myBurbank Talks
myBurbank Talks
Meet the Candidate: Dr. Armond Aghakhanian, BUSD Board of Education District 5
What does it take to transform from a war refugee to a dedicated public servant and education advocate? Join us on "My Burbank Talks" as we sit down with Dr. Armond Aghakhanian, the incumbent candidate for the Burbank Unified School District's Board of Education. Dr. Aghakhanian opens up about his inspirational journey, districting changes, and the challenges of transitioning to district-based elections. This episode provides a deep dive into the complexities faced by the district, including communication issues and financial constraints.
We tackle the critical topic of affordable housing and its impact on school funding in Burbank. With the addition of 7,000 new homes, the strain on local infrastructure and the necessity of a new bond measure for maintenance become apparent. The conversation shifts to the rising costs post-pandemic and the importance of community advocacy in supporting education and teachers. Dr. Aghakhanian emphasizes the need for honest discussions about the district's budget and proactive engagement with state legislators to secure better funding.
In the final segments, we delve into the importance of community engagement and the pivotal role of extracurricular activities. We spotlight dedicated community members like Cindy and Kimberly, who tirelessly support the schools despite budget constraints. The episode also explores innovative solutions for bullying prevention and the significance of Career Technical Education (CareerTech) in preparing students for the workforce. Dr. Aghakhanian's personal story of resilience serves as a poignant reminder of the power of education and community involvement, culminating in a heartfelt appeal for his re-election.
My Burbank Talks presents another episode of Meet the Candidate, the show where we invite anyone appearing on the Burbank ballot in the 2024 election to join us here and give our listeners a chance to learn about their background and the issues important to them. Now let's join our podcast.
Speaker 2:Hello Burbank, craig Sherwood here with you once again for another Meet the Candidate episode. It's become very popular and we're very happy that our candidates have been calling in and emailing and trying to get on the show. So today we are going to talk school board and we have Dr Armand Agahainian with us and let me give you a little bit of his background and his bio here Very extensive bio, by the way, which is very nice. Dr Agahenian is a proud Burbank resident, a parent, a teacher, bringing a unique blend of over 25 years of experience in education, business and public service.
Speaker 2:Armand is a proud immigrant who has truly lived the American dream. By 14, he was a war refugee where he had to move out of his home country and live alone until he was reunited with his family in Germany. By 17, he migrated to the US. His father, an accountant, and mother, a teacher, taught him the values of hard work and compassion from a young age. He is currently the vice president of the Burbank Unified School District's Board of Education. He's also the director of the East Los Angeles College Foundation. He currently teaches at Glendale Community College and East Los Angeles College. His higher education teaching experience includes teaching at Woodbury University, marymount, loyola, marymountmount and the Salvation Army College. I didn't know they had a college, let's see. He also received His bachelor's degree In political science From California State University, northridge, a master's degree In business administration From Woodbury and a doctorate From Pepperdine. He's also a proud Burbank homeowner, living with his wife and their son, who is now a seventh grader at a Burbank middle school. I try to keep the personal things out of it.
Speaker 2:People don't need to have that personal stuff.
Speaker 3:Thank you so nice to have you on the show, thank you, thank you. Thank you very much and it's an honor to be here.
Speaker 2:Okay, well, as an incumbent and running for re-election, I got some questions for you here. I see some questions that you know people keep asking me too and I'm a little bit I'm mystified also, to start with Okay, so let's start with your district. Which district are you running in?
Speaker 3:My area is a district or area is called Area 5, which is a little below Burbank High School, on the other side of the 5 going to the hill. So Burbank High School, we have Muir in it, jefferson, and for our listeners can I say viewers and listeners, oh yeah, viewers and listeners, because this goes on podcast platforms and our YouTube channel, that's fantastic.
Speaker 3:This was just done recently, so I'm also getting questions all the time, like you are, about which area I'm in and the school district. If you go to our website, it can show you where you live. So when you receive a ballot, this time you're go to our website. It can show you where you live. So when you receive a ballot, this time you're going to see candidates in your area.
Speaker 2:Well, that's why I get, I would say, 90% of people I talk to have no idea that the school district has districts. Yes, I know, when you guys did it you did not send out one press release because I remember the press. I never received one thing about it. Even now, when I try to go find the map on the website, I found a thing called Map 104. It didn't say school district, you know districts, it just said Map 104, which to me, of course, is confusing also because, okay, was there a Map 103? Is there a Map? What does that mean? So the city of Burbank received the same letter the school district did, saying if you don't get into districts, we're going to sue you and all these things. And the city of Burbank found out later, figured out it was just a shakedown, it wasn't real, it wasn't going to happen and they didn't do it. So why did the school district decide to go to districts when the city of Burbank saw right through it?
Speaker 3:So if you follow on the district thing, which it's something that's been happening in the last couple of years, it's a law firm and an attorney or a group of attorneys. Glendale just went through it, but the city didn't. A lot of the school districts are not going through that. The challenge is that they were going to sue us. It would have cost us millions of dollars to fight it, which we don't have in our general budget. Cities are a little different. They can fight it back and it's a matter of time.
Speaker 3:Some cities do it, some cities don't. Glendale is a great example. Their schools are districted but the city is not, and when this happened we did have a series of hearings. We did send out, you know, presses, we had town halls, so people were kind of aware of it and the reason you see that map is that's the map that at the end was decided for the districting. So the number is there. Another thing people need to know is and I get this question all the time is that, unlike the city elections, we're not run through the city and the clerk. We're run by the county, so county also holds all the information as well, if needed.
Speaker 2:Let's talk about that also. And the city clerk who ran the elections, who's very open to have a lot of information going out and everything else, and decided to go to county now, which is really hard for the average citizen to follow. Why would you break away from the city and go separately?
Speaker 3:That was a decision that was made years ago with our board. Actually, the current city clerk used to work for the district at that time. Part of the reason was you know primary versus general. Also you know the cost affiliated with it. But also at the time we also put this out there to the general public and the consent was we should go with the county. But again, this is something that, depending on how the voters feel could always be changed.
Speaker 3:And one thing people have to understand about districting, which I'm not a fan of it really takes away the voting power of communities, especially communities who are underrepresented, and the idea for districting was originally created to empower certain communities which are not fairly represented. But I think Burbank is an exception. It's, it's quiet, it's a mosaic, it's quite of different communities and cultures. It's pretty well balanced, but ultimately it comes down to the lawsuit, the money, something that our district is constantly facing, and I will talk more about even some of the new laws that have come down that are costing the district a lot of money that some viewers might not be aware of.
Speaker 2:Okay, Well, let's get into the fiscal responsibility a little bit, because that is a huge thing and the district is always crying that we have no money and everything else. But you know, you had a superintendent, but under contract, and when he had a year to go on his contract, you ripped up his contract. You gave him a raise. His contract was supposed to to expire in june, but you gave him a new contract and a raise. And then later, later in June, you fired him, which now cost the district an extra year's pay because he had a new contract.
Speaker 2:And you also had an administrator who announced her retirement earlier in the year, but she ripped up her contract, gave her a new one and she retired two months later on a higher salary. So now you've got a new super, which I love, Dr Paramo. I think he made a great decision there, but you also gave him a $50,000 raise over what Dr Matt Hill was making and he had never served a day as a superintendent. So I'm trying to understand. We're pleading poverty, but we keep giving these raises out to administrators. So how are we justifying that?
Speaker 3:So I think with what happened with our former superintendent you know the information is confidential there was an agreement and that's something that we cannot publicly discuss. But I will tell you someone who's been in education for a long time and that was a great example they went to three superintendents in a very short period. There is a lack of superintendents and qualified superintendents, even when it comes to college districts and college presidents. You'll see the LACCD chancellor just resigned. They're going to have to pay him that extended contract. So I think that's more of a you know, got an extended contract. So I think that's more of a you know, personnel issue that we cannot, unfortunately, discuss. But what I want to talk about is districts like Burbank and the challenges that our faculty staff and teachers face, especially when it comes to pay, and that has to do with the way the state funds our schools, which is, to me it's a very unfair system.
Speaker 2:Well, let's talk about that a little bit because you have a situation now with, basically, it's called butts in the seats. You know, if a student's in the class for half the day, then the state will pay the district X amount of dollars for that day for that student. Now let's face it, when enrollments go down and everything else, well, the size of the building doesn't go down and the staff doesn't go down, and so now we have deficits. So what would you do to try to get more money from the state or to you know what are your ideas about that?
Speaker 3:That's a great question. So, someone who worked on the state budget for almost 10 years at the Speaker's Office, I'm very, very familiar with the process itself and sometimes I have to let people know that we're not funded like cities, nor are we funded or budgeted like a business. The way schools get funded, as you said, is for people, and the challenge with Burbank is that we are what I call a perfect middle-class community, meaning that we don't have as many low-income families. Therefore, we don't get a Title I money. Even our neighboring city, glendale we don't get Title I money. Even our neighboring city, glendale their district gets more Title I money. Los Angeles, you know, and you know well-intended and well-intentioned, but also we're not, you know, high incomes like other cities where you know upper middle class, where they can fund it. La Cunada is a great example. In 2014, they passed actually a parcel tax. Here's a city that's considered upper middle class, but they were facing similar challenges as well and it passed. It didn't pass in our district, unfortunately.
Speaker 3:So the issue lies in the state and someone who worked for the state, I can tell you that it's a complex system but at the same time, it's not fair, especially for cities like Burbank. And if you've listened to me in the past, I've brought this up many, many times where people ask me the same question and I tell them you need to go talk to your state representatives, change the formula, the formula, the way it gets funded. It's not fair. And for our teachers there are always talks about attrition. Well, it's difficult. You know some of our teachers, by the time they get here, they pass three districts because they can't afford to live in Burbank, which these districts will pay them way higher salaries because of the way they get funded. And when it comes to administration, we have actually a pretty slim administration and these individuals, including our superintendent, the work they do is difficult. That's why you're seeing superintendents resigning left and right Just happened in Glendale, you know, recently.
Speaker 3:So I think the focus needs to be more on the state, the way we get funded, and we need people to really become advocates to change the formula and the way we get funded, because it's not going to get better. If you've noticed, you know Burbank now, any lot that opens in Burbank, including my own street two homes went up brand new. These are two, two and a half million dollar homes. So we're not moving into middle class, we're becoming upper middle class and now the attrition of families having one kid. Maybe that's also causing a lot of issues when it comes to funding. So it's quite a complex system when it comes to funding. So it's quite a complex system when it comes to funding schools. It shouldn't be, but unfortunately it's what the state mandates and dictates to us.
Speaker 2:Well, we're due to hopefully get around 7,000 new affordable homes in Burbank in the next two to three years, you know through Prop 35 and everything else. So are we capable of handling if we get that amount of families and students? Are we capable of handling if we get that amount of families and students? Are we capable of handling that in the areas that they're talking about building in?
Speaker 3:I believe we do, and I think that's part of the reason. Also, recently, we did some assessments on the properties. We have lots that are sitting around. This is not a common. This is a very common practice. La does it, other cities do it because they're also facing attrition. My hope is that families will move in, their students will be attending and I think we have the capacity to do so but also, at the same time, affordable housing. It also depends on who's moving in. For example, you look at the media project right here. That's right next to Whole Foods, right? So you're looking at 2.3 people per household. That's two people depending on the pet. So these are not single families as much as we'd like to, but it's something that's needed because we have a lot of studio workers that are always looking for housing.
Speaker 3:And I know this firsthand. When Americana went up in Glendale, I used to be the chamber president in Glendale for the Armenian Chamber and the Parks and Rec chair and interestingly enough it was the same conversation because there was a shortage of homes in Burbank for upper and mid-class management from the studios. So a lot of them ended up moving to Glendale, working Burbank drive here, causing traffic, but living in Glendale, and I think we're moving the right direction. I'm seeing more, you know, buildings and housing and I've always talked about affordable housing because we need more of them, because that's what's really going to generate additional funding for our district those new students.
Speaker 2:Well, we're also talking about funding, and you said we've had two parcel tax measures actually fail. Now you're going to go through the bond instead, which is a smaller majority of the vote. Yes, but also California has a thing called Prop 2, which is also supposed to be a bond measure for the schools. So number one is how does your bond measure differ from the Prop 2 that the state is putting out? And do you think people are going to say, well, look, I'm not going to vote for two of these things, I'm going to vote for one or the other. Do you think that might be a conflict, that maybe you should have waited to a different election so you wouldn't compete with them? Or what's your feelings on the two props and how to get people to vote yes on both?
Speaker 3:As a homeowner and I actually just acquired a new property as well in Burbank. It is concerning to me, but this is a continuation of our bond and I will tell you why this is necessary. This is not for salaries, unlike a parcel tax, because sometimes people think it's the same thing. It's not. This is only for infrastructure and if you look at, you know the cost of goods and services after the pandemic. For anyone who's done any kind of a home renovation or building a new home, you'll see it's almost doubled. We just changed our roof and it cost us double what it would have cost us four years. But the reality of it is that your $1 that you invested five years ago in the bond now it's really 50 cents and where I work, at East LA College, we have a big bond also.
Speaker 3:It's the same conversation, but we need this because if we don't pass this bond, we're looking at $1.2 billion structural deficit that's going to cut into our budget and because our schools some of them are 60, some of them are 100 years old and they need maintenance. But also there are other laws retrofitting, maintaining these are very expensive. So you add double cost of goods, double cost of material, double cost of material labor is up. You know this is necessary because we need this and the budget is not going to get any better Next year. We're okay because the governor basically said we're not going to, everything is okay, we're not going to touch. It Comes the following year. You're going to see severe cuts and you already you know. Look at the economy. You're already seeing what's happening now and I think our community needs to come together and talk about these issues, but also the solutions. You know. Besides, affordable housing also needs to be more advocacy when it comes to the system itself, from our parents, our teachers, community members, about changing the system. So I want to work for the state legislators for years.
Speaker 3:I understand, you know what these laws are and we need to really start focusing back on our education and our teachers. Our teachers, the amount of money they make. You know the amount of traveling they have to do because they can't afford to live in Burbank. They only do it because they love our kids, they love our schools. I get complimented from my colleagues from other districts. But how in Burbank, how do you have such a wonderful education system, such a devoted teachers, but also offering programs like mental health programs at both of our high schools after-school programs, daycares. This is not a requirement by the law for school districts to do. We do it because we love our schools and we love Burbank.
Speaker 2:Staying on the bond issue, though, if we do pass the bond, we have an oversight committee we'll have to put together. Now, how are you going to convince people that the oversight committee is going to be independent? Now, how are you going to convince people that the oversight committee is going to be independent and not just friends of the board or people who are going to you know secret handshakes behind the scenes? How can you make sure that it's independent? And also, the last time we had a bond I know we did when we rebuilt Burroughs shoddy construction. I hear nothing about problems about the construction of boroughs. It's not lasted well, I think we used the very minimum we could do. How do we make sure that this time, with this bond measure, if we decide to put money into schools, that we're going to have long-lasting structures and we're going to have people who are committed to it?
Speaker 3:So I think the process A we need to keep it transparent it is a committee of members of the community people like you. We'd love to talk to you about, you know looking at this as well, but also the way it works also is that you want to have experts from different areas to be on this committee. So someone who's in construction, someone who understands IT Because I can tell you, when you spend money on just infrastructure and technology, you know you got to be careful. Sometimes you get the IT people in and they want the most high-tech stuff because that's what they're good at, and sometimes you get people who are just construction.
Speaker 3:I've seen bond committees in other districts with much more money that exactly do what you were talking about. So I think we need the community input. There will be an open selection process and we need people from diverse backgrounds and expertise to be on this, and I think we can make that a requirement where you know you have to be in this field to be on this and there's certain people in a number who can and I served on the committee before. I kind of understand it and I think the learning experience as well, but sometimes it's also hard to find volunteers who are willing to, you know, take time out of their busy schedules, you know to come. So I think, working together, maybe talking to you, doing more interviews about it, putting it out there, making it publicly available, it's great.
Speaker 3:And I think one thing that people don't realize we're one of the few districts that doesn't have a public information office because of budget issues. Most districts do, and that's usually the job of that person to go at.
Speaker 2:Well, I have Cindy I use a lot, who does a great job.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:Shout out to Cindy. Shout out to.
Speaker 3:Cindy Love. Cindy and Kimberly did it before. Oh, kimberly was the best I know, but that was not their job.
Speaker 2:No, but they were always. Yeah, they're always there for when you need to ask them a question.
Speaker 3:Exactly and that goes back to my point of you, people always compliment us. One of the reasons people move to Burbank is also because of our schools and it's that dedication of people like Cindy and Kimberly, who you know did this besides what they were doing. My hope is that, you know. You know, come budgetary issues when it comes to the state budget, you know, but also the bond itself, we can open up some additional funding to provide these opportunities. But overall, I think, as a board, as a district, you know, we've been very transparent and accessible, but we're going to need people's participation, people like you, to talk about this, to get the right people on the committee.
Speaker 2:I'm always would love to be part of the solution. Yeah, I'm critical, but it's because I care and I do want to see the best. But you keep bringing me right to my next question too. People do come to Burbank because of our school system. It has always been known as one of the best school systems. But yet we've had in the last couple of years 12 principals leave. We haven't, you know, used to go through by a school and you'd see California Distinguished School, california Blue Ribbon School. That's not happening anymore either. So what can we do to get that prestige back into our schools and become distinguished schools again and blue ribbon schools and all that, and get back to that former glory that really attracted people to Burbank?
Speaker 3:So I believe we still are one of the best school districts and, you know, besides just the awards itself, the fact that we have such a committed teachers, it does make a difference. Now I will tell you, in terms of attrition, there are several things happening and I'm a very case study, a case study driven person. I'm always gathering data and I love data. The fact is that we're at a very interesting point in our school district when it comes to faculty staff. A lot of them are retiring. A lot of people are moving out of Burbank who you know, early retirement, sell their home, go somewhere, which has to do with affordability. And it's happening even in our neighboring city. I mean, look at Glendale. A lot of members of my community are moving out of Glendale now going to Santa Clarita, going to the. They can't afford it.
Speaker 3:Affordability is a big issue. A lot of our teachers, you know, they're at that point that they're retiring. Or, as I said earlier, they're getting offers from other districts who can afford their salaries. And when your cost of living goes up, when your cost of goods are going up, when your rent is high, gas prices are high, well, they're going to have to make a choice, and I think for us, you know, it is important to have a very honest conversation about our budget, how it's funded, how a bond can really, you know, solve some of these issues, and what's really coming our way in two years when it comes to the state budget and where we're going, and we need to get ready for that. Look, I got skin in this game, we got a seventh grader and I know what's coming when it comes to the budget. I think we will get through it, but at the same time, this is a time that community really needs to come together. We have to have honest conversations about what we can do and what our limitations are.
Speaker 2:Well, you say you want citizens to contact their representatives, you want people to get involved, but as a board you're going to have far more clout than a citizen would. Yes, so is the board taking initiatives to meet with our state legislators, to our assembly people, our state senators, even our governor? And are we really trying? Because I know our city council flies back to Washington DC many times to talk with our representatives? So what are we as a board, and should we maybe put in a committee or something of not only school board members but also of citizens and prominent citizens to get involved? What would you like to see happen with that?
Speaker 3:So as someone who got involved in the process. I came from private sector and I got involved in politics, so and part of the reason was I did want to make a change and I was very concerned. I've been doing this for a long time. It is important that we should have committee Now. We do have advocacy groups out there PTA for example, is an advocacy group.
Speaker 3:We have something called a five-star coalition, which is five school districts and we all meet once a month staff superintendents, and we talk about this. But my area of expertise I've worked in Sacramento. I've worked with legislators for a long, long time. Most of them are my dear friends, going back to I don't know if you remember Majority Leader Dario Fromer.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 3:I ran Dario's field operation. That was my first involvement. That's how I got involved in education and education is important to me because, as you read my bio when I came here at almost 17, you know, education saved me. I had to work four jobs for my family. My first job was McDonald's right there on Glen Oaks and Western, and I learned through the process that once the community comes together not only school board members yes, we do have clout, but that doesn't mean anything if you don't have the advocacy behind you.
Speaker 3:Remember, elected officials get elected by votes. They have to serve, just like a business, they have to serve their clients. I don't care how powerful you are, I don't care how connected you are, ultimately it comes down to the vote. We have been working with some of the members of our community to really go and fly to Sacramento, if we can, to become an advocacy. I think we should start now and have a very honest conversation, because you got elections coming. Depending who's going to go where, it will make a difference, especially when it comes to the state and the funding. And that is a big concern now because you're now also seeing shift of electeds.
Speaker 3:Our superintendent for the state is running for governor. Now Everything is changing right. So I think this is the time, the next two years, when all the big elections with the governor and the lieutenant and the treasurer and all of those are coming up, that we do create a coalition, and it should not be partisan, it should be people from all sides. You know, talking about schools, the impact on business, you know, as a former chamber president, I can tell you schools have a very big impact when it comes to businesses, absolutely, and that's why I'm currently working on with the mayor to create mayor, to open the first joint center for business and entrepreneurship and innovation in Burbank. I think small businesses will save us in Burbank as well, but we need to be a little more innovative.
Speaker 3:And we live in Burbank, where all the studios are, where all the dreams are made, and I tell people, the process itself is not complicated. It's not only about cloud, it's about consistency, about preparedness. You have to be ready when you go and talk about your points and drive them, because it's usually handled by a staffer, a lead staffer or someone, and then it travels to the member right. I mean, members get bombarded by advocacy groups on a daily basis, but I think we need to remind people and I will finish with this the importance of education. And also what's something that I'm very, very passionate about career tech. That's the next big thing also happening now. Look at AI and what it's doing to certain industries.
Speaker 3:So there is a big growth at CareerTech right now Partnering with our friends from the unions and so on. They have apprenticeship programs that they can also teach the next generation of workers.
Speaker 3:And I think the bond itself. It's going to also generate a lot of revenue for workers in Burbank itself because we're going to have to start building these things and do infrastructure. So I think my approach is a very holistic approach, I think in five-year increments. So I think it's important that everything you're saying we should do it, we should partner up, and I'm more than happy to Anyone who's ready to go and be an advocate. I don't care what you do, I don't care what title you have. It's the readiness be prepared, be together and have one point where we can really drive it down when it comes to legislation or change of it.
Speaker 2:Something you said makes a lot of sense, and that is trying to prepare our students for the next level. And AI is going to become huge, just huge. The military is recruiting kids who are video game geniuses to go fly the drones and everything else in the military and who had thought that playing a video game would get you a career. And before your time on the board, before you were elected, we decided to close a lot of our shop classes down and our shop classes produced plumbers, electricians, construction, all those different jobs because, let's face it, some kids just aren't meant to go to four-year schools, and we lost a lot of that. I mean, your car breaks down, you're not going to take it to your accountant. You know what I'm saying. So do you think we should focus back a little more onto the industrial type of learning too, for those students who need it?
Speaker 3:Yes, and I will tell you why, just first-hand experience. So when I was in Germany I went to the Hapschule system. So by 11th grade Germans have a very interesting system of education. By 11th grade you pretty much know what you're going to do. But guess what my two best friends were going to do when they graduated high school? One wanted to be a baker, one wanted to be a butcher. And how many kids have you and you can be a candlestick maker, right, exactly. And you know, and the program is, you know, fully funded. Afterwards, two years of certification. They make as much money as doctors and lawyers.
Speaker 3:I wanted to be a dentist but I realized that I suffer from post-traumatic syndrome disorder because I went to war and everything. So that was difficult for me. But um, yes, I do agree with you. My best friend is a retired captain. He always talks about um, you know how now kids who play video games can fly right. So I think it's coming back.
Speaker 3:Because what happened at one point in our education system was lawmakers. Just looked at the whole academic aspect of it, right, more rigorous. Just, you know, academic process, not in closing shops. I had shop when I was in high school and I loved it, so did I. I think it's coming back and I think that's why earlier, when I talked about partnership with you know the carpenters, pipe fitters. You know they're willing and I don't know if you've seen their sites. They are literally training hundreds of workers daily, and it's not only now men who are getting into the industry. A lot of women are, and there are laws now that require that you have to hire women.
Speaker 3:And someone who sits on the Cal PIA board for the state of California, I understand we do recidivism program for our currently incarcerated individuals, mostly in the areas of career tech, construction, welding. There is a big demand out there because right now, because of what you mentioned earlier, ai technology is great, don't get me wrong but at the same time, there's a big need now. So there was a period before my times when state legislators just focused heavily on academia and that had to do with also, you know, globalization. So you saw a lot of competitions in countries which otherwise we wouldn't when it comes to academic standards. But I think we're now going back to what you talked about and I believe we need more of it.
Speaker 3:I'm a big advocate for that because I believe that education is important, but you can create a hybrid system. You offer some, you know some. You know programs like business how to run a business and then teach students how to build things, because that's one thing AI cannot do. It cannot fix your car I saw your Bronco outside, by the way. It can't fix your car, it can't fix your fridge, it can't build a house. So, yes, and we are moving that direction.
Speaker 2:One of the things that we're going to. You know, I want to get back to your backstory a little bit and I just, you know, glassed over it At 14,. He was a war refugee and had to move out of his home country and live alone until he reunited with his family in Germany, yes, and by 17, he came to the US. So your life experiences from your childhood that we all think is a great and Burbank is the greatest thing in the world and we have no idea what war is about. We have no idea what having to leave your homeland is. We don't. You know, we hear about it, but we have never experienced anything like that here in America. You've been through it. How were those experiences? How did they shape the man you are today? What is it about your experience that now you look at and I'm sure you say you know these americans have no idea what it's. You know the hardships that people face in the rest of the world. How does you know? How is it? How do you look?
Speaker 3:you know so come through that? I appreciate that question so. So I grew up in a Coca-Cola factory. My father, recently passed away, was the CFO of Coca-Cola.
Speaker 3:Southern Iran border of Kuwait and Iraq and the war broke out after the revolution. So you go to revolution. All of a sudden you wake up to your windows coming down because they were using Russian MiGs. And when they fly low altitude you know it's scary. Imagine just going to that. Because the invention, you know they invented the southern part where oil is. You know Saddam always wanted that area.
Speaker 3:So leaving everything behind, all your friends and moving out. The reason I got out at 14 was that two months prior my leave, they announced that this was during the height of the war. And if you're at 14, your passports will be provoked, meaning you can't leave, meaning it's mandatory draft afterwards, right? So imagine, as a parent, my parents, what they had to go through, right? Because they couldn't leave the country, because you couldn't get a visa. So I left alone.
Speaker 3:I went to the island of Cyprus, actually to the British side, and went to an Armenian boarding school that was built by two brothers, the Melkonian brothers, who weren't really educated but made a fortune in tobacco because they got ripped off on a deal. But then World War I broke out and they made a fortune. So they built a school in the island of Cyprus before Turkey invaded half of it for all the genocide orphans. So that was my ticket out I'm going, just going to go and study for summer. Of course I never went back. Imagine just in two months you have to say, in a month you have to say goodbye to all your friends, everything. It was very difficult for me. And then when I went to Germany, you go as a refugee and as a refugee people don't know. They quarantine you because they have to know where you're from. What disease do you have? So literally I spent months in a camp that was built for American GIs after World War II. You weren't allowed to go in or out until they do your paperwork, and that's when my parents came. I got reunited. Eventually we came here.
Speaker 3:But I think the experience for me there's been a couple of things. First, my appreciation of United States of America. I wanted to be a constitutional lawyer. That was my first study, because going through all this war and everything else, people sometimes forget what a wonderful nation we live in and I think sometimes we need to remind people that. Second was appreciation of family. I tell people you know when you're getting bombed at night we got bombed three times a day At night you don't know, you go to sleep and if a bomb drops on your house, you're not going to survive. So the fact that you wake up and you're alive, to me every morning when I wake up I'm like it's my birthday Because I went to that horrible expo. What a great viewpoint. Exactly, and I tell people you're complaining too much.
Speaker 3:Just, you know, make sure you have good friends, and family and friends was also very important. That's something I learned from my father and my grandfather who always said titles come and go, money comes and goes, but good friends always stay with you. So my attitude in life has always been wake up in the morning, you're alive, great. Go, do as much as you can, change world, help others. You know, don't forget about your family because at the end of the way, no matter how bad things are, you have your family and appreciate good friends.
Speaker 3:I put a very my friends are friends forever and I you know, and I'm getting to know you better, so hopefully we'll become better friends because at the end of the day. Things change, budgets come and go, titles come and go and, of course, education. Education is what saved me and that was something that was engraved in me from childhood from my mother. My mother at one point had to work at sweatshops making $1.10 an hour so I would stay in school. I had five jobs when I graduated high school, when I was at Gundit College supporting my family because you know they wouldn't hire my father who's going to hire a former CFO of Coca-Cola.
Speaker 3:That's in speaking. But in the process itself I learned that A you know we live in a wonderful country. The laws here still, as much as you want to complain, compared to other countries it's very different. But also, you know, I always tell people and I tell my students all the time travel, because you will understand if you travel to other countries, the experience. But also, you know, sometimes things are not as pretty and beautiful from distance. You know, you think they're beautiful from distance, when once you go there it's very different I spent some time there too, not just uh, drive in and drive exactly and and they call it.
Speaker 3:They call it the tourist. You know when people complain and what I tell them. I said why don't you go to downtown next time, la, and just pretend you're a tourist and just look at the buildings. It's beautiful, right? So? So so to me, those are the things that I care about, and education has always been a priority of mine. That's why I'm running for reelection.
Speaker 2:Well, very, that's a great story and you know that's why I love these podcasts, because to find out about that and your backstory is tremendous, what you've been through. I see now why education is not important to me.
Speaker 3:You have a doctorate in education which is, you know, and, by the way, I paid for most of it working three, four jobs because I didn't even know about the system. But you're a sport person, of sports right, yes, I am, but just to tell you this is a funny fact, but you should know this when I came here, I was a very good soccer player. I was a very good striker. I even got interviewed for the German National Youth Program.
Speaker 3:I've not always been a Germany fan, but anyways, when I came here I was in high school and my principal said hey, you're a pretty big guy, you want to play football. Principal said hey, you're a pretty big guy, you want to play football. And I thought he meant soccer. So I said yes, I didn't even say yes, I said yeah, um, german, and I played nose guard for one year and and the moral of the story is that I really build a great appreciation for the sport because I went to the experience. It's not an easy sport, despite what people think, and I think I think that was a great experience for me.
Speaker 2:Well, number one. No, sport is easy and you did touch. You did touch one of my, my notes there on sports and so I'm going to get, I'm going to throw this back at you a little bit now. Yeah, extra clicker activities in Burbank have taken a huge hit. I know, in baseball the only thing that's paid for is the coach's salary and they have a place to play. None of the uniforms, the equipment even now the buses are 100% have to be paid for by the program itself. Now you take baseball and you take all the other sports 12, 14 other sports and all those students have to go and fundraise. They have to hit the same people and sports is a life experience. Sports is something that is. The friends you make on a team are your friends the rest of your life. And I've been a coach for 40 years in high school and I've seen it. Yeah, I've been a coach for 40 years in high school and I've seen it.
Speaker 2:And it seems like we're really making it tough on the choirs, the sports, everything. What can the district do to take some of that pressure off the teams? And when I coached in Burbank back in the 80s, everything was paid for 1% of everything, and now zero. So it seems like you've squeezed all the water out of that onion in your can now. So what can we do to revive it? Because we know that those relationships are so important to people down the line and for years to come, and the things that are taught in sports responsibility and accountability, and all those things. So what can we do to support all those programs?
Speaker 3:That's a great question and you know, when I teach I use a book called Brain Works. You know, exercise helps your brain in actually doing better in school and everything. It's a scientific book. It's written by a doctor, I think, and this isn't something that I even see across even in colleges now. It's a scientific book. It's not written by a doctor, I think, and this is something that I even see across, even in colleges now big colleges. It ultimately comes down to again to the formula of funding and how we get funded. It becomes a question of do I pay teachers or do I get our students uniforms? And depending on the district, some districts don't have to worry about it because their foundations can pay for it, and I think I'm very happy that now we have the Arts and Education Foundation. And I think for donors, they should look at venues or how they can pick a program. For example, we just got the band at my college. It was funded to a donor. But it shouldn't be, by the way.
Speaker 3:But I do agree with you and I think, as a father of a seventh grader, I can see how little activities now they're having. Sports is not a priority anymore as much as it used to be Now, even though he plays sports. I think we need to go back to the conversation of friendship because after the pandemic and now with social media, you've noticed a lot of our students are suffering with mental health. They have issues being in social places. Friendships really don't. You know, it's difficult for them and I don't blame them and we've seen a big.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So I think sports can help that and I think that's an argument we can bring back. When it comes to funding, we should start asking for additional funding for not only more sports programs, but also, on top of it, we need to add those things like band needs, you know, uniforms, and people forget that they're like well, we'll pay for the coaches, but what about the rest? Right, and it should not be a burden by the parents, because it's difficult now to cost of living and everything else. It's difficult for parents. A lot of parents have to make those sacrifices and I'm 100% with you and I believe that is a good solution to expand this program, especially post-pandemic, and I witnessed this with our own son. You know, when he goes and plays with his friends, when he plays sports, he's happier, and I wish me growing up we just played sports, but we also, after school, went and played in the streets, which you don't see anymore.
Speaker 2:We've lost all that. We've completely lost that.
Speaker 2:We don't know what it's like to actually talk to each other. Something that school districts always are talking about is well, we put X amount of kids into these four-year schools. Now you teach at two different junior colleges and JUCO is, I think, very underlooked. The same classes you take in a junior college for the first two years and get your associate's degree are the exact same classes you'd get in a four-year university at one-tenth the cost, exactly. And we have a lot of students who can't afford economic education to go to four-year university at one-tenth the cost Exactly.
Speaker 2:And we have a lot of students who can't afford economic education to go to four-year schools. Yes, so are we trying to steer students toward the two-year schools, toward Glendale, toward Valley College or East LA or wherever it's going to be, and let them know the alternative will still get you in the same place because in the long run your degree is going to say what the four-year school's name is, not the two-year school. So how do we? Because once again, social, economically and all that, it's tougher on families right now.
Speaker 3:That's a great question and again, going back to me being a case study, I think Pasadena College is a great example. So Pasadena at one point was Community College, was really suffering from attrition because of change of demographics A lot of Asians San Marino and they were like we're just going to send our students directly to USC and UCLA. So Pasadena College got smart and they launched a big campaign telling parents hey, you can save a lot of money. Actually, community college is free now, depending on your status, but the first year or two is free. Just bring them here and then transfer them over Glendale College where I teach. Their pride is we can get you to UCLA if you want.
Speaker 3:I don't know nowadays because UCLA is very difficult to get in, but for years, when I even went there, that was the case. I think that goes also back to the system itself A lot of our students when they get ready and take the exams and we do a great job preparing them. But the problem is that if you get one D in one subject, you're not going to qualify for the program itself. Or maybe you pick five or six universities but all of a sudden you change your mind. It throws off the numbers and the state changes the system every two years. You've noticed, now there are even universities and colleges are going in the direction of no SATs. You know why? Because there is attrition, just like schools and universities and colleges, and they're literally competing against one another.
Speaker 3:Remember Burbank Airport had Cal State and Northridge's, you know all over the not Cal State LA's advertisement all over them, which, but they're not that close to them, Cal State LA did a great job in building.
Speaker 2:Marketing.
Speaker 3:yeah, yeah, they became the Golden Eagles, the first university in LA, which technically is true, you know, even though UCLA keeps saying we're not, but they were the one. So it's become almost a business of advertising getting students in. Is community college not because I work there? Are they more affordable? Yes, do people know about it? It depends, and I think more education is needed. But the great news is that we have great partners Mission, college and Valley. If you've been to Valley lately you won't recognize it. All that bond money. It's a state-of-the-art. So is Mission and they have one of the best culinary programs. They have a new museum on movies.
Speaker 3:I think we need to educate our students. Some of them will directly go to universities. But also, you know, when we look at college preparedness and some of the scores, the problem is that it changes every two years and it's very difficult for our students because you know they have to take these exams. Sats are kind of slowly going away. But I think the district has also done a great job and the minute a student fails in one of those courses, right away we'll put them in a summer program.
Speaker 3:I mean, remember Woodbury and the partnerships and all those programs. So I think it's true partnerships. The good news is, because of attrition in community college because, remember, they get paid the same way we do for people Now there's a big push for partnering up with districts. We're talking Valley College already and the state actually last year and the year before invested millions in also advertisement. You've seen all those college signs on buses and stuff. That was money from the state because you know, we've seen the same attrition we've seen in our schools, in our colleges. It's the same system when it comes to funding as well.
Speaker 2:It's funny that they'll give you millions of dollars for advertising but not millions of dollars to make sure you have good programs in your schools, where the money is actually really needed. It's funny how the priorities are a little bit skewed in that I'm going to get into a really tough subject right now and I want to keep this question actually today. I used to teach in a school and one thing that we know about schools is that they're bullies. Every school there's bullying in and every time we have a mass shooting it goes right back to well, he was always bullied.
Speaker 2:Now I know Burbank has a zero bullying policy and all these things, but let's face it, every teacher in every school knows of kids who get bullied. And even if you say, stop doing that, not solving the problem day in and day out, and these kids snap, thank goodness, never happened in Burbank, thank goodness, but there's no predictor. So what do you do as a board member to try to address the systemic problem of what bullying is? Because just having a policy doesn't work. So any thoughts on that? I'm really, you know. I think it's saying that we've got to figure out.
Speaker 3:Yes, so I think that hear something, say something, see something, say something that's important, I think. Going back to my comment earlier about post-pandemic social media, you know it's tough for our students. It's not the same. When you and I went to school, they're literally bombarded. Uh, you know things. Who to be, what to say, what not to. I mean this uh, bullying, online bullying. I mean the list goes on. I mean I was bullied when I came here.
Speaker 2:I was picked up you know I was bullied at times too, you know. I mean, I think we all understand that. That's why it's a sore subject and I think it's important to realize that.
Speaker 3:Going back to relationships, friendship, I think it's important that people understand if you're bullied, you can go and talk to your administrators, your teachers, but it's also important to understand how difficult it is for our students and also our teachers. You know we see bullying all the time and I believe that policies are one thing, but having an education system that operates like a family, where everyone knows each other and they trust each other, is a different thing. Where everyone knows each other and they trust each other is a different thing. And I think you know in Burbank at least, I can tell you that when we hear about it, we address it right away. But there is also.
Speaker 3:You know, we can't prevent everything, right. We just had a mass shooting and people asked questions about what happened there, right. But mental health is a big concern and I'm a big advocate of extending our programs. It's part of my priorities and platform. We need professionals to address these concerns. It's difficult. Sometimes people get bullied by. You know they're teenagers or they don't want to go talk about it. It's embarrassing, you know. I mean, it's very different for students and kiddos nowadays than it was for us you know and we need more funding to bring more counselors.
Speaker 3:We need more funding to bring in.
Speaker 2:You think getting rid of cell phones in the classroom, like LA, is now done? Do you think that's one of our next steps?
Speaker 3:Well, I mean I'm big for it and you know, I mean our seven-year-old is like almost stuck to his hand. Yes, I mean some schools are doing it, Some instructors. Now Burbank, I was just in Burbank when students go in on one of the classes they put it in a box, you know. But when they go home and I can, you know you can't be their parent. No, and that's one thing also I always remind I'm guilty myself, you know you give your kid the cell phone and they're going to just write, but I think you need the specialist in there.
Speaker 3:I always say teachers should teach, because where I come from and the education system was very British Teachers came clocked in, taught, went home. Your PE teacher was your PE teacher, that's all they did. They were not there to, you know, be your friend, or they were there to very tough, but at the same time their focus was on education and you need counselors and specialists that understand this, because this is not teacher's job. It's very difficult for teachers. They have to go through this.
Speaker 3:You know, dealing with these issues. Sometimes they're looked at almost as babysitters, you know, and it's unfortunate because you know nowadays you know it's difficult for also working families. Now you work three, four jobs right. So I think we need to address this in a more holistic and systematic approach where more counselors, because you will have cases, and that's why I'm proud to say that we do have. We're the only district that has two wellness centers in our high school. Most of districts don't and that's where students going to decompress Sometimes maybe taking a little break will help you, but I think it ultimately comes down to funding. That's what it is.
Speaker 2:I will throw an idea out there. I had, and once again, I spent 40 years in high schools. What if you were to develop a? Because, like you said, a lot of kids don't want to go talk to an adult and they're already embarrassed yes, because they're being bullied. What if there in each school was a peer group? We have great leaders in every high school, great student leaders. What if there was, let's say, a group of five leaders and their job was anti-bowling and they, you know, wore a wristband or something and they will always recognize bowling more than anybody else and when they see it, they will step in and they will go to the authorities, they will follow up with it, they will make sure the student has that friend so that the student doesn't feel like he's on an island. What about that as an idea of having a peer-type group in every school that could go after things like this?
Speaker 3:So you're talking about students.
Speaker 2:Yeah, students, peers of the students.
Speaker 3:Good idea, but at the same time there is the legality factor of it.
Speaker 2:But all the students know who's getting bullied. Yeah, they all know, okay, and so instead of just watching it, they can step in and be there to help the students and get the help the student needs.
Speaker 3:Well, I mean, I've tried that in passing. I ended up getting jumped myself, so it depends. So there is the safety issue. Right, there is the legal issue yeah. So but I believe that if we it goes back to your point of sports and everything If you create more camaraderie, if you start hanging around with the person in real time, where you're not just over the phone or you know, when you really get to know the person, when they really become your friend, when you walk to school in the morning together.
Speaker 3:You know what I mean. You know what I'm talking about. I mean you remember if we were bullied we have the friends who kind of came in.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 3:And um, and I think it's important, it's not, you know, everyone knows about the bully. There's laws and everything. I think this goes back to my first point of how difficult it is for students, post-pandemic. There are trust issues, right. I think if we come together and address these things, bring forward programs, that really is going to take us back to the basics of friendship, your peers being there for you as friends, right. I think that would slowly will also address this, because growing up, if someone bullied, you will have someone will stand up for you, right. But again, that happens now and and people end up suing each other.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they just stand back and watch. Been a's been a good podcast, it's been a good talk Probably a little longer than we usually go, but I really appreciate your responses. Like I say, I had tough questions and you didn't shy away from them. So what I always do at the end of every show is I know your camera is here and I give you all the time you want to look right in that camera and talk to the voter directly and tell the voter why they should re-elect you to the school board. So this is your time, Thank you.
Speaker 3:So again Dr Armand Agakonian here. I'm a proud Burbank resident, homeowner, teacher, parent. I bring over 25 years of unique skills and qualities in areas of business, education and, of course, public service. For the past nine years I have worked very hard to make sure that we provide safe and healthy and equitable educational opportunities for every student, teacher and staff and parent in our district. I think you know right now, facing what's happening with attrition and budgetary issues it's not our fault, it's what's happening in the state and, of course, added cost of living and everything else we need someone who's experienced, who can bring the community together, who has friends in the sacramentos of the world and so forth, who could be an advocate and bring community members together if needed and I'm very, very honored, you know I have my most important endorsement is the Burbank Teachers Association.
Speaker 3:As a teacher myself and a son of a teacher, I understand challenges our teachers face. But I will tell you that my focus will be, and continue to be, academic excellence, fiscal responsibility and funding school safety, increasing mental health programs, adding additional career technical courses, supporting our dual enrollment, which is very important, and infrastructure improvements in our district, and I think together we can do that. I am always available. You know, people know me. They can call me, email me Cell phone always works the best and I think it is time for us also, as a community, to really come together and talk about things that you were talking about earlier. How do we advocate as a community? It could be done. It's something that requires everyone's input, but it could be done, because the most precious thing we have is the education for our students. We need to prepare them.
Speaker 3:As Thomas Friedman said in his book the World is Flat. You know, for our students, we need to prepare them. As Thomas Friedman said in his book the World is Flat, you know, for our students now to graduate and I'm paraphrasing and going to the global market, it's like going to the Olympics, except you have to be good in every sport. And that's what's important the future of our students. I think as a district, we've done a wonderful job with the limited budget we have and I think it's important for people to get, you know, educated on the process. Go to Ed 100 and learn how the process works and why we're facing all these challenges. No fault of district staff, teachers, you know families, it's just the way the formula is, and I believe that Burbank is getting the short end of the stick, because we're what I call a perfect middle class community. I am very happy to be here today and this was a wonderful conversation, and I respectfully ask for your support in both. Thank you.
Speaker 2:Well, thank you, doctor, I do appreciate it, and you know I say I'm always there to be part of the solution, not just the problem and not just criticizing, so let me know what I can do to help. Anyhow, that's it for another episode of Meet the Candidate. I really appreciate everybody listening and watching. Remember, if you are a candidate and your name appears on a ballot in Burbank, we'd love to have you in for a podcast. Just send me an email at news at myburbankcom and we will schedule you. So thank you very much for listening and we will talk to you next time.