The Wednesday column: PUSD board member responds
After reading the online comments to my Sunday column about the public schools, Pasadena Unified board member Renatta Cooper responded with concern.
A number of posters said that while they were happy enough with some aspects of the schools in Altadena, Pasadena and Sierra Madre -- the teachers, the curriculum, the campuses -- they were appalled by the lack of discipline, which made it hard for other students to learn.
"The biggest stumbling block seems to be getting a grip on discipline and follow through. NO ONE wants to send their child to a school where they can't feel safe. So why can't the district seem to improve discipline?" writes "Looking for Change."
"Even the Marshalls and Don Benitos of the district have students with serious behavior issues, who disrupt even the much touted classes at those schools. The district will not allow those principals to rescind a disruptive student's enrollment permit at those schools, thus keeping the education level at even our 'good' schools pretty middlin'," writes "Sheesh."
Rather than getting defensive, Renatta, a lifelong educator and former Pacific Oaks dean, cuts to the chase: "I was reading the comments to your story and I found them quite disturbing. I have been a board member for three years. I would welcome any parent with an example of a discipline matter being ignored during this time to please send me an e-mail at rcooper@pusd.us on the specifics of the incident so that I may investigate."
Parents, students, teachers, even -- take her up on it. Otherwise, we're letting the thugs win.
On another topic: The headline on a Monday front-page New York Times story: "In Colorado, It's Now Legal to Catch a Raindrop." It turns out that "Precipitation, every last drop or flake, was assigned ownership from the moment it fell in many Western states," but laws have been changed in Colorado at least to allow residents to collect rainwater legally.
The question has been: "Who owns the sky?" I asked Pasadena PIO Ann Erdman whether cistern-wielders in this city risked the hoosegow. Her reply: "It's neither legal nor illegal here. There's nothing currently in the Pasadena Municipal Code about it. A couple of departments are looking at creating some legal protocols for the sake of public health and safety." Being on the, so to speak, glass-half-full side of the bureaucratic divide, I say that if something's not illegal, then it's legal. And Ann pointed me to a recent story she wrote in the city's newsletter, Pasadena In Focus, about Northwest Commission Chair Dan Sharp and his wife Maya installing a barrel beneath their solar panels -- talk about a green household! -- to capture the runoff when they wash them. Cost just $45 in materials and a couple of hours of time. "A typical roof gutter can siphon off about 200 gallons from a mere quarter inch of rainfall. The Sharps now connect a hose to the rain barrel to irrigate their vegetable garden and deep water their fruit trees," Ann writes.
One way to beat the drought.
Comments
It shouldn't take 3 years for someone to notice what those of us in PUSD have known for a very long time, and that is that discipline is a major problem in many PUSD schools. It's been far too long that this problem has been ignored by Administration and I hope Board Members will tackle the problem straight on.
Until there is strict accountability for behavior there will not be as much learning taking place. Those who want to learn need freedom from those who don't. Those who don't want to learn often see school as a place to socialize. Even current Board Member Scott Phelps called this out long ago, yet in his time on the Board nothing has changed - even at Muir (his former school) when it comes to discipline.
Those who ruin it (both students and their parents) for others seem to have a sense of entitlement to be in school no matter how bad their behaviors disrupt the learning of others, often because there is no accountability. Kids get kicked out of class only to return quickly thereafter with little consequence. And when strict accountability measures are taken by administrators, parents come to kick and scream or cry foul about why their child's behavior should be excused, and administrators often relent. I hope that others, including the PUSD Administration will address this chronic problem or we will continually lose students to those other districts where it is easier for students to sit and learn free from those who stifle the learning process and those who directly or indirectly (administration) allow it to continue.
Posted by: A PUSD Constituent | June 30, 2009 11:40 PM
I don't want to be a party pooper, but surely catching water in a rain barrel only works during the rainy season? These barrels don't hold enough to last through the dry months, when the water's needed most and, as I know from experience in England, they provide a great breeding place for mosquitoes. Perhaps hardware stores could sell them with free anti-mosquito cakes?
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Posted by: CocoChanels | July 2, 2009 11:33 AM
Renatta Cooper shouldn't need people to call her up and tell her when they know about discipline problems. The woman is on the SCHOOL BOARD! She should be in the schools looking to see what is going on.
besides, if she gets a phone call, Renatta Cooper is going to call Edwin Diaz who is going to call the principal who is going to call the kid of the parent who called into his office and interrogate the kid. So I'd want to call Renatta Cooper because?
Hey, how about an anonymous tip line people can call in to complain? Oh yeah, nobody would take down the messages. Hell, you can't even get people to answer the phone when you call one of the schools.
Maybe Cooper should look at what kids are wearing! How they behave! What they say!
Oh right, sorry I forgot, this is Pasadena where the School Board doesn't have a clue, every kid is supposed to feel good about themselves and most everybody with two nickels to rub together puts their kid in private school. Like Larry did, with his mom's nickels.
Mike deLeeuw
east Pasadena taxpayer
private school parent
Posted by: Sharkey | July 2, 2009 3:47 PM
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Posted by: KonstantinMiller | July 6, 2009 10:23 AM
PUSD - Meg Abrahams in particular is willingly, negligently, and selfishly denying every person the right to legally transfer their child out of PUSD. Every parent that fights this bureaucracy loses. There are hundreds of Pasadena tax paying home owning parents with kids that are going through this right now and we are up in arms with this poor treatment and how PUSD only wants our money and what is not best for our children. Shame on you Meg and PUSD.....
Posted by: pasadena homeowner tax payer and parent | July 6, 2009 9:26 PM
Larry: See the challange posted on the original story. . .
Ms. Cooper, will you and the board PUBLICLY ANNOUNCE that any student with more than five days suspension will have their choice-school permit revoked? Or will thugs and vandals be allowed to fill seats that serious students have been turned away from?
Forget the name calling, will you and the board take action -- take the right action -- right now?
Posted by: Sheesh | July 16, 2009 9:33 PM
Larry: See the challange posted on the original story. . .
Ms. Cooper, will you and the board PUBLICLY ANNOUNCE that any student with more than five days suspension will have their choice-school permit revoked? Or will thugs and vandals be allowed to fill seats that serious students have been turned away from?
Forget the name calling, will you and the board take action -- take the right action -- right now?
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