BHUSD Interviews Candidates for Board Vacancy

BY BIANCA HEYWARD

Michal Amir-Salkan is interviewed by the BHUSD Board

At its Nov. 2 Special Meeting, the Beverly Hills Unifi ed School District (BHUSD) Board of Education interviewed seven applicants who are in the running to fi ll the board vacancy left by the resignation of Tristen WalkerShuman. The candidates interviewed were Michal Amir-Salkan, Judy Friedman, Gabriel Halimi, Brigitte Lifson, Judy Manouchehri, Robert Myers, and Aaron Reitman.

All seven candidates were interviewed in person, one at a time, in 30-minute windows at the Jon Cherney Lecture Hall at Beverly Hills High School. Each applicant was posed the following questions: Many individuals are unclear about the purpose and scope of the Board of Education. What is one such misguided notion?

Tell us about your strengths and attributes and why we should appoint you to the school board?

What has our district done well over the past 3 years and what has our district done poorly? Be specifi c. If you are appointed to the board, which one of these will you try to address fi rst?

Please describe in detail any challenge you have faced in a leadership role. How did you resolve the problem? Be as specifi c as possible.

Briefly explain an issue you believe aff ects students today and how would you try and solve it?

What do you think is the most eff ective way to solve a problem or a dispute among Board members?

Do you think is the most eff ective way to solve a problem or a dispute among Board members?

What do you hope to accomplish during your time on the Board?

How does the District funding diff er from ADA (average daily attendance) and how does that impact how we provide student services?

One big issue we may be faced with in the near future is mandatory vaccination for all students. We know there are strong community opinions on both sides of the debate. How would you address the challenge, especially in lieu of LACDPH mandate?

District rankings have dropped in recent years. What issues do you believe the district needs to address in its academic program and off erings. What programs and policies would you advocate for to increase students’ achievement?

Our enrollment has slowly declined over the last decade or more. Explain why this is a problem and what measures you would propose to increase enrollment?

Do you plan on running for a seat in the November 2022 school board election?

The Board will deliberate and make a selection at its Nov. 9 meeting.

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