“where is the line of retreat ?”: challenges facing armenian schools in southern california
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SHUSHAN KARAPETIAN, C.PHILARMENIAN STUDIES, UCLA
APRIL 13 , 2013
“Where is the Line of Retreat?”: Challenges Facing
Armenian Schools in Southern California
Where is Armenia?
Armenian Immigration to the United States
First Wave:19th – early 20th century
Protestant Missionaries Post massacres and Genocide
Second Wave Political unrest in the Middle
East 1970s Collapse of the Soviet Union in
the early 1990s
Armenians in the United States
2000 U.S. Census 385,488 respondents indicated either full or partial
Armenian ancestry 153,000 Armenians in Los Angeles County
2007 American Community Survey 446,032 Americans with full or partial Armenian
ancestry
40% of the population of Glendale (around 80,000) and the student body of the Glendale Unified School District
The Armenian Language
Evolution of Armenian Language
Classical Armenian
WesternArmenian
Classical Orthograp
hy
EasternArmenian
Classical Orthograp
hy
Reformed Orthograp
hy
Language Maintenance – LA Community
Private Armenian Community Schools Day schools ranging from K-12 Saturday schools Preschools
After school Armenian language programs in public schools
Immersion programs in 2 GUSD elementary schools
Armenian Charter School in North Hollywood
Colleges and Universities UCLA, CSUN, GCC, PCC
Prelacy Armenian Schools (Total enrollment – 2402) 7 preschools 5 K-12 schools 1 K-8 school
Non-prelacy Armenian schools (Total enrollment – 2130) 2 PK-12 5 PK-8 1 PK-6 1 9-12
Serve under 5% of Armenian community
Armenian Private Day Schools
Mission Statement of Prelacy Schools
The mission of Prelacy Armenian Schools is to ensure academic excellence in accordance with Federal and State guidelines and standards. In addition, the schools strive to develop in our students a strong sense of national and spiritual values and prepare them to become well-rounded and outstanding Armenian-American citizens. The students are highly encouraged to actively participate and contribute to the well-being of the global and local communities.
The Prelacy Armenian Schools promote Armenian principals and values and the preservation of the ethnic heritage, language, culture, tradition, history, and religion of the Armenian people. The students are motivated and inspired to be actively involved in the pursuit of the Armenian Cause and strengthen the independence of Armenia, based on principles of democracy, equality, justice, and economic prosperity.
Decline
General decline in enrollment in both prelacy and non-prelacy schools Demographics Economy
Growing competition from public school system Charter After school programs Immersion programs
Projects/Committees
Saroyan Project Round-table discussion about reevaluating Armenian
curriculum at Chamlian Armenian School (May 2011) “We have a two-pronged problem at our school. First, our
students don’t like Armenian class. Second, they don’t graduate with high proficiency in Armenian.” (Vazgen Madenlian, Principal of Chamlian)
Armenian Task Force Established by the Board of Regents of Prelacy Armenian
Schools to reevaluate Armenian curricula
Challenges
Role of Armenian
Issue of two standards
Issue of two orthographies
Quality of education
Safe and “Armenian” environment
Teachers
Re-evaluation of the role of language in Armenian identity
(Rubina Peroomian, 2006)
Who is Armenian?
Teachers
No institution which prepares and certifies Armenian teachers for the Diaspora
Most teachers are hired based on recommendations and previous experience teaching in another diaspora community (Syria, Lebanon, Iran).
There is no uniformity in the instructors’ theoretical and methodological approach.
On the contrary - each teacher comes from a different school of pedagogy (if they indeed have some kind of formal pedagogical education) and with very diverse attitudes about what kind of Armenian should be taught and how it should be instructed.
Teachers
Training in Armenian Studies and pedagogical methods
Resources
Compensation
Future generation of teachers?
Students
Already children of heritage learners/speakers
View Armenian as an imposed subject which remains within the boundaries of the classroom
Lack motivation/incentive to pursue Armenian
Language compartmentalization (Kouloujian)
Parents
Linguistic proficiency
Attitude
Support
Mothers’ Birthplace Fathers’ Background
Ethnicity Armenian 96% , Czech 4% Iran 42% US 15% Syria 15% Armenia 12% Lebanon 8% Germany 4% Prague 4%
Age of arrival in US: 15
Ethnicity Armenian 88%, Polish 4%, Russian, 4%,
Italian 4% Birthplace
Iran 38% Lebanon 12% Iraq 7.5% Kuwait 7.5% US 7.5% Syria 7.5% Armenia 4% Israel 4% Ethiopia 4% Russia 4% Argentina 4% Germany 4% Prague 4%
Age of arrive to US: 17
Demographics of Parents
Parental Attitudes
Rate the following factors in your decision to send your child to Chamlian from most important to least important (1 being most important, 5 being least important).
31% Safe environment24% Standards of education15% High proficiency/fluency in the
Armenian language15% Fostering a sense of “Armenian-ness”15% Armenian environment (social circle,
friends, activities)
Unique Features of Armenian-American Community
Armenian-American community, particularly in Los Angeles vs. traditional Diaspora Armenian Diverse & Hybrid
Armenian-American community school vs. traditional Armenian community school American private school with Armenian as a foreign
language
Armenian-American learner vs. traditional Armenian heritage learner Lower proficiency, English dominant heritage learner
Concerns
Schools not producing critical mass which consumes and produces Armenian culture in Armenian (Kouloujian)
Teachers
Writers
Newspaper editors
Community leaders
Administrators
Looking ahead….
Define the minimum role of Armenian in order to achieve a self-sustaining critical mass
Promote minimum role Business model
Clarify product Define market Establish methods of delivering product
Include all stakeholders as partners Teachers, parents, students, administrators
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