Help Fire-Survivor Kids Keep Their Teacher

Help Us Keep a Beloved Teacher for Our Fire-Survivor Kids at Mary W. Jackson Elementary

Our children at Mary W. Jackson Elementary in Altadena, California have been through more than most of us can imagine. In January 2025, the Eaton Fire devastated our community—many families lost their homes, and hundreds of children have been living in displacement and uncertainty for the past nine months, with ongoing trauma that they must continue to address. The start of this school year was meant to be a much‑needed fresh beginning, a chance to restore stability after so much loss.

Now, just a few weeks into the new year, that sense of stability is under threat again. The Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) suddenly announced that it will be removing one of our teachers due to fiscal instability—causing a painful ripple effect across grades, particularly kindergarten and 4th/5th grades. This sudden shift means larger class size changes, disrupted learning, and even more instability for children who have already endured the ongoing trauma of the fires, displacement, and, for the oldest ones, the lasting emotional impact of the pandemic.

We cannot let that happen. Our kids need consistency and stability to feel safe right now. They need their teachers. They need to know that their community values them and will fight for their wellbeing.

That’s why we are raising emergency funds to keep this teacher at Mary W. Jackson Elementary. Every dollar raised will go directly toward covering this position and preserving continuity, safety, and care for our students.

Your support will mean the world to these children—and will show them, in a tangible way, that their community will always stand with them, no matter what.

✨ Please give what you can, share this campaign widely, and help us keep hope, healing, and stability alive at Mary W. Jackson Elementary.

Together, we can make sure these kids see that after everything they’ve been through, their village is here for them.

*In the event that the PUSD administration refuses to allow us to support this teacher (which they have not provided a response on yet), any raised funds will be donated to the Jackson Elementary Annual Fund, which supports the students of Jackson Elementary through otherwise unfunded staff positions, equipment, and more.

*Hi, I'm Stephanie Ward and I created this page with other parents. My home and entire neighborhood burned in the fire along with so many. I'm out here trying to offer stability to the kids at Jackson at a time when most of us are displaced. If 2,000 people donate $50, we're done!

*Social media blurb

Mary W. Jackson Elementary families need urgent help!

After surviving the Eaton fire and months of (ongoing) displacement, our kids just lost a beloved teacher due to budget cuts—after the school year started.

Let’s show these kids their community stands with them.

Donate & share: [insert GoFundMe link]

#KeepOurTeacher #SupportMWJackson #AltadenaStrong