Daniel Torunian
Sequoia Union High School District, Trustee Area B
Lift-up all students.
Prepare them for the Future.
Operate with Accountability & Transparency.
“There is always an opportunity to do better and we should never stop striving to do better, especially when we are speaking about educating our youth.”
The Issues:
There are many issues facing our school district and some of them are nuanced, meaning that there isn’t a binary response of Yes vs. No. Issues, such De-tracking, Student Safety, and Fiscal Responsibility all require that we are very clear as to the outcomes we want to drive and that the programs we decision are designed to deliver on those outcomes. In some cases, my thinking will evolve as we host more ‘Listening & Learning’ sessions with Parents, Educators and Students. However, I do think it is important as candidate that I am very transparent regarding my values, positions and perspectives.
All students are valued in our School System!
Recently I had the opportunity to attend a 'For the Sake of Our Children' community workshop. The workshop was a mix of parents and educators who discussed and illustrated some of the curriculum being taught within the district.
Examples included different aspects of Critical Race Theory where Marxist principles were amplified and students were taught to identify as either an 'Oppressor' or 'Oppressed'. These subjective delineations were not based on life decisions or actions, but more so based on ethnicity, family structure and economics.
What I saw was truly disturbing and served to reinforce feedback from parents and indicates the erosion of trust between parents and the district leadership.
We must celebrate our differences and focus on what unites us and makes us common. The curriculum I witnessed is clearly intended to divide us and make students either feel guilty for the heritage or to reinforce a victim mentality.
The session ended with a screening of a documentary, 'Killing America' which highlights Menlo-Atherton and Woodside High Schools and exposes the links between anti-semitism in our schools and critical race theory. A must view and very disturbing!
It is clearly time for a change!