Former Burbank educator Joan Baca remembered by school district
In remembrance of a former educator, the Burbank Unified School District held a memorial dedication unveiling a new red bench at Washington Elementary School earlier this month.
The bench is in honor of Joan Baca, who died of cancer last year, said Brandi Young, principal of Washington Elementary.
A committee began mobilizing last year to ask the school board for approval to purchase a bench and place it under a tree planted in honor of Baca’s retirement, Young said. The bench is located in front of the school on Lincoln Street.
Baca began her career with the school district as a teacher at Franklin Elementary School in 1965. Throughout her time, she took on various roles such as spearheading bilingual education by teaching English as a second language courses.
In 1983, Baca took the helm as principal at Washington Elementary before retiring in 2001. She later worked at Cal State Northridge’s Student Teacher/Credentialing Unit, Young said.
“She had cancer and worked almost to the very end because that was Joan Baca,” Young said. “She was known for never stopping or slowing down.”
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