Parents and teachers press Burbank Unified to curb Chromebook use, add media literacy

A series of parents, teachers and community members urged the Burbank Unified School District Board of Education on April 16 to re-examine the district’s approach to classroom devices and to adopt media-literacy instruction.

"We need comprehensive media literacy in our curriculum," Jim Fostante told the board, outlining a five-point framework he proposed for a pilot in three schools: cognitive agency, algorithmic literacy, social defense, psychological literacy and intentional creation. Fostante said the goal is to give teachers a set of lenses to teach media use within existing classes rather than add a separate standardized subject.

Several public commenters argued the district’s 1:1 Chromebook approach has created classroom distractions and equity challenges. Cheryl Sacatelli, representing a parent petition, asked the district to consider moving to classroom Chromebook carts, instituting screen-time limits and banning device use during recreational time at some levels. Shonda Collins, a special-education teacher, and other commenters described device damage, access to inappropriate sites and the burden placed on families when devices age or break.

Board members and Superintendent Oscar Macias acknowledged the concerns. Macias said the district has a new director of technology and will conduct audits of the Chromebook program and infrastructure. "We will be doing the physical auditing of our Chromebooks," he said, and staff will convene stakeholders for a deliberate approach. Trustees signaled support for a technology working group and asked staff to bring back proposals on carts, refresh timing and a broader media-literacy strategy.

The board did not adopt a new device policy at the meeting but directed staff to follow up with participants, return with audit results and present options for the 2026–27 school year.