Burbank Unified officials call for unity and ‘open, honest’ post-election dialogue
Although he said he doesn’t support President-elect Donald Trump or his beliefs, Burbank Unified school board member Steve Ferguson said he hopes Trump succeeds in his new role. Here, Ferguson is pictured in front of his alma mater Burbank High in this file photo taken on Tuesday, March 12, 2013.
With President-elect Donald Trump preparing to make a transition into the White House, local school officials say they are encouraging students to participate in “open, honest dialogue,” following his recent election.
“This is a time in our country where we are divided, not all of us, but some of us are going through different emotions and feelings about the election,” said Burbank Unified Supt. Matt Hill, during a recent school board meeting. “For our schools, this is not about politics, but this is about creating a space for our students to engage in civic dialogue.”
Hill addressed the recent election results last Thursday, not long after he sent a note to district employees and students’ families telling them that since Nov. 8, teachers and administrators have encouraged students to participate in “respectful conversations” about the election.
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“We can agree to disagree, but we’ll do that respectfully,” Hill said. “In our community, I’m proud to say that Burbank models this very well ... I think it’s a model the nation’s going to have to look at as we all come together.”
Meanwhile, school board member Steve Ferguson said that although he doesn’t support Trump or his beliefs, he hopes Trump succeeds in his new role.
“I know that this has been tough for members of our community, not all of them, but members of our community and students, in particular — students who have always identified themselves as different and who never saw a place in what is Donald Trump’s America,” he said.
“As a local leader, I do support any effort to ensure that [Trump] learns the value of every aspect of this country, no matter who you are, because we all inherently have something to contribute,” Ferguson said. “So, to our student populations who are struggling with this … show us your strength as Burbank students and listen to one another. We’ll move forward, and we wish our country the very best in the next four years.”
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Kelly Corrigan, kelly.corrigan@latimes.com
Twitter: @kellymcorrigan
