A teacher’s comments at the April 29 Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD) Board meeting moved the audience to give her a standing ovation, which continued even as BHUSD Board President Rachelle Marcus attempted to move the meeting forward.
Annette Goldstein, a teacher at Horace Mann Elementary School who has been employed by the district for over 30 years, addressed the board regarding contract negotiations between the district and the Beverly Hills Education Association (BHEA), the union that represents local educators. As part of negotiations, teachers are requesting salary increases and updated benefits.
Goldstein said she has three extra jobs and will teach summer school to “make ends meet.”
“I canceled a doctor’s appointment that I had scheduled for last Friday because I was told it would be a $1,300 copay,” she said. “Our benefits are abysmal. Plus, I will have two kids in college in the fall, and even with merit scholarships, tuition for my son’s top choice is more than I can afford. I will have to tell him, ‘too bad.'”
After Goldstein concluded her comment, many members of the audience stood and applauded.
“Thank you very much,” Marcus, who taught in the district for several decades prior to being elected to the board, said over the noise. “Can I call for a motion for the consent calendar?”
As the board attempted to continue the meeting, the applause was sustained. It concluded after approximately one and a half minutes.
Goldstein’s remarks followed public comment from Katherine Warren, the president of BHEA. Warren stated that on April 16, a designated negotiation day, no one from the district showed up at the bargaining table, leaving representatives for BHEA sitting there for three hours.
Finally, according to Warren, they received an email from a district representative stating that the district could not make a counteroffer until June 1 because of the ongoing leadership transition and an upcoming budget review.
BHEA representatives have expressed their desire to finish contract negotiations before the summer begins. “This is deeply disappointing,” said Warren of the action by the district. “These delays have not only tested our patience, they have tested the goodwill and trust that are essential to any successful negotiation.”
In a statement, the district said that it is “fully committed to getting this done and are doing everything we can to keep conversations moving forward.”
“After providing our employees with a significant 10.5% raise last year, our Board of Education is eager to bring this year’s negotiations to a close so we can continue focusing on students,” said the statement. “Our goal is to ensure our educators have clarity before the end of the school year … We are deeply grateful to all of our dedicated staff whose commitment and care make BHUSD a place of Educational Excellence.”
Following public comment, the board heard an update on the construction at Beverly Hills High School (BHHS). According to Amin Salari, the chief Operating Officer/Executive Vice President of Operations at Fonder-Salari, Inc., the company overseeing construction, all projects at the school will be completed by December 2027.
Various individual projects, such as the swimming pool and performing arts center, will be completed along the way.
In other business, the board voted unanimously to reassign several members of the Horace Mann and El Rodeo Elementary Schools’ administration teams.
Sarah Kaber-Pottebaum, the principal at El Rodeo, and Kevin Painter, the assistant principal at Horace Mann, will both be reassigned to elementary school classrooms.
Molly Hwang, the assistant principal at Horace Mann, will be reassigned to the Horace Mann Learning Lab. Mark Mead, Executive Director, School Safety, will be reassigned to a high school English classroom.
All reassignments will begin on Aug. 7 and continue until May 29, 2026.
