Glendale Unified’s new superintendent takes part in first meeting

Five days into his new leadership role, Glendale Unified Supt. Winfred Roberson participated in his first local school board meeting Tuesday, almost a year after the former school leader departed in May and three interim superintendents have rotated to fill the vacancy.

“We have been waiting a long time for you,” said Christine Walters, board president, to Roberson shortly after the meeting began.

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Later in the meeting, Roberson said he and his wife have unpacked their belongings in their new Glendale home after making the move from Woodland, Calif., where he lived while overseeing the Davis Joint Unified School District.

With about two months left until the end of the school year, Roberson said he’s looking forward to meeting more parents and staff, saying there is still plenty of “school business ahead of us” as he works to ensure the district has “a smooth landing come this June.”

Tuesday also marked the board members’ annual rotation into their different roles on the board.

Walters hung up her hat as president, while member Armina Gharpetian, who was elected to the board in 2013, took the gavel for the first time as president. Gharpetian was previously vice president, a position now held by Nayiri Nahabedian.

Board members said they appreciated Walters’ focus as she guided the board during the last 10 months she served as president, in what has perhaps been one of the most challenging years in the school district’s recent past.

“That really, really helped us to think straight, to come to agreement,” Gharpetian said of Walters’ concentration.

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While an extensive superintendent search was underway, board members still had to tackle several pressing issues, including a charter school application they denied, requests from parents to change the start of the school year and their switch from an at-large voting system to a district-based one — a move they were forced to make as part of the settlement from a lawsuit which alleged the district was violating the California Voting Rights Act.

Walters referred to those three events and others as she reflected on the past 10 months after reading over past board agendas. Instead of encountering a “retrospective down memory lane,” as she recalled the past, she jokingly said her reflection “was more like a recurring nightmare.”

She admitted that board members experienced uncomfortable frustration over many disagreements, but that, overall, the board put in hard work to reach an agreeable solution.

“I think what we’ve worked hard at this year is to really understand our different points of view, to be respectful … and to really come to a conclusion that’s workable for all,” Walters said. “I am thankful to all of those who are so passionate about the success of our students. It’s a huge thank you to all of you who actually did the work you were supposed to be doing, while we were doing all kinds of insane things.”

One issue that remains unresolved and could make its way back into public discussion relates to the 385 acres in La Cañada Flintridge that fall under Glendale Unified’s jurisdiction.

Residents of that area, often known as Sagebrush, have wanted to transfer their children into the La Cañada Unified School District for years.

Discussions over the territory, which were reignited in 2013, took a back seat last year when Glendale Unified’s former superintendent, Dick Sheehan, took the top job at Covina-Valley Unified.

On Tuesday, Marc Winger, who stepped in as one of Glendale’s three co-interim superintendents, in his departing remarks, said he would leave Glendale Unified with a new outlook on Sagebrush, and considered the issue as one of the lessons he’s learned during his six months working in Glendale.

“I thought the Sagebrush rebellion was about the late-’80s ranchers against the federal land. Soon, I found out, that’s a whole different meaning in Glendale Unified,” he said jokingly.

Near the end of the meeting, just after Roberson made his closing remarks, board member Greg Krikorian hinted that Sagebrush is still an issue that the board is working to address.

“Sagebrush, here we come,” he said.

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Kelly Corrigan, kelly.corrigan@latimes.com

Twitter: @kellymcorrigan

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