Pasadena Unified School District welcomes back staff ahead of new year

Pasadena Unified School District teachers and staff gathered Wednesday, Aug. 12, for a welcome-back event ahead of the first day of school.

Employees filled the Pasadena High School auditorium Wednesday morning less than a week before the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 17.

“This year, we’re building on what we have accomplished, learning from what we’ve been through, and creating our own future instead of waiting for it to happen,” Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco said.

During her remarks, Blanco touted PUSD’s 91% graduation rate, gains in mathematics and the district’s focus on literacy, multilingual learners and students with disabilities.

District employees were also honored for work that “reflects service, leadership, and commitment to PUSD students and schools.”

• Teacher of the Year: Michael Birnbryer-Lao, Blair High School
• Principal of the Year: Eric Barba, Pasadena High School
• Classified Employee of the Year: Dorsett Mannings, Night Custodian
• Superintendent’s Hero Award: Maria Toliver and Lanisha McKenzie, Principals of McKinley School and Eliot Arts Magnet
• Superintendent’s Above and Beyond Award: Community Clergy Coalition

For district leadership there wasn’t much of a summer break. As soon as students left campuses the district began a battle with local environmental advocates and the city of Pasadena over its plan to remediate soil found to be contaminated after the Eaton fire.

The plan resulted in the removal of more than 100 trees and an ongoing legal battle with the city of Pasadena. Some areas of the campuses scheduled for remediation will remain closed when the school year starts on Monday because district crews were unable to complete the required work in time.

“District teams and contractors have been working urgently through a complicated and, at times, disrupted process to complete as much of this work as possible before students return,” a district statement this week read.