Charlene Walters
Parent Advocate

Mother of two and passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion, Charlene Walters is a parent who’s made advocating for a more inclusive District into a superpower.

Tell us a little about yourself:

I am first generation Canadian, with Trinidadian and Jamaican roots. Both my children are in the BUSD Dual Immersion program. I’ve been active in the PTA for six years, two of them as the PTA president at Disney. I’ve also been on the Burbank Council PTA Executive Board for a year, and I serve on the groups’ Diversity Outreach and Inclusion committee, in addition to being part of the BUSD DEI committee.

One thing a lot of people don’t know about me is that I am a former teacher. I’ve taught in public and private schools in Australia, Canada and the U.S.  From those experiences, I learned that being in the right school community makes a significant difference in the life of your child. Most importantly, I also learned that having an involved parent positively impacts a child’s achievement and helps improve the overall school environment. That’s why I made sure to be as involved with the Burbank school community as much as I could.

What prompted your personal activism with DEI within the district?

My involvement with DEI was originally an offshoot from my work with the PTA, but this year I will say that an ongoing catalyst was witnessing the increase in blatant and violent racism in our country. I had some extremely hard, tearful conversations with my children from what we saw in the news over the summer and even today. It is difficult to explain to a child why there are people in this world who may not like them just because of the color of their skin. I can say those conversations helped spur my commitment even more in making sure there was a strong emphasis on DEI within the Burbank community.

We have an amazing district, but I want to help create a place where every child has a sense of belonging when they come to school. I want to be part of developing and cultivating opportunities in the children’s lives that make them feel welcome and which allows them to reap the benefits of having a DEI focus in school.

What kind of benefits are you referring to?

Teaching through a DEI lens helps increase critical and cognitive skills in children simply because it requires them to work with - and understand - multiple perspectives.

And just as importantly, an inclusive school environment provides our children with a better chance of leaving this district feeling confident and secure. When students learn about different people, whether it be about race, culture, religion, sexual orientation/identity, ability, etc., it fortifies their education. They feel more comfortable being with others later in life and this will help our children empathize and be more assured when dealing with a broader community in their future jobs, neighborhoods and relationships.

In helping the schools and the district do this work, we are preparing our students to be citizens of the world and working to erase the ‘isms.’ With understanding there’s less chance of hate.

You’re part of a lot of DEI groups. Can you share the role of parents in these groups and why it’s important for parents to be connected?

Parents are important stakeholders in this district. We help convey important information and concerns that impact students and their families. It’s our role to bring awareness to issues that teachers and admins may not be aware of. They may not be able to see what’s happening to our students on a personal level. When we share our stories, the District can make informed decisions that impact the lives of our children and families. For example, parents are uniquely positioned to share the impact of microaggressions not only on the student, but on the entire family unit.

When parents ‘sit at the table’ with the District and PTA committees, we are advocates not only for our own children, but for all children.  Parents are amazing advocates because we are the link between home and school. I deeply appreciate how our District wants to hear our voices - it is important for us to remember that what we have to say as parents is incredibly valuable in making our District great.

Do you have any parting words for parents?

We have to do the work. What I’ve learned with PTA and with the other committees is that change doesn’t happen on its own. I believe the work I do with the schools helps people feel part of the Burbank USD community and when more parents join us – our district will only be better.