The Slice – Spring 2025
PiE Celebrates 20 Years of Positive Impact on PAUSD Students
Palo Alto Partners in Education (PiE) was founded as a non-profit in 2005 to enhance educational excellence for students within the Palo Alto Unified School District and distribute funds equitably across all schools and students in PAUSD. It has been a great endeavor that has added enormous value to the community over the past 20 years! Indeed, PiE serves as an example to education foundations in many surrounding districts.
In honor of PiE’s upcoming 20th anniversary, we interviewed three current PAUSD principals—Iris Wong at Walter Hays, Chris Grierson at JLS, and Wendy Stratton at Gunn—about the impact PiE has had on elementary, middle, and high school students in PAUSD, the changes they have witnessed in PiE funding and priorities, and their hopes and wishes for the future.
What is PiE’s impact on PAUSD elementary schools?
At the elementary level, classroom aides, arts teachers, and school counselors would not be possible without PiE!
PiE pays for classroom aides in every elementary school classroom for an average of 5 hours/week for grades 1-5 and 14 hours for kindergarten classrooms. Aides support classroom teachers in vital ways ranging from copying educational materials to working with students in smaller group instruction.
Spectra Art teachers, who provide coordinated grade-appropriate lessons, are funded by PiE. Certificated Music teachers, also funded by PiE, teach K-3rd graders three times a week and 4th-5th graders twice a week. The music program is robust, offering all 4th graders recorders and allowing 5th graders to choose their own instruments.
Finally, PiE supports a full-time mental health and wellness therapist at every PAUSD elementary school who establishes positive and safe relationships for all kids. PAUSD used to contract with an external counseling program for our counselors, but for the past three years our counselors have been PAUSD staff members and this has enabled us to provide an unprecedented level of support for our elementary students.
What is PiE’s impact on PAUSD middle schools?
At the middle school level, PiE also has a huge impact. It provides funds for enrichment and electives so we can offer a very robust program, almost like a junior college. Middle schools in Palo Alto are able to offer two full periods of electives, where most public middle schools in California offer only one.
At JLS, specifically, PiE funds electives in STEM and the Arts, guidance counselors, and our mental health therapists. JLS electives Design and Tech, Money Matters, Industrial Technology, Marine Biology, Video Production, Ceramics, Japanese, Orchestra, Band, and our music sectionals and accompanist, would not be possible without PiE funding.
PiE also funds Panther Camp Orientation, student council advisors, team leads for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade teams, and substitute teachers.
The educational experience at JLS would indeed look and feel very different without the critical funding we receive from PiE.
What is PiE’s impact on PAUSD high schools?
At the high school level, PiE enables us to offer more pathways and opportunities for students to discover their passions and what really excites them. Thanks to PiE, the hands-on opportunities we provide to our students increase the quality of their educational experience from great to extraordinary!
During COVID-19, we used PiE funds to create high-functioning Professional Learning Communities that met regularly to establish clear, aligned educational goals for their classes and departments.
As our enrollment has declined in recent years, we’ve used PiE funds to sustain teachers and support staff in our core and elective programs. PiE funds support some of our wonderful teachers in auto technology, biology and chemistry, Algebra 1 and AP Stats, and SELF. In addition, PiE funds partially support two of our guidance counselors, our science lab technician, orchestra, band, and theater programs, and TRC (Testing Resource Center) staff. The TRC is an exceptional resource unique to Gunn that supports students with IEPs and 504s who receive accommodations. Finally, at Gunn, PiE supports programs for incoming freshmen and outreach efforts to our community.
What changes have you seen in recent years with respect to PiE funding and priorities?
The biggest evolutionary shift in PiE funding and priorities has been from technological innovations to mental health innovations and support.
In 2002, we were evolving from analog to digital, and trying to put touch-sensitive smartboards and other technology to enhance learning into classrooms. But by 2010, there was an obvious need for more emotional support, mental health and wellness, and emphasis on the WHOLE person, so PiE shifted its focus. The focus on mental health and wellness has continued to blossom since then. Now that counseling and guidance staff are employed within PAUSD rather than contracted out, we are more aligned across all schools in our priorities, standards, and guiding questions. This is having unprecedented positive effects on students at all educational levels.
Do you have any hopes and wishes for PiE in the future?
At the elementary school level, we are thankful to PiE for so many things.
Our schools would not be the schools they are, and our exceptionally high-quality education would not be as high-quality without PiE.
Music, art, and other alternative pathway programs are able to reach students who might not otherwise shine academically. Having mental health and wellness therapists at every site is absolutely fantastic. I look forward to spreading the word about PiE to all parents and guardians of elementary-age students. I would love PiE to feature all the Spectra Art teachers and classroom aides funded by PiE so our parents can identify these wonderful personnel who are teaching and supporting their children on a daily basis!
At the middle school level, thanks to PiE, we are able to meet students where they are and give them a wealth of opportunities to develop their interests and passions. I hope that in addition to focusing on innovation, PiE will continue to enable us to meet the needs of all students. I’m curious to see which enrichment courses will be most engaging in the future, and how we will teach communication, critical thinking, and problem solving to our students. How will we develop students’ confidence in their own thoughts and abilities? How will we teach them to struggle productively and develop skills they don’t yet have, in a world where screens are the main mode of connection? How will we deal with AI? I hope PiE continues to help us address these fundamental questions and challenges.
At the high school level, PiE has been funding the work of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) at Gunn and across the district. Both high schools are coming together with a common language and sharing practices and resources to make the most significant impact on our students. Department leads from both schools meet regularly to better align with each other and establish clear district-wide program goals. I’m very much looking forward to this continued collaboration and alignment between the high schools as we continue to offer our students a truly exceptional educational experience, thanks in large part to PiE!
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PiE relies on donations from PAUSD parents, families, and the Palo Alto community. Donate now at any level to support our students and schools!