Community Leaders Spend a Day in Pasadena Classrooms

Pasadena Unified families can see how local leaders are joining principals to learn what happens inside district schools.

Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Administration

Community Leaders Spend a Day in Pasadena Classrooms

Live Poll

Do you think local schools benefit when community leaders volunteer in classrooms?

Twenty-five community leaders joined Pasadena Unified School District principals for classroom visits on Oct. 27, as part of the Principal for a Day program run by the Pasadena Educational Foundation. Guests included the heads of Pasadena Water and Power and the Pasadena Public Library.

Why it matters

The program brings outside civic leaders into district classrooms, giving Pasadena-area families a direct look at how their neighborhood schools operate and how local agencies connect with them. It also reflects the foundation's ongoing role in helping fund Pasadena Unified, which serves students across several communities.

Twenty-five community leaders took part on Oct. 27, and the program has brought more than 500 community members into district schools since 2006. The Pasadena Educational Foundation helps raise $12 million to $15 million a year for Pasadena Unified, which serves more than 14,000 students.

The players

Pasadena Educational Foundation

A nonprofit that has supported Pasadena Unified schools since 1971 and raises $12 million to $15 million a year for the district.

Pasadena Unified School District

The public district serving more than 14,000 students in Pasadena, Altadena, Sierra Madre and unincorporated Los Angeles County.

Pasadena Water and Power

The city utility whose head joined the Principal for a Day classroom visits.

Pasadena Public Library

The city library whose head joined the Principal for a Day classroom visits.

The details

Guests spent part of a school day in classrooms, meeting students and educators and observing lessons alongside their principals. Afterward, they gathered with principals and district leaders at a luncheon to share what they had learned. The foundation has supported district schools since 1971 and runs the program, which marks its 20th year in 2026.

Oct. 27, 2025: community leaders visited classrooms during Principal for a Day.
2026: the Principal for a Day program marks its 20th anniversary.

The Home Front

The Principal for a Day program has run since 2006 and has brought more than 500 community members into Pasadena-area schools. Its visits sit alongside the foundation's long-running funding role, which has supported district schools since 1971.

If you have a child in Pasadena Unified, ask your school whether it participates in Principal for a Day or how families can get involved in classroom visits. Families interested in supporting district schools can also look into the Pasadena Educational Foundation's fundraising efforts.

The takeaway

Community involvement in classrooms is a practical way for neighbors to see what schools need and how they operate. If your child attends a Pasadena Unified school, check with the principal's office about upcoming visits or volunteer opportunities.