Meet Michelle
Michelle Richardson Bailey is a strong advocate for public education. She was first elected to represent District 3 on the Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education on March 7, 2017.
A Pasadena native, Ms. Bailey and her three children are proud graduates of PUSD schools. She also has two grandchildren currently enrolled in the school district.
Ms. Bailey is a lifelong learner, she believes education is the key to success. She is an alumna of Pasadena City College. In addition, she earned a B.A. in Community Psychology in 2021 and an M.A. in Organizational Leadership and Management in 2022. She is currently a doctoral candidate and will soon complete her Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration, with an emphasis on social change. As a scholar, she earned her place as a member of the Public Policy and Administration Honor Society and the National Society of Leadership and Success. A graduate of Pasadena High, she attended Washington Elementary, Don Benito Elementary, and Eliot Junior High School.
Ms. Bailey brings Pasadena’s voice to respected education and leadership organizations. She serves on the Board of Governors for the California Association of Black School Educators (CABSE) and is a member of the Pasadena Alliance of African American School Educators (PAAASE) and the Darden Law Leadership Academy.
With a combined 20 years of experience as a classified employee of the Pasadena Unified School District and administrative assistant to the Alameda County Board of Education, Ms. Bailey served as secretary to the PUSD Superintendent, secretary at Pasadena High School, and secretary at Blair High School before being elected to the school board in 2017.
Her Commitment to serving the school community has always been a top priority. Before being elected to the school board, Ms. Bailey served on the PUSD Branding Advisory Committee, the LCAP Committee, the district’s AB 86 Committee, and the Professional Development Committee. She also served on the PTSA and School Site Council at Blair High School. Additionally, she founded the Superintendent’s Advisory Council, later referred to as the Classified Advisory Council.
Ms. Bailey believes the employees who support our students every day deserve a living wage and a real opportunity to live in the community they serve. A champion for staff housing, she understands that supporting teachers and school employees strengthens every classroom. As Board President, Ms. Bailey established the Board’s Legislative Action Committee to help advance policies that support both students and employees. Her commitment is grounded in experience: a current member of CSEA’s Retiree Unit, she previously held the positions of Second Vice President and First Vice President, and was appointed Chapter PAC for CSEA Pasadena Chapter 434. She was also appointed as Regional PAC, and as a member of CSEA’s PACE Committee.
During her tenure on the school board, Ms. Bailey has formerly served on the following board sub-committees: Facilities and Safety chair; Board Policy, Facilities Task Force; the Community Advisory Committee, liaison to the Community Oversight Committee, and the district’s Labor Management Initiative. She also served on the committees for Measures I and J, Bond Measures O and R, and Parcel Tax Measure EE, initiatives that greatly benefit PUSD’s students and teachers. Currently, Ms. Bailey is serving on the Superintendent’s Facility Advisory Committee. Ms. Bailey has made important contributions to PUSD students. She authored Resolution 2566, “PUSD’s Commitment to Black Students,” and commissioned Resolution 2586, “PUSD’s Commitment to Latinx Students.” These resolutions resulted in the creation of programs such as Ethnic Studies and the Immersive Storytelling Academy.
Since the age of 17, Ms. Bailey has volunteered in the community and supported organizations that serve youth and young adults. She has also taken on many leadership roles at her church, including Trustee Vice Chair, Parliamentarian, Executive Board member, Bylaws Committee Chair, and Policies and Procedures Committee Chair. Ms. Bailey has a long record of hands-on community leadership. She has served as Vice Chair of the Robinson Park Steering Committee, Chair of the Heritage Square Senior Housing Project, Chair of the Pasadena Human Relations Commission, and advisor to the Commission’s youth program. She also chaired Pasadena’s Northwest Commission. Her commitment to public safety and civic leadership is reflected in her graduation from Citizens Police Academy Class No. 25, Leadership Pasadena’s Class of 2017, and most recently, the City of Pasadena’s 710 Advisory Committee.
Ms. Bailey and her husband currently reside in her childhood home.