The governing board of the Los Angeles Unified School District on Tuesday passed a resolution granting special recognition to the memory of the Armenian Genocide, a day before members of the Armenian community commemorate the extermination of 1.5 million Armenians during the fall of the Ottoman Empire starting in 1915.
The resolution asks district Superintendent Austin Beutner to explore the possibility of making April 24 a school holiday and instituting a professional development program on the historical event, which comes as a boon to the significant student population of Armenian descent in the district largely centered in the San Fernando Valley.
Board member Kelly Gonez put forward the resolution as part of a response to lobbying efforts by local Armenian families and Armenian organizations, in particular parents at Mountain View Elementary in Sunland-Tujunga. The school’s principal estimated her student population is 85% of Armenian descent, in addition to being home to the district’s first dual language program in Armenian…..