BHUSD Parents Praise Board Leadership and Academic Progress

A supportive public comment period at the Beverly Hills Unified School District Board of Education meeting on Tuesday brought parents, alumni and community members to the podium to thank the Board for its leadership and describe changes they said are improving the experiences of students and families.

Community members addressed the Board during the Aug. 4 meeting offering praise for the District, its educational direction or the work of the Board. Their comments focused on academic progress, school culture, parent communication, summer instruction, after-school enrichment, athletics and the willingness of District leaders to respond to community concerns.

Several speakers directed particular appreciation toward Board President Judith Manouchehri, describing her as responsive to parents and committed to continuing the work of improving the District.

The comments came during a shortened meeting in which the Board approved its agenda and two personnel reports by unanimous 5-0 votes before opening the floor for public comment. Each speaker was provided two minutes to address the Board.

Parent Credits Board Leadership With Meaningful Changes

Natalie Gangi, a parent of two El Rodeo Elementary School students with a third child preparing to join them, opened the public comment period. Gangi also identified herself as an alumna of Hawthorne Elementary School and Beverly Hills High School.

Gangi said she attended the meeting to express appreciation for the entire Board and for the changes she has observed during her three years as a BHUSD parent. She specifically addressed Manouchehri and said that even when she questioned or pushed back on District policies, she received thoughtful responses and saw progress.

I'm here today at the end of summer to really just show my deep appreciation for the entire board and everything that you have provided for my kids this past year. Specifically, Judith Manouchehri, thank you for all the policies that I have commented on, I have read, I have pushed back on this past year, and every step of the way, I have been met with thoughtful responses and progress. In the past three years that I've been part of this school district, I have seen a school change, I have seen admin change, I have seen policy change, and every one of them has actually made my kids' future better at this school.

Gangi's praise was not based on an uninterrupted experience within the District. She spoke openly about academic difficulties faced by her oldest daughter after two challenging school years.

During one year, her daughter's teacher died during the school year and the class was subsequently taught by substitutes. The following year, Gangi said, another teacher was not renewed. Despite those experiences, she said the broader changes she had observed left her happy with the direction of the District.

Gangi said her daughter entered BHUSD's summer school program after falling behind academically. She described being so concerned about her daughter's progress that she could not sleep at night, but said the child who completed summer school was prepared to begin the next academic year.

Everything I've seen at this school district leaves me still happy and content to be here. My daughter really needed summer school this past year, and thankfully, she was allowed to come. Where she was at the beginning of summer school to where she is now, it's a completely different child. I honestly, Dustin knows, I've sent him an email, I could not sleep at night because of where she was academically. And where she is at the end of summer school is someone who is prepared for the next year.

Gangi concluded by describing her previous conversations with Manouchehri. She said that when she thanked the Board president for her work, Manouchehri did not respond by accepting credit, but instead emphasized that more work remained.

And I've also had the opportunity countless times with many board members, specifically Judith Manouchehri, and I always say thank you for everything you've done. And your answer is never you're welcome. Your answer is always there's more to do. There's always more I want to do, and I just want to thank you because that's the type of board I want.

Parents Point to Results, Communication and School Culture

Marjan Nehouray followed Gangi and began by saying she agreed with the remarks that had just been delivered. Nehouray acknowledged that serving on the Board requires trustees to make decisions knowing that not every member of the community will agree.

I just wanted to take a couple of minutes to say thank you. I know being on the school board isn't easy. You make decisions knowing that not everyone is going to agree with you, and I really appreciate that you've been willing to make the hard decisions when you knew they were the right ones for our kids.

Nehouray directly rejected suggestions that the Board does not care about students. She credited trustees with remaining focused on student outcomes and said the results could be seen in academic performance, college acceptance, school spirit and the atmosphere across District campuses.

Unfortunately, there are a few people implying that this board doesn't care about our students. From everything I've seen, nothing could be further from the truth. Instead of getting distracted by the noise, you stayed focused on doing what was best for our kids, and today we're seeing the results. Our test scores are up. More students are getting accepted into four-year colleges. The atmosphere at our schools feels completely different. There's so much more school spirit, positivity, and pride. You can actually feel the difference when you walk onto the campuses. These are just a few examples among many other great achievements this board has accomplished.

Nehouray also identified communication with parents as one of the most significant changes she has observed. She said parents are receiving responses and seeing action after raising concerns, contrasting that experience with what she said occurred under previous District leadership.

As a parent, one of the biggest changes I've noticed is that this board actually listens. Parents are being heard. There's more transparency, and there's real communication It's clear that our voices actually matter, and I can say that firsthand.

Nehouray offered an example involving a concern she raised during a superintendent's advisory committee meeting. She said Superintendent Dr. Alex Cherniss responded to the issue and took action, which she contrasted with previous experiences in which she felt public comments were ignored.

I had a concern. I spoke to Dr. Cherniss in his advisory committee meeting, and right away, he got on board, and he did something about the situation. We didn't have that before. Every time I came to the board before, and I made a comment, and I said anything, it was just swept under the rug.

Family Returns to BHUSD After Attending Private School

Jasmine Rastegar, a longtime Beverly Hills resident, BHUSD alumna and parent, told the Board that her family had chosen to return to Beverly Hills Unified after attending private school.

Rastegar said her family saw a District moving in a positive direction academically while expanding the opportunities and support available to students.

She cited BHUSD's reported gains in English, mathematics and science, increased college readiness, growth in four-year college applications and the District's performance on the California School Dashboard.

As parents, we all want the very best education for our children. We chose to come back because we saw a district that is moving in a very positive direction, not only academically, but also in the opportunities and support it provides to its students. The academic improvements I've learned about have been impressive. BHUSD recently reported significant gains in English, mathematics, and science, increased college readiness, and a substantial increase in four-year college applications. Even more encouraging is the district reports that every category on the California dashboard now meets or exceeds the state standard.

Rastegar also praised investments in curriculum, college counseling, after-school tutoring, extended support hours, athletics, technology and artificial intelligence education. She said those efforts gave her family confidence that the District was committed to continued improvement and preparing students for future academic and professional success.

Beyond the numbers, we've seen investments in stronger curriculum, expanded college counseling, increased student and family support, like after-school tutoring and extended hours, as well as strong athletic programs. Importantly, I understand that the innovative programs include preparing students for the future in technology and artificial intelligence education. These investments give families like mine confidence that BHUSD is committed to continuous improvement and to preparing students for success in elementary, high school, college, future careers, and beyond.

Rastegar said her family's decision to return was not based solely on test scores. She said it also reflected the value of a public education connected to the Beverly Hills community and the relationships students form within it.

What ultimately brought us back wasn't just test scores. It was the belief that Beverly Hills High School offers an outstanding public education while allowing students to be part of a strong community and build relationships that last a lifetime. I know parents have many choices today. Our family chose BHUSD because we believe in the direction this district is headed and because we wanted to be part of that future. Thank you for your time.

El Rodeo Parent Praises Safe and Caring Environment

Jasmine Yadgari, the parent of three children, including two who attend El Rodeo Elementary School, thanked the Board, Manouchehri and District administrators for their work.

Yadgari described a school environment where her children feel supported while participating in Spanish immersion, recreational activities and after-school enrichment.

Thank you for your hard work and dedication to giving our children an excellent education in a safe and caring environment. Every morning, I drop off my children knowing they are cared for, supported, and encouraged to become a better version of themselves. At El Rodeo, for my family, it means learning a whole new language through Spanish immersion, playing in a World Cup soccer tournament at recess, or even expanding their palates. My son now loves dumplings, so thank you for educating both his mind and his taste buds.

Yadgari also praised the after-school enrichment opportunities available to her children, saying they allow students to continue learning, remain with friends and stay in a supervised environment after the regular school day ends.

And the fun doesn't end when the bell rings at 2:45. After-school enrichment allows my children to keep learning, stay with friends, and remain in a safe, supervised environment.

Yadgari, who also serves on the Beverly Hills Recreation and Parks Commission, used the remainder of her comment to discuss City programs available to children, families and older adults. She brought copies of the City's fall recreation catalog for members of the Board.

Athletic Opportunities Receive Strong Praise

Nicky Shamsi focused her remarks on the range of athletic opportunities available to students at Beverly Vista Middle School and Beverly Hills High School.

Shamsi said she had taken much of the week off from work to drive her children to sports tryouts and thanked the Board for making such a broad selection of programs available within the District.

She listed football, cheerleading, cross country, volleyball, swimming, tennis, basketball, golf, track and field and soccer among the offerings at the middle school level. She noted that Beverly Hills High School also offers water polo, wrestling, baseball, lacrosse and softball.

I have taken the majority of this week off of work, and the reason for that is because I've been driving my children to different sports tryouts, and I'm so pleased. So I just want to thank all of you for the opportunity that my kids have to partake in all of these sports. This is Beverly Vista, and it's got football, cheerleading, cross country, volleyball, swimming, tennis, basketball , volleyball. I said volleyball. Golf, track and field, soccer, and that's just the middle school. The high school additionally has water polo, wrestling, baseball, lacrosse, and softball. I feel like I'm in private school. This is the best. I can't ask for anything else.

Shamsi said the availability of District athletics reduced the need for families to pay for private classes and transport their children throughout the area. She encouraged parents to consider directing some of those savings back to school programs, class funds and parent-teacher organizations.

Before we were picking up our kids, driving them all over town to different classes and different sports and paying for them. So, I highly suggest that parents take the money that they were spending on classes and put it back into our schools. We can donate to class funds and PTA and things like that. So again, thank you. It really does feel like private school.

Taken together, the majority of the public comments presented a consistent message: the speakers believe the District is moving in a positive direction and that its leaders are listening, responding and producing changes that can be seen in classrooms, student programs and campus culture.

The speakers did not limit their praise to a single program or achievement. They pointed to academic gains, increased college readiness, summer school, stronger communication, after-school enrichment, athletics, school spirit and the experience of families choosing BHUSD over private education.

For Manouchehri, the most personal recognition came from parents who said they had questioned policies, raised concerns and challenged District decisions, but still felt heard. Their comments portrayed the Board president not simply as someone accepting thanks for completed work, but as a leader whose response remains that there is more work to do.