PUSD Names New Special Education Director

The following is a press release from the Pasadena Unified School District:

Pasadena Unified School District Superintendent Jon R. Gundry announced Tuesday the appointment of Michael Jason, Ph.D. as Executive Director of Special Education, filling a post critical to the execution of academic improvement strategies to raise achievement among students with special needs.

"I am pleased to welcome Dr. Jason to PUSD. He brings a strong special education background, experience with similar school systems, and expertise in management and budget," said Superintendent Jon R. Gundry.  "He will work with the Special Education Task Force to implement audit findings, ensure compliance, and to develop a unified plan to improve achievement for all students."

Dr. Jason joins PUSD from the Monrovia Unified School District, where he has served as Director of Special Education since 2008.  He was Interim Director and Coordinator of Special Education in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District from 2004-2008. Dr. Jason began his career as a special education teacher in the Burbank Unified School District in 1991. He has also worked as an adjunct professor in special education at Mt. Saint Mary's College in Los Angeles and as adjunct faculty at CSU Los Angeles. His research experience includes investigative work at UCLA as part of his dissertation Students with Special Needs in Inclusive Settings; research on adaptive functioning, social and emotional data on children with autism and adults with mental retardation at the Neuropsychiatric Institute in Los Angeles; and examining the effects of pharmacological interventions on children with ADHD at the University of California, Irvine.

"I look forward to working with the teachers, parents, and staff of PUSD to create an environment that supports, enhances, and guides all students towards educational success," said Jason.

As Executive Director of Special Education, Dr. Jason will be responsible for administering all programs and services for students with special needs, developing collaborative relationships with parents, and directing strategic planning efforts for the division.   

Dr. Jason holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Dallas, a master's degree in special education from the University of Missouri, St. Louis, and a doctorate in special education from CSU Los Angeles and UCLA's Joint Doctoral Program.  He also holds an administrative credential, a learning handicapped credential, and a multiple subject credential.  

The selection committee included a representative of PUSD's executive leadership team, directors, a school principal, classified and certificated employee organizations, and members of the Community Advisory Committee.  The nationwide recruitment process resulted in a large pool of applicants who went through an extensive screening process.