ANCA-WR Endorses Steve Zimmer for LAUSD Board of Education

California Superintendent Tom Torlakson to be honored with Man of the Year Award at ANCA-WR Annual Gala Banquet. Early yesterday, ANCA-WR announced that State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson will behonored with the 2016 ANCA-WR Man of the Year Award for his strong leadership and ongoing commitment to forcefully defending and advancing issues critical to Armenians worldwide and his stanch support in ensuring that Armenian Genocide education is properly taught to future generations in the California public school system. Torlakson will personally accept the award at the Gala Banquet to be held on Sunday, October 16 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles.

 

"As a longtime supporter of human rights, Superintendent Torlakson has been a true champion for educating future generations who will be well informed about the Armenian Genocide and other crimes against humanity," said ANCA-WR Chair Nora Hovsepian. "We appreciate his steadfast support in raising greater awareness among educators regarding the Genocide and Near East Relief, and for his leadership in promoting its teaching in California public schools."

"I am deeply honored to receive this recognition," Torlakson said. "I have always appreciated the civic participation and engagement by the Armenian community in California, from the support of important legislation during my time at the State Capitol to the recent contributions by Armenians in the development of the important, 21st century History/Social Science Frameworks. Let's keep working together to help all of our students succeed on their way to careers and college."

 

Torlakson has been a longtime supporter of the Armenian community as State Superintendent and during his 14 years of service in the state Legislature.  For the last two years, he worked hand-in-hand with the ANCA-WR, the ANCA-WR Education Committee and the Genocide Education Project ("GenEd") to ensure incorporation of added language about the Armenian Genocide in the  History-Social Science Framework for California Public Schools, which was unanimously passed on July 14 by the California Board of Education and is currently working with publishers to incorporate the same in textbooks that will hit classrooms across the Golden State and beyond.

As State Superintendent, Torlakson has urged all school district superintendents in California to put the teaching of the Armenian Genocide

Superintendent Torlakson with Chairs and Members of the ANCA-WR America We Thank You and Education Committees at the launch of the AWTY Documentary about the US response to the Armenian Genocide.

into practice within the schools in their respective jurisdictions. Additionally, he has encouraged education leaders throughout the nation to incorporate the Armenian Genocide into the curriculum of other states. Read on

http://www.ancawr.org/torlaksonmanoftheyear/

ANCA Western Region [info@ancawr.org]