The Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education Thursday, Sept. 3, worked to define its district transformation process amid a clash of trustee opinions and in the face of parents and students claiming the entire exercise was leading to another school merger process.
During a nearly three-and-a-half hour meeting, the Board of Education meticulously edited, added to and debated what the definition of a district transformation process should be. Board President Tina Fredericks and Trustee Michelle Richardson Bailey participated remotely.
Natalia Guerra with Collaborate PASadena presented a draft definition at the beginning of the meeting followed by trustees suggesting edits and additions to the draft definition.
Guerra mediated the conversation and dictated trustee suggestions into the draft definition. Guerra also moderated an Aug. 13 meeting where trustees began transformation talks. At that meeting, trustees created a committee made up of the entire Board of Education.
The Board of Education and facilitator worked out of a shared Google Doc projected onto a large screen in the meeting room. Audience members left their seats to get a better view as changes and suggestions were added.
At one point, Fredericks’ suggested adding consolidation language to the draft definition, which was met by boos from the audience. Trustees were split on how crafting the definition should be done in addition to the content of the definition.
Bailey and Trustee Jennifer Hall Lee said before the district can transform itself, the Board of Education must look inward and address the breakdown in trust among its members.
Trustees were originally supposed to take up defining district transformation at a special meeting on Monday, Aug. 31.
That meeting ended abruptly after district officials said a physical version of the agenda had not been properly posted. Before the meeting was cut short, 12 people spoke during public comment accusing the district of once again attempting to begin a school merger process under a different name.
The board meeting room was much fuller Thursday with student and parents filling the chamber with signs in support of their school and against any consolidation. Signs included messages like “Transparency=Trust” and “Save our Schools.” As trustees entered the meeting room prior to the meeting, students held their signs aloft.
While more people filled the room, the sentiment remained the same from Monday’s public commenters.
More than 20 people spoke during public comment with multiple speakers questioning why Fredericks was not in attendance in person for the meeting.
Some student speakers mentioned being in front of the board on multiple occasions and expressed frustration and fatigue about having to continually speak up for their schools staying open and asked trustees to listen to students.
Many of the speakers were parents or students from Thurgood Marshall Secondary School, one of the schools included on a list of proposed school merger scenarios in the spring.
An exploratory school merger process ended in May when a volunteer committee did not recommend any potential merger scenarios and the Board of Education voted not to continue the process. Internal text messages and emails between a portion of the Board of Education revealed through public records request appeared to show trustees coordinating about consolidation plans before the process formally began.
Fredericks and Trustee Scott Harden face potential recall elections as a result of their part in the failed consolidation process and internal communications. Organizers are in the process of gathering signatures for the recalls to qualify for an election.
The board will vote on approving a definition of the transformation process at a future meeting.
Thursday’s meeting was streamed live on the KLRN Pasadena YouTube channel.