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The “it takes a village …” mindset sure manifests in public education, often out of necessity.
I had an opportunity to gather among some of that village Tuesday evening at Nonni’s Bistro downtown as our organization’s representative at the Pleasanton Partnerships in Education Foundation’s Leadership Circle reception, an event to co-mingle some of PPIE’s top contributors and sponsors and recognize their efforts toward supporting Pleasanton Unified School District students and programs.
The restaurant was full of several dozen business officials, PPIE board members and staff, individual donors, two school board trustees and other PUSD reps – including Interim Superintendent Maurice Ghysels, who provided the night’s entertainment with live music.
“There are so many aspects of music that I bring into my approach as a leader,” Ghysels told me in an email interview before the reception.
“Let me just say that leaders, like DJs, know when to turn up the volume, when to drop the beat, and when to just let the team dance it out.,” he said. “Or another thought: Leadership is like conducting an orchestra — if everyone’s playing their own tune, it’s chaos … but if the leader can’t read the music, it’s like playing in a garage.”
It was great to hear Ghysels sing and play guitar and harmonica (in an acoustic set that featured familiar tunes like “Rocketman”, “Layla”, “Wild World” and “Landslide”), plus I got to pick his brain for a few minutes. Since he had to work the room on top of performing, I’m glad I thought to send him questions to answer beforehand.
He paints a positive picture of his hometown school system, despite some of the challenges during his interim year at PUSD.
“Pleasanton Unified is in a better position than most CA school districts, who all face budget concerns, especially in the Bay Area where many districts are experiencing a decline in enrollment. We are declining in enrollment but not at the same rate as many districts,” Ghysels told me.
“Pleasanton has some of the best and brightest educational leaders …I have worked in so many organizations — public and private — and this is the most spectacular team I’ve experienced. From teachers and our support staff to the District office and the School Board, we truly are ‘Team PUSD’,” he said.
A former Amador Valley High School student and teacher who worked a long career in education that included stints as superintendent at two stops on the Peninsula, Ghysels came out of public employment retirement and put his consulting business to the side to lead PUSD for what has turned into the entire 2024-25 academic year. The school board hopes to have a new permanent superintendent in place by the summer.
“Pleasanton is home for me,” he said, later adding, “Seriously, I don’t know how I got so lucky to be a member of this wonderful collection of educators so dedicated to students, their families and community.”
Ghysels stepped in (and stepped up) to guide PUSD during a difficult time, particularly for the budget for both this year and the near-term future.
“We’ve been proactive in strategic attrition at the administration level as well as building a positive culture moving forward,” Ghysels said. “While not everyone is happy, I feel a real sense of hope for the future. There are so many examples of how people are rediscovering the joy of teaching and learning.”
The district has also been putting money and effort into making parents who commute to work in Pleasanton aware they have the opportunity to enroll their children in PUSD schools – a strategy to increase student head-count and associated funding from the state, sure, but also to strengthen and leverage the reputation of a Pleasanton education.
“The ability to enroll in PUSD schools for parents/guardians who commute here for work benefits everyone,” Ghysels said. “It strengthens our community and builds stronger ties for families who work, but may not be able to afford to live, in Pleasanton as well as bringing in additional revenues for our schools to support programs that benefit all students.”
“PUSD really is a phenomenal school district, and we are proud of the work we do and of our reputation. Clearly, PUSD is not only a ‘Go To’ District; it’s a team of exceptional people who want to join our team and stay,” he added.
Given the timing of prior superintendent David Haglund’s retirement announcement late last school year and the Board of Trustees’ decision to forgo his preferred succession plan in favor of a full recruitment process, it’s hard to know where PUSD would be without Ghysels filling the gap this year.
The same can really be said for PPIE – this year and every year.
The education foundation raises money to provide critical funding for PUSD programs in areas where the government funding simply is not there.
“PPIE is a critical partner in our effort to build stronger ties within our community and highlight the difference their contributions make in the lives of our students. We are thrilled to have PPIE’s support in fully funding our incredible elementary music program,” Ghysels said.
The dedication of the people in Nonni’s Tuesday night (many of whom are active Pleasanton parents themselves), and the hundreds upon hundreds of others who bolster PPIE by participating in fundraisers, have contributed to 2024-25 being pretty steady for the foundation despite all of the economic uncertainty and political noise.
“The year has, overall, been a stable year for PPIE,” Executive Director Andrea Wilson told me by email.
“While we continue to see a decrease in parent donations via our annual giving campaign (which follows both declining enrollment and national giving trends), we have been able to make up for it in different ways, investing in corporate matching software for those that donate to maximize their donation, as well as seeing growth from our events, especially our gala, which well exceeded its fundraising goal last fall,” she said.
“But, that said, due to the financial difficulties and challenges that face PUSD and many school districts throughout the state, we continue to get more and more requests,” Wilson added. “And we want to be able to do more!”
“For the 25/26 school year — we are adjusting what we will donate to now include support for our elementary music program,” she said. “Through the district budget conversations, we heard clearly just how important this is to families and are taking this opportunity to keep it from being a cut consideration in the future.”
Developing strategies to keep its fundraising stable for 2025 and beyond is a major focus for PPIE leadership and staff.
“Given the trends and political climate, next year may look different, but that doesn’t change the needs of our students and our district,” Wilson told me.
“Our top priorities include reengaging our parent population and growing our annual giving — as a district, we’ve seen a lot of families leave and many new ones come in. Many new families do not understand how school funding in CA works, and it’s important to me that we work on an educational campaign,” she said, adding:
“This goes hand in hand with working on increasing our percentage of families that donate. We’re currently under 20%, and aim to see that grow. If everyone gave a little, it would really make a huge difference.”
In addition to its annual gala, PPIE receives significant support from its annual Run for Education – which returns to the Alameda County Fairgrounds on the morning of April 27, with Pleasanton-based Workday as the presenting sponsor.
The fundraising run features 10-kilometer, 5K and 2-mile walk courses, along with a kids’ challenge quarter-mile fun run. After the race, participants can gather for an expo with food, music, entertainment and an awards ceremony. Learn more at www.runsignup.com/PPIERun.
“Everyone supports PPIE and our schools in their own way, and for many, participating in the Run is their way of giving back,” Wilson said. “Plus, it’s one of the largest events in the area, bringing the community together for a fun morning of exercise, camaraderie and support. Events like these not only raise awareness but also create opportunities for people to contribute while enjoying the experience.”
Editor’s note: Jeremy Walsh is the editorial director for the Embarcadero Media Foundation’s East Bay Division. His “What a Week” column is a recurring feature in the Pleasanton Weekly, Livermore Vine and DanvilleSanRamon.com.
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