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Biography

Elizabeth J. Blanco, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Pasadena Unified School District

Dr. Elizabeth J. Blanco was appointed Superintendent of the Pasadena Unified School District effective July 1, 2024.  She previously served as served as Interim Superintendent since July 2023. 

An accomplished executive and servant leader with more than 30 years of experience in public education, Dr. Blanco is passionate about creating dynamic learning environments that are engaging and inclusive of all learners.

“I am honored to serve as the Superintendent and I look forward to actualizing the District’s visionary Strategic Plan,” Dr. Blanco said. “The Strategic Plan is unique in that it intentionally includes the voices and dreams of the PUSD community.  I am excited to walk with our students, colleagues, and educational partners as we put the district’s new vision and mission into action.”

Dr. Blanco led the District’s visioning for the future through the design and development of the District’s Educational Master Plan that creates pathways for the realization of the District’s Facilities Master Plan and new Strategic Plan.  Dr. Blanco also led the design and implementation of the District’s Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP).  Her work includes the expansion of magnet schools and the establishment of community schools and educational equity access initiatives.  

Dr. Blanco was Interim Superintendent of PUSD from July 1, 2023 until her appointment as Superintendent in July 2024. She previously served as the district's Deputy Superintendent, the District’s second-highest role, since 2022; as Chief Academic Officer from 2018-2021; Chief of Specialized Instructional Services from 2017-2018, and Executive Director of SELPA, Special Education and Early Childhood from 2009-2012.  From 2012-2017, Dr. Blanco was Chief of Special Education Services and the Division of Instruction, Innovation, and Social Justice in the San Francisco Unified School District. She began her career in education as a classroom teacher in the Rowland Unified School District.

Dr. Blanco holds a Doctor of Education in Urban Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California, two Master of Arts degrees in Educational Administration and Special Education, and a Bachelor of Arts in Child Development from California State University, Los Angeles.