Transcript in Armenian - International Institute

“Where is the Line of Retreat?”:
Challenges Facing Armenian Schools in
Southern California
SHUSHAN KARAPETIAN, C.PHIL
ARMENIAN STUDIES, UCLA
APRIL 13, 2013
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
Western
Armenian
Classical
Orthography
Eastern
Armenian
Classical
Orthography
Reformed
Orthography
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
Armenian Private Day Schools
 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
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
Demographics of Parents
Mothers’ Birthplace


Ethnicity

Armenian 96% , Czech 4%

Iran 42%

US 15%

Syria 15%

Armenia 12%

Lebanon 8%

Germany 4%

Prague 4%
Fathers’ Background


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
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 environment
24% Standards of education
15% High proficiency/fluency in the
Armenian language
15% 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