GUSD Candidate Forum Recap
Last night, the LWV Glendale/Burbank and Glendale Council PTA hosted their candidate forum for GUSD School Board candidates. You can watch the full hour here.
In Area B, Ingrid Gunnell was clear, calm and focused on the reality of governing. She gave a particularly nuanced and realistic response about the role of technology in education, and called out the risks of AI. It is evident that Gunnell understand the balance of budgeting, usefulness, and risk when it comes to running a school board. We also appreciated her noting her work with Black students, teachers, and families in GUSD. Gunnell’s initiatives are a marked shift from the way the board operated under Krikorian’s tenure.
In Area C, incumbent Kathleen Cross was the only candidate who showed up. Her opponent, a Republican named Debbie Blute who has been doing campaign events with Greg Krikorian, did not show up. (Candidate Dave Cole suspended his race this week and dropped out, though he is still on the ballot.) Cross responded consistently from a place of empathy, explaining how she understands that both students and teachers need to feel like school is a place of joy and curiosity in order to learn best: achieving this school climate drives her decision-making.
In Area D, candidate Aileen Orlino Dinkjian was confident and demonstrated a depth and range of knowledge, leveraging her considerable background as a healthcare educator, foundation trustee and GUSD parent. She began by noting Teacher Appreciation week, and stated that her priority is “to make sure teachers are supported.” She called for a deeper commitment to auditing programs to ensure they are delivering results, making sure South Glendale schools are climate ready, and centering student and teacher wellness in order to make sure everyone in GUSD is “thriving.”
All three women clearly understand the critical connection between healthy, happy children and excellent public schools and would work well together. They continue to have our hearty endorsement.
Additional observations:
Krikorian kept referring to himself in the third person (“Greg Krikorian is back”). He mentioned that he “lost $100,000 to be on the school board.” His daughter is a police officer; another is a teacher. (This is relevant, somehow, to Greg Krikorian running for GUSD.) In his odd opening statement, he said that he brings “a father figure” to GUSD.
Krikorian used most of his allotted time to complain about GUSD shortcomings and failures that are rooted in his 20-year leadership. For instance, when asked about the high cost of settling sexual abuse cases due to changes in statutes of limitations, Gunnell rightly pointed out that GUSD is now picking up the pieces from cases as far back as 40 years ago. Many of the settlements being paid out now to victims of abuse or harassment happened under Greg Krikorian's 20 years of leadership.
In addition, Krikorian failed to make the connection that many of the poor budgeting choices made during his time are the root cause of fiscal issues that are finally being rectified by the current board. The most glaring of these was the Krikorian board’s decision in 2021 to use one-time Covid relief money to fund ongoing programs. This is directly related to the loss of 7th period for our middle and high school students - 7th period expansion was funded by one-time Covid money that ran out 2 years ago.
Greg will be a “father figure” to the 25,000 students in GUSD.
Shant Kevorkian, who is 22 years old, kept referring to his “career.” While he noted that he did not live in Area D until he decided to run for office there 5 months ago, “everyone in [his] family except [his] parents live in Area D, so it’s just like home.” Kevorkian, who attended only schools in Area A (La Crescenta) is promoting himself as the “only GUSD graduate” in the race, although one of his opponents also graduated from GUSD schools and the other is a graduate of the Chino public school system. At one point he suggested a “partnership with our firefighters” would be a good idea for GUSD.
Finally, his comment on “stagnant English and math scores and proficiency” demonstrates a lack of understanding of what these test scores do and do not measure, the fact that these standardized tests have changed formats nearly every year they have existed, and that English Learners are required to take them, even when they are not English language proficient (thus bringing down scores significantly - a factor that impacts scores especially at schools in South Glendale that take in many more newcomer students.
For these reasons and more, we remain convinced that Kevorkian neither currently has the experience to be on the board, nor understands the needs of our schools in South Glendale.
Shant Kevorkian on his connection to Area D.
Lastly, Janet Balekian, a far-right agitator and former teacher who appears to have lost her credential for “disciplinary action,” used her time to call for strict punishment, School Resource Officers in all schools, and zero technology use. Balekian has no business being anywhere near a public school district as a board trustee.