By Mary O’KEEFE

The Tuesday night Glendale Unified School District board meeting once again was the scene of chaos, anger and concern. Parents shared their opinions; some praised the district for its inclusivity of all students while others chastised the board for its LGBTQ+ policies, although there was nothing on the agenda concerning that issue. But it was the last part of the meeting that will impact the district the most: Superintendent Vivian Ekchian announced her retirement.

Ekchian has been in the field of education for 38 years. She started her journey as GUSD superintendent on July 1, 2019 and one of the first issues she tackled was vaping [the use of electronic cigarettes]. She led the district as it joined Los Angeles Unified in filing a lawsuit against JUUL Labs Inc., the manufacturer of the leading three e-cigarettes, for creating an epidemic of youth vaping that impedes student learning, according to the district at the time.

But then COVID-19 hit and the whole world changed. The first indicator this was going to be something no one had dealt with in generations was the extension of spring break 2020. Those who were at the Los Angeles County Office of Education authorized 80 school districts within LA County to close on March 16, 2020. From that moment Ekchian led the district in applying for every bit of pandemic funding offered, and used every bit of the funds received to update classrooms with technology like high-grade air filters and virtual capability.

Once students were back in classes, she held multiple meetings with students, parents and staff concerning masking and vaccines. The schools offered free meals to those in need and also provided additional counseling.

She dealt with negotiating contracts with both the district’s classified employees and Glendale teacher unions that became, and at times remain, volatile. Then recently she listened to the protests between those who support GUSD’s LGBTQ+ policies and those who are concerned the district has gone too far.

“In GUSD, Dr. Ekchian has left a legacy serving as the first female and first Armenian American superintendent for the district. Much of her success stems from her life experiences, including a multicultural upbringing and journey to Southern California as an immigrant. … During her tenure, Dr. Ekchian has led the district in implementing the board of education’s priorities to maximize achievement for all students, foster a positive culture of learning on every campus and protect the health and safety of students and employees. She is well known for her integrity, exceptional work values and resourcefulness. She has been instrumental in elevating student voices, building partnerships with outside organizations to close the digital divide, providing dual college enrollment and internship opportunities for students, opening health and wellness centers at every high school, and expanding the district’s before and after school childcare program. In 2022, Dr. Ekchian was named Los Angeles County Superintendent of the year,” according to a GUSD statement.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the students, families and employees of Glendale Unified School District for the past four years. Together we successfully navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, improved health and wellness for students and employees, and expanded dynamic learning opportunities for every child,” said Dr. Ekchian. “I know that our board of education, school and district leadership, educators and staff will continue the transformative work being done throughout the district and maintain a steadfast focus on preparing all students for success in college, career, and life.”

“Dr. Ekchian will be greatly missed in Glendale Unified. Her focus on equity and student success has significantly impacted how we meet student needs. She has served as a powerful role model for our students and adults. On behalf of the board, we wish her the best in retirement and look forward to her continued presence in the community,” said Board of Education President Nayiri Nahabedian.

Dr. Darneika Watson, Human Resources and Operations chief officer, will serve as interim superintendent while the board of education determines next steps.

Tuesday was the last school board meeting of the academic year. According to the Sgt. Victor Jackson of the Glendale Police Dept. there were no arrests made during the protests. Inside the meeting, the atmosphere was much more volatile than the prior meeting. There was more heckling from both sides of the issues when people were at the podium. One of the lowest points was when a mom wanted to thank GUSD for its support after she received “life changing” medical news about her child. She began sobbing as she tried to talk about her situation but, at the end, was heckled by a few in the audience.

There were other issues beyond the controversy of LGBTQ+ including a parent who was concerned about the lack of shade on school campuses. She worried about students on playgrounds who would have no place to avoid the sun when school begins next August.       

Another parent brought up concerns about a proposed class. She was concerned about students being “peer counseled” and felt that students were not emotionally or academically equipped to actually counsel students. She was very concerned about the examples of what students could possibly be dealing with. The proposed new course is titled Peer Counseling II and, as the board pointed out at the meeting later in the evening, the information on the class was submitted for review for content and evaluation. It was not to be approved on Tuesday.

During the later discussion, board member Shant Sahakian said he too had some issues with the proposed class and specific description. The board will continue to review the proposal.