Recently in PUSD Category

Rene Francois Amy says his mother was something of a Francophile, if that wasn't apparent from his brothers Amy: Jean Luc, Jean Claude and Jos Bleau. (OK, I made up those names)

When I was on the PUSD for nine months or so, I'd peruse "the list" once a week or so, and of course would enjoy the inevitable blurb Rene would insert above each of my stories posted.

"Yawn, nothing new, lazy damn reporters."

Ended up not having the time to compose the intended story to explore the greater theme of Pasadena's "opposition movement" and what its perspective is on predominant, Pasadena Way. Did speak briefly with school board member Ed Honowitz, whose comments were similar to those of Scott Phelps and Bill Bibbiani. Ed did suggest my time could be better spent pursuing other topics. :)

In the full post, I've put the 2003 Rene Amy epic as composed by former staff writer Gretchen Hoffman.

The PUSD & Altadena Town Council Joint Meeting:

Pasadena Unified School District and Altadena Town Council will participate in a joint meeting to be held on December 4 at 7 p.m. in the Eliot Middle School Auditorium, 2184 N. Lake Avenue in Altadena. Issues regarding Altadena and its schools will be discussed. Also, representatives from the County of Los Angeles will be on hand to discuss joint use of green space. The public are welcome to attend.

I love Altadena. With more crazies per square mile, it's one of the best things about Pasadena. When my cell phone signal cuts out just above New York Drive, I feel like I'm back in Jalalabad. Altadenastan?

The boys (and girl) on the PUSD board will be grasping for breath up in that rarified, oxygen-deprived atmosphere when they head up to absorb a decade's worth of pent-up angst and rage over the school district many Altadenans feel they have no voice in.

Purloined this pic from what I believe to be Jeremiah Small's blog, Stonehill News. (Turns out it's a Star-News photo by the equally inimitable Walt Mancini which Jeremiah lifted from us.)

Whether you embrace Rene Amy as dedicated reformer or busybody muckraker, his commitment to overturning every stone - and pebble - is consistent.

If we write a story about misdeeds in the Pasadena Unified School District that hasn't already come up in his PUSDGreatschools discussion group, such as spending abuse by employees in the LEARNS program, you can bet he'll be down at Hudson Avenue the next day demanding receipts.

If it gets out that the recently unemployed, previous president of the school board appears mixed up in a barely legal business, Rene is - and was - going down to City Hall bright and early to see if that business is properly licensed. Apparently city staff were unable to find such a license for PDD Consulting: "Deadrick Operating Illegal Business?"

One can dispute the conclusions and criticisms extrapolated from the vigorous dialogue in his PUSDGreatschools discussion group on a subjective basis -- where everything is conclusive evidence of the school district's collective mendacity, villainy, incompetence, greed, cowardice, languor and/or stupidity.

But what infuriates the critic's critics is that he's often right. And that people pay attention -- from City Council and Board of Ed members to parents and reporters. For a school district long operating with a siege mentality, the fact that Rene has a place in our Rolodex is adequate proof of our mission to Destroy Public Education.

If you consider the alternative, where no one aggressively pursues transparency ... I just wish Patrick Leier-era Pomona Unified would have benefitted from 1/10 of a Rene.

You know it's Rene on the phone because the laughter on the other end of the line which begins before you get to "Hello" and continues after you've said "Goodbye." And you know he's likely not laughing at himself.

Word comes that as of Friday, Executive Director Prentice Deadrick of the Center for Community and Family Services has left the building. Not that there's any indication of such at www.ccafs.org beyond listing Gwen White as "Interim Executive Director" on the executive team roster.

A former Pasadena assistant city manager and school board member, Prentice announced in November he wouldn't seek another term after a wild ride on the Board of Education Express. His departure from CCAFS is only interesting because Prentice talked about that job every chance he got at school board meetings and it was one of his principal motives for stepping down. From his e-mailed announcement then:

I have no desire to run again, I have done just about all I can do and my priorities for the Pasadena school district and other school districts in LA County is to produce kindergartners ready to learn and not in an achievement gap. My leadership over the Center for Community and Family Services is far more critical in making a difference for poor and low income families that look to public education to break the cycle of poverty. It has been a challenge for me to be the CEO of an agency that serves 10 thousand children and families in 37 different locations in Los Angeles County while also participating as part of the governance body of PUSD. I look forward to working one full time job, not two.

I dropped a note to Prentice asking him what happened; will update when there's word.

The drama went as scripted. Danny Bakewell, Sr., kept his cool and didn't go on the hyper offensive again. Steve Madison mostly avoided speaking. The Bakewell Co. took the prize. Enormous political pressure was exerted. City staff looked bad; did a poor job explaining what happened.

Noon to 2 a.m. was enough for me -- and I still have to review the 90 minutes missed when I drove back to Lake Avenue to write the story, which I hope to have an addendum to posted online by noon(ish.)

In short: Union Station worked the political abacus and backed out, leaving the council with one developer with which to move forward.

A couple weeks back, I was surprised by an emotional reaction to attending my final meeting of Pasadena Unified's Board of Education.

Although I may not be on everyone in the district's list for Christmas/Ramadan/Festivus cards, there was the realization I'd actually miss talking to these people several times a week and observing their eternal angst.

But a new superintendent and school board is matched with a new beat for Star-News reporter Cortney Fielding. And Cortney has jumped in head first.

It would have been interesting to be at Monday's reorganization meeting, similar to what the City Council did an hour or so later.

It was universally assumed the school board would pick for its president member Scott Phelps, who was named vice president some months back when Peter Soelter appeared to game the system to ascend to that position.

Apparently newly elected member Renatta Cooper had something different in mind, as she nominated Esteban Lizardo when the question was brought. And with what had to be uneasy unanimity, everyone accepted that.
Hint: Most of them loathe public disagreement.

Why does this matter? Esteban has long wanted the board to conduct it's business differently. Now, as board president, he's driving the agenda with Superintendent Edwin Diaz. So definitely something to watch.

Just as I scurried out of Monday night's meeting of the Pasadena City Council, a Gold Line train slid into the Holly Street station with its front window smashed in. The conductor was soon taken out on a gurney, his face covered in blood after the window apparently shattered and showered him with glass.

I didn't have a chance to follow up today, but it seemed likely someone might have dropped something from one of a freeway overpass as the train was coming from the Lake Avenue station.

Driving back to the newsroom, I heard a promo that Larry Mantle would interview new Superintendent Edwin Diaz of the PUSD this morning. The show rebroadcasts at some point this afternoon, and should be available for a little while online at the above link.

Darrel Taylor, interim superintendent of the Pasadena schools, recently enumerated his goals in the district.

As was noted by one Board of Education candidate at Tuesday night's ACT forum, a little acrimonious debate is nothing new among the seven members of the school board. It seems some would prefer the board -- as is often joked at board meetings -- "to join hands and sing kumbayah."

Maybe they should have thought about that before voting in 2000 to improve representation by increasing the board's membership from five to seven?

"I think parents are disturbed and concerned with the instability of the school board. Children have been uprooted, schools have been closed and trustees have been unable to 'decide on an educational program.' "

Clipped from one of my stories? No.

In researching Anne Pursel, (at right) who died Tuesday, I turned to our incomparable Linda Hammes who holds a preternatural authority over our library of stories past. The above quote is from Marie Rivers in the March 1, 1985, edition of the Pasadena Star-News.

Rivers and Pursel were vying to succeed Marge Wyatt in Seat 5.

Not that I hadn't heard of Anne. In fact I worked for the Star-News in 1985, the year she was first elected to the school board. On my 10-speed beach cruiser, I was a newspaper distribution specialist, getting up at 5 a.m. to toss papers along Longden Avenue and surrounding streets in Arcadia.

I was laid off a year later.

I was sure to point this out to Editor Larry Wilson during my interview, who was kind enough not to hold my "shame a job out of them" strategy against me.

Update: Just spoke with Anne's daughter, Kathy, who shared the funeral arrangements:

2:30 p.m., Friday Jan. 19
All Saints Church @ 132. N Euclid Ave.

Grave side service follows at Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena, with a reception at the Woman's City Club, aka "The Blinn House" at 160 N. Oakland Ave., Pasadena.