Jennifer Hall Lee (Photo – jenniferforpusd.com)
In this piece, outgoing President of the Pasadena Unified School District Board, Jennifer Hall Lee, shares her thoughts on the challenges faced, the milestones achieved, and the continued commitment to building a brighter future for PUSD students.
By Jennifer Hall Lee
This year, as Board President of the Pasadena Unified School District, has been one I will carry with me for a long time.
I started the year with deep respect for our students, families, and staff, and I end it with admiration for their resilience and determination. Serving in this role has given me a close-up view of what it means to lead during times of uncertainty and hope. Recovery continues, and we’ve built a foundation for healing and renewal.
The Goals
Before the fire, I did what incoming presidents do: I set goals for the board. The Eaton fire was devastating, but through this challenging year, I am proud of the work we have done together.
The first goal was the adoption of new Board objectives to ensure accountability and raise student achievement. These goals, set by the entire board, are bold, visionary, centered on children, and grounded in data and community feedback.
The Board also accomplished something new: the creation of the Governance Handbook. This significant document outlines our roles to the public and clarifies the partnership between the superintendent and the trustees.
We also engaged a regular board facilitator to guide us through meetings and focused learning sessions. Professional development is vital for a school board, as a board’s primary focus is student achievement. The work we’ve done will provide a framework that will support future boards.
Additionally, we completed a board self-evaluation, which will help us monitor our growth as a board.
The future
We’ve marked a shift in how we think about our district as a whole—particularly in areas like workforce housing and asset management. PUSD is once again leading the way.
At the recent California School Board Association conference in Sacramento, PUSD trustees, alongside our superintendent, led two well-attended sessions about our workforce housing and asset management accomplishments.
In a time of unstable public education funding and rising costs, our assets are more important than ever. We’ve looked at our properties with a focus on sustainability and how they benefit our students. Our workforce housing development is moving forward.
We’ve confronted difficult fiscal challenges with honesty. The decisions have not been easy, but we’ve kept students at the center of this process, committed to protecting their learning and growth.
I will continue serving on the Board of Education with gratitude and pride. Our work is far from finished. I look ahead with a steady faith in our ability to keep building a strong future for the students of PUSD.
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