Beverly Hills Teachers Union Declines Endorsements in Board Race

The Beverly Hills Education Association will not endorse any candidates in this year's BHUSD Board of Education race, according to the Beverly Hills Weekly, following a representative council discussion that union President Katherine Warren said included a wide range of views.

"The BHEA Rep Council had a spirited and thoughtful discussion about whether to endorse candidates for the upcoming school board election," Warren told the Weekly.

Warren said representatives brought different perspectives and reasons to the discussion, with the decision reflecting their collective vote. Her statement did not provide a vote tally or identify concerns about individual candidates.

The decision departs from the union's approach in the previous two election cycles. In 2022, BHEA endorsed Farrah Dodes and Rachelle Marcus. In 2024, it backed Amanda Stern and Dela Peykar Ronen.

Those endorsements put the teachers union publicly behind named candidates. This year's decision leaves the field without an official BHEA recommendation, although Warren's statement does not address individual teachers' political preferences.

The announcement also follows a recent round of bargaining between BHEA and the district. In May, BHUSD announced a tentative agreement for the 2026-27 school year that included a 4% salary increase and a $1,500 annual increase in health and welfare benefits, as previously reported by the Beverly Hills Standard.

The proposed terms extended beyond compensation, including expectations for grading practices, timely publication of grades and feedback to students. At the time of the announcement, the agreement was scheduled to go before union members for ratification and the Board of Education for formal approval.

Warren welcomed that agreement and credited cooperation between the bargaining teams. In a statement accompanying the announcement, she also acknowledged the union's working relationship with district leadership.

"We appreciate the continued partnership with the District and Board of Education throughout this process."

Her explanation of the endorsement decision did not connect it to contract negotiations or describe it as a judgment on the board's performance. The account published by the Weekly attributes the outcome to a vote among representatives after discussion of differing views.