By Mary O’KEEFE

The Glendale Unified School District Board of Education welcomed two newly elected members and said goodbye to two longtime board members Nayiri Nahabedian and Jennifer Freemon.

On the evening of April 4 there was time set aside for those in the district and parents and community members to say goodbye and thank two outgoing GUSD board members who have seen a lot during their tenure on the board of education.

Nayiri Nahabedian has been on the board for about 16 years. As a leader she has guided the district through several storms, like a pandemic, budget cuts and unrest, and has also been personally available to parents and students.

During the goodbye reception, which was held at the district office, two moms were among the many who stood up to thank Nahabedian for her leadership and support.

“We are just two moms,” said one of the speakers as a way of introduction.

She then praised Nahabedian for keeping her composure and complimented her on how she “handled [herself] with grace, poise and compassion.” She shared how, as students began to return to school after COVID-19, she was very worried about her child, who is autistic. She told the audience that Nahabedian spent time with her and other parents and made sure to answer “every single concern” and included all parents and students in the conversation regarding returning to local campuses.

The moms also thanked Freemon for her constant support as well and praised her for the way she handled recent volatile issues at GUSD meetings.

Particularly poignant was when Freemon’s husband, and Crescenta Valley High School teacher, Allan Freemon said from the podium how his wife always fights for justice. He praised her for standing steadfast and fighting for justice and what was right.

“You are the most honorable person I know,” he said.

At the regular GUSD board of education meeting on April 9, two new board members were sworn in to fill the seats vacated by Nahabedian and Freemon and a new president was announced.

Neda Farid won the recent election to represent District Area E and Telly Tse won for District Area A, which encompasses the Crescenta Valley area.

Farid is well known in the district. She has been at the podium several times as the Glendale Council PTA president and board member of the Glendale Educational Foundation and its Character and Ethics Project. She is a founding member of GUSD’s Restorative Practices Task Force and a member of the superintendent’s Facilities Advisory Committee. She is also a parent of a GUSD graduate.

Tse is a special education teacher in the Beverly Hills Unified School District and a parent of two kids in GUSD schools. He is also an active volunteer within his community.

All board members work together to benefit the district as a whole; however, they also focus on particular schools within the areas they represent. For Farid that will include Hoover High School, Daily High/Verdugo Academy and Wilson, Balboa, Cerritos, Franklin and Valley View elementary schools.

For Tse that includes Crescenta Valley High School and Daily High/Verdugo Academy, and La Crescenta, Mountain, Edison and Muir elementary schools.

Both Tse and Farid will also cover College View/FACTS/Cloud Preschool.

At the April 9 board meeting it was also time to choose a new president. That position went to Shant Sahakian who was elected to the board in 2017. He is a GUSD alumnus and has two children within the Glendale school district.

“He is an advocate for healthy, safe and inclusive schools for all and is deeply committed to responsible governance, transparency and accountability. In addition to serving locally, Mr. Sahakian represents GUSD and surrounding school districts at the state level as a member of the California School Boards Association Delegate Assembly,” according to a GUSD statement.