At its meeting on Tuesday, March 9 the Glendale Unified School District Board of Education adopted a resolution: Affirming the Glendale Unified Board of Education’s Commitment to the Safety and Wellbeing of our Asian American and Pacific Islander Students, Employees, Families, and Community Members and Denouncing Xenophobia Due to Fears of the Covid-19 Pandemic. This resolution comes in response to a concerning nationwide rise in hate crimes and acts of discrimination against the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities over the past year.
“One of our top priorities as a Board of Education is to foster a positive culture of learning by celebrating diversity and emphasizing inclusion on our campuses and in our community,” said GUSD Board of Education President Dr. Armina Gharpetian. “As we welcome our students back to campus for in-person learning, we want to reaffirm Glendale Unified School District’s commitment to providing a safe learning environment and supporting the social, emotional, and physical needs of every child.”
“In Glendale Unified School District, we are working intentionally to eliminate racism and bias in our curricula, our classroom cultures, and our relationships with our students, our parents/guardians, and each other,” added Glendale Unified Superintendent Dr. Vivian Ekchian. “Our schools will continue to be safe spaces where every child can learn and thrive.”
GUSD serves a diverse community of students in grades TK-12. Of the District’s 26,000 students, 16.3% identify as Asian American or Pacific Islander. The District offers dual immersion programs in seven languages, including Korean and Japanese. In the fall of 2020, Glendale Unified convened a district-wide Working Group to Ensure Culturally Relevant and Responsive Education committed to engaging students, families, employees and community members to proactively eliminate bias and develop more inclusive school communities.