednesday, October 4, 2023. PUSD will host over 100 colleges and universities at the Pasadena Civic Center, 300 E. Green St., Pasadena, from 4-8 p.m. PUSD College Night 2023 is a free event and all ages are welcome.

Altadena Arts Elementary Magnet, Eliot Arts Magnet Middle School, and Rose City High School are welcoming new principals, pending approval by the Board of Education:

Michael Bell, Ed.D., has been appointed principal of Rose City High School, pending approval by the Board of Education. Dr. Bell is a product of PUSD schools and began his career as a math teacher in the district. He was principal of Focus Point Academy. Dr. Bell says, “My desire is to create this type of atmosphere where students can meet their full potential.” Dr. Bell earned a bachelor's degree from Tuskegee University, a master's degree from California State University, Los Angeles, and a Doctorate from Bradley University.

Dr. Bell succeeds Brian Stanley, who has served as Principal of Rose City High School since 2015. Mr. Stanley accepted a position as Principal of Twilight Adult School and Child Welfare and Attendance as well as Youth in Foster Care, where he will serve students across the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD). Mr. Stanley has done tremendous work with the students, staff, and educational partners of Rose City, as a teacher, dean, and assistant principal. Under his leadership, Rose City was named a California Model Continuation High School.

Dr. Dana Hill is the new principal of Altadena Arts Magnet. She succeeds Dr. Benita Scheckel who has accepted a position in a neighboring school district. Most recently, Dr. Hill has served as assistant principal on both Eliot and Altadena’s campuses. She joined Altadena Elementary in 2015 and was on the team that successfully wrote the arts magnet grant that fueled the school’s programs and growth. Dr. Hill was named Pasadena NAACP's Outstanding Teacher of the year and received the “Star of Education” Award in 2008. She is a graduate of California State University, Los Angeles, University of Phoenix, and Pepperdine University where she earned her doctorate. She says, "I am excited to embark upon this new role of leadership on the campus I love so much. I’m looking forward to maintaining our excellence in Art as well as working with our staff, parent groups, and community partners to make Altadena Arts Magnet the ideal community school.”

To support Eliot Arts Magnet until a new principal is named, Penny Fraumeni, a highly-respected retired principal with previous arts experience, will serve as interim. Ms. Fraumeni was named National Principal of the Year in 2018, California Distinguished Principal in 2011, and is a former member of the Board of Education of the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District. She was the founding principal of Fairgrove Academy in La Puente, California, and led its transformation into an arts magnet school.

Since Sunday at sunset, Jewish communities around the world have been observing Yom Kippur, the day of atonement. Yom Kippur ends this evening.