Glendale Unified School District

What the Glendale Teachers Assn. did to Greg Krikorian's five children was unforgivable, and unthinkable. I am the aunt of these children, sister of Krikorian. When I found out that the union was going to protest at my brother's house, I thought it was a joke — a really bad joke. With schoolchildren at this private residence, no one would stoop that low. Immediately after work I went to my brother's house to make sure my nieces and nephews were all right and give support.

SOUTHEAST GLENDALE — After Nico Gallegos transferred last summer to Glendale High from Park City, Utah, he came to grips that he might not grip a lacrosse stick competitively for some time. Gallegos had played several seasons for the Park City High boys' lacrosse team, excelling as a midfielder. He became comfortable with the sport in Utah, yet figured it might not be as popular in California. A few days into the fall semester, Gallegos spotted Joe Campbell, one of two coaches overseeing the Glendale Lacrosse Club, carrying a lacrosse stick near Glendale High's Moyse Field.

T he Glendale Educational Foundation, in partnership with the city of Glendale, Glendale Unified School District and Glendale Arts, presents the 2010 Student Showcase at the Alex Theatre on Friday. This is a wonderful opportunity to see what great work is being done in our schools in visual and performing arts. Funds raised will go toward buying hand-held responder kits for all schools in the district to help teachers present curriculum to students in an interactive, high-tech manner.

A tentative contract with Glendale Unified that would have exchanged furlough days and more health benefits contributions in exchange for millions in savings was defeated by the teachers union Wednesday night, creating greater fiscal uncertainty that’s expected to last throughout the summer. By a vote of 587 to 414, teachers rejected the proposed three-year agreement, which would have saved about $3.8 million every year through 15 unpaid work furlough days each year and greater employee contributions to health care costs.

A couple of weeks ago I asked the Glendale Unified School District to provide me with a copy of incoming Supt. Dick Sheehan's new employment contract. Sheehan replaces retiring Supt. Michael Escalante on July 1. I recently received the contract and was disappointed to read that the Board of Education voted to pay Sheehan $240,000 per year. In a column in February, I pointed out that Escalante's salary of $297,000 is more than the $250,000 that Los Angeles Unified School District Supt.

GLENDALE — Teachers have had their school mailboxes full lately. In them are the ballots and envelopes required for the vote Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to approve or reject the tentative agreement with the Glendale Unified School District and the Glendale Teachers Assn. And then there are the fliers at some campuses, made by a group of Crescenta Valley High School teachers, that encourage a "no" vote. At stake is a three-year labor agreement that would take a bite out of the district's budget deficit, while forcing teachers to take 15 furlough days and make payments toward health-care plans.

I am encouraging support for the instrumental music program in Glendale elementary schools (“Save elementary music program,” May 18). Glendale Unified School District has 20 elementary schools, and all of them are served by four teachers. These teachers have no permanent location. Materials are carried to each school daily. The classes are large, and go from beginners to more advanced students. Many times a teacher doesn’t even have time for a lunch break.

No, I am not a teacher, and I no longer have children at school. I see all the discussion about firing our teachers (“School officials: We have no choice on layoffs,” May 8), reducing our school hours of instruction, increasing class sizes, cutting “non-essential” programs and eliminating after-school programs because “we don’t have money.” And I find myself overwhelmed by outrage, frustration and shame. Yes, shame, shame on all of us, and shame on those whom we elected to run our beautiful city, and our (and their)

Glendale Unified School District students know the word of the month for May is courtesy, but they might not know the man or story behind it. Donald Empey is a founder and president of the Character and Ethics Project, an organization created by the school district and community leaders to promote character building and ethics at school, sports, home, business and government through education and recognition. In 1999, Empey and a group of 10 community leaders from the school district and Chamber of Commerce began the project.

Glendale and Burbank officials on Friday said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s latest proposals for closing a $19.1-billion state budget deficit could weigh down on the region and affect local residents. The governor proposed closing the gap with $12.4 billion in spending cuts, about $3.4 billion in funding shifts and about $3.4 billion in federal funds. The current deficit is the third major budget hole that Schwarzenegger and the Legislature have faced in two years as tax revenues have plummeted during the economic downturn.