Sometimes for the better

Tomorrow August 14th is our next General Planning meeting.  We will be at the La Pintoresca Library from 5:30-6:30.  There is usually parking on Raymond just north of Washington.

Tomorrow is also the first day of school in the Pasadena Unified School District.  Tonight will be a rough night for many a student, parent, teacher, and administrator.  But in the best of situations they will all work together to make the year the best possible for the students.  

Here is a picture of the faculty of Juniper Serra School.  The guess on the back of the picture is that this is from the mid 1920s.  They are a mix of ages and experiences; that probably made for some fine role models for the students.  To be honest, I see a couple of folks whose classroom I would wish to avoid.  But that's not fair; sometime the most loving and stern teacher is the person that provides the best guidance to students.  Please note - stern, not mean, not demeaning...

A snippet from the 1911 Tournament of Roses Program - 

"Pasadena Public Schools", by Arthur L. Hamilton, City of Superintendent of Schools

" In 1908 the number of pupils held over was 729 , or 21.7  of the total number of children on the rolls at the ned of the year.  In 1909 the number was 550, or 16 percent of the total.  For the year closing June 1910, the number over was 265 or 73. per cent.  Seventy-two of these were held over in the first grade and largely on account of under-aged pupils.  

The average cost of pupils in the grammar grades was, last year, $58.63.  As this is $5863 per hundred pupils held over, of extra expense to the district, it will be seen that from a financial pint of view the effort is worth while.  the advantage in the conservation of the child's interests is of vastly greater importance, however, than the financial gain. 

 

The teaching force of the city consists of 40 high school teachers; 132 grammar and primary; 26 kindergarten; 14 specials - a total f 212 teachers.  The total number of pupils enrolled in the public schools last year was  5623.  The high school reached 863 students; the grammar and primary grades 4352.  The kindergartens had a total of 408".