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Teacher representative urges board to stop district’s unpaid Keenan online trainings
Summary
A public commenter on Aug. 13 asked Paramount Unified’s board to end or change required Keenan online trainings, asserting teachers were assigned eight hours of uncompensated video and materials and urging the board to place the issue on the next agenda for action.
A community member addressing the board on Aug. 13 urged trustees to change how the district runs Keenan-required trainings, saying they are inadequate for preparing staff on serious topics and amount to uncompensated work.
Daniel Hashimoto, who submitted a blue card to speak during the public hearing, told the board teachers "were unprofessionally assigned 8 hours of videos and documents to review, which amounts to a full day of uncompensated work." He said the trainings used to be held in person, which allowed staff to ask campus-specific questions; the current format removes that forum and replaces it with checkbox compliance. "How is this professional training?" Hashimoto asked, criticizing assessment questions and urging the board to make the trainings an action item at the next meeting.
Board policy and public-comment rules prevent trustees from engaging in discussion during the public-comment period; staff said they would follow up with anyone who provided contact information. The board did not take immediate action on the request during the Aug. 13 meeting.
Why it matters: Teachers and site staff are responsible for implementing safety and prevention protocols; how the district delivers mandatory trainings affects staff preparedness, professional time and potential compensation for required reviewer work.
Next steps: The board's public-comment procedure requires staff follow-up for inquiries; the commenter requested the issue be placed on the next meeting agenda for formal consideration.
