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Teachers, parents and employees raise concerns about paraprofessionals, privacy and non-reelection; board announces personnel actions
Summary
Multiple public commenters described classroom management problems, alleged secret recordings and a teachernon-reelection; the board announced closed-session personnel actions including releases and reassignment of certificated management employees and authorization of settlements.
Several members of the public and district employees used the March 12 board meeting to call attention to personnel and workplace-safety concerns while also thanking supportive staff.
Key public testimony: Deanna Klima told trustees she was "mentally exhausted" after watching a system that she said allowed paraprofessionals to be insubordinate, to record teachers and students without consent, and to be moved from classroom to classroom rather than held accountable. She said two teachers had been non-reelected in her view and urged the board to address root problems.
Teacher appeal: Anna Hopkins, a teacher at Phoenix Academy, said she was non-reelected and showed the board examples of social-media posts and TikTok videos she said had spread misleading claims about her classroom practice; she asked the board for a second chance and described students who had made measurable gains.
Union and staff remarks: Karen Savers, president of the Apple Valley Unified Teachers Association, and Shalyn Bryant of CSEA raised questions about bargaining, reserve projections, and an internal email they said had circulated in a manner that raised staff safety and privacy concerns. Union leaders urged transparent bargaining practices and cautioned that passing certain public resolutions could deepen divisions.
Closed-session personnel actions: The clerk reported three actions from closed session: (1) release and reassignment of certificated management employees identified by employee numbers 8779, 1097, 0460, 0400 effective July 1, 2026, on a 4-0 vote; (2) unanimous authorization for the director of risk management to approve a proposed settlement agreement in case CIVSB2322171; and (3) unanimous denial of the claim by Shadrach Jones (dated 02/04/2026). The votes and employee numbers were read in open session in compliance with reporting rules.
Why it matters: The public comments underscored tensions over personnel decisions, social-media exposure of staff, and workplace safety. Trustees responded with a mix of praise for staff and calls for additional procedures and transparency; staff committed to provide follow-up details when appropriate.
