Parents and teachers press Beverly Hills Unified on teacher absences, substitutes and contract talks

Several parents and union leaders told the Beverly Hills Unified School District Board of Education on April 15 that frequent teacher absences and a shortage of substitutes are disrupting classroom continuity and increasing student anxiety.

Why this matters: Parents said teachers are being pulled repeatedly from classrooms for professional development, training, or bargaining activities, leaving students with inconsistent substitute coverage. The Beverly Hills Educators Association, which led public comments, asked the board to provide bargaining parameters and to deliver a signed contract by June 1 so educators have compensation certainty before summer.

Public comments and requests - Rochelle Hacock Lavi, a parent, described ongoing and repeated teacher absences at her children’s schools over the last two years, saying the substitutes ‘‘aren’t helpful’’ for continuity of instruction and asking the district to find alternatives to repeated in-class training days. - Natalie Unesi, another parent at El Rodeo, said substitute shortages forced teachers to redistribute students among other classrooms and increased stress for staff; she asked the board…