Are Pasadena public schools really that bad? (Arcadia: upper-class, neighborhoods)

[smleemd]

What abt the elementary schools located south of the 210? Neighborhoods seem pretty nice (& sometimes pricey) there. Attended Arcadia school years ago and comparing PUSD to that standard. Thanks!

[Charles]

California School Performance Maps

Looks like there are a lot of good schools in that area.

[uptown_urbanist]

I know people who have had good experiences with PUSD. I also know some people who have switched to private for the later grades. I've had some experience (off-site) with PUSD classrooms, and have been impressed with the teachers and students. I think right now it can be hit-or-miss depending on the specific school.

Check out the Pasadena Educational Foundation's website for useful data, studies, and details about this active group of community members who are working hard to help PUSD schools.

While not living in the LA currently, we had recently discussed the possibility of moving back (not likely to happen at this point, though) and decided that we were willing to buy in PUSD and to give their schools a chance.

There's a report somewhere on the Pasadena Educational Foundation's website that cites all of the community resources available in Pasadena. I also remember reading an article (maybe last year?) that said that more and more middle and upper-class parents in Pasadena were reconsidering the public school option; in this economy even people who can afford it are stopping to think if they really want to spend $25k on private.

I don't know the ins-and-outs of the specific schools in Pasadena, but I've heard good things about Blair (grades 7-12, I think); it offers the IB program, among other benefits. Hamilton (elementary) is south of the 210, too, and is supposed to be very good. In any case, don't give up on PUSD without checking it out for yourself.

[smleemd]

Originally Posted by Charles

California School Performance Maps

Looks like there are a lot of good schools in that area.

Thanks for your help. Yes, it looks like there are some decent public schools in pasadena based on various school websites... so I was wondering why iPUSD gets such a bad rap.

[smleemd]

Thanks for your thoughtful reply! I've been hearing/reading the same thing. Of course I'll be an involved parent, but shelling out 25K for private is too much for me. I've never heard of IB. Is that a program that costs extra or requires an entrance exam?

[uptown_urbanist]

PUSD has some good schools, but they also have some bad ones; John Muir in particular has had a lot of negative public attention over the years. I think in general school districts seem to be defined by their worst schools, not their best. (although for what it's worth, John Muir has had some massive changes since 2008 and is working hard to overcome past problems)

Pasadena's school history is also pretty complex; one of the unpleasant stories in its past is the story of segregation. The courts finally had to step in to force the city to integrate its schools, and the result was a lot of white flight from the system. That seems to have left deep scars that have only recently started to ease up; I'm not from Pasadena and don't know what it's like, but it seems like more people today who would have automatically in the past either moved or gone private are now willing to take their chances in PUSD. In the meantime, reputations always lag behind the reality, and the fact that there are some good schools often gets overshadowed by the more news-worthy problem schools. The fact that there are so many good private schools in and around Pasadena has also made it easy for those who could afford it to just take the easy route and go private, or move to one of the neighborhood cities where all the schools are good. As a parent I would be willing to take a chance on PUSD, but I definitely would check out the individual school options first.

[uptown_urbanist]

IB is International Baccalaureate ; I don't know how it works at Blair in terms of admission, etc., but the program itself general it's sort of like AP. (better, I think, but I'm biased!)

[jmlowman]

Actually, IB is a step above AP. A student who is successful in this program can pretty much write his/her own ticket as far as college admissions. I'm talking about the best schools worldwide, even Oxford and Cambridge.

No, it doesn't cost anything extra.

[uptown_urbanist]

Yes, I'd agree that the program as a whole is better than AP. It is like AP in the sense that the classes are rigorous and there are tests; it's unlike AP (well, unlike the AP courses I took) in that the IB test score also usually encompasses things outside of just the test itself (research papers, portfolios, etc.). I didn't attend Blair, but at my high school we could choose to either take individual IB courses or go the whole way and go for the IB Diploma (separate from the regular high school diploma). I don't know Blair's history, but assume that PUSD signed up to host an IB program in part to give Pasadena parents an academic option that was competitive with area private schools.

[smleemd]

Thanks for your insights!