Children are often the first communicators that something is not going well at school.  If they have a complaint about a teacher or other students, they are likely to voice this concern to their parents/guardians.  It is important that parents pay attention to what their children tell them; it’s also important for parents to check out what the child has reported. The first best thing to do is talk to the child’s teacher to get another perspective on the event. Miscommunication and misunderstanding can easily happen in schools. Sometimes, in a high energy classroom, a teacher may have misunderstood a child’s needs; sometimes children have not understood what the teacher expected. Thus, talking to the teacher is the most important thing that parents can do to resolve a problem. It is a central feature in the school’s program that teachers are available to parents, and that classrooms are permeable to pre-planned parent visits. The goal is to have teachers and parents work together as a team in the best interests of the child.

 

The parents’ next recourse is to speak with the school’s Director.  The Director will suggest a course of action, depending on the issue, but is always inclined to try to get the parents and teachers to communicate effectively, albeit with the Director’s help.  Meetings may be set up at times convenient to all parties. The child may or may not be involved, depending on the issue. Every effort will be made to resolve the matter in a restorative way that protects the child’s and teacher’s rights, dignity, and integrity preserves the appropriate functioning of the classroom and provides a method for continuing communication between parents and teachers. The Director’s role in conflict resolution is to help find a way that the child, the teacher and the parents come to a satisfying and effective resolution of the matter. The Director may offer a restorative conference in order to build relationships, repair harm, and create agreements. 

 

If parents are still not satisfied with the outcome of these efforts, parents have recourse to the school’s Governing Council, composed of parents and community members. This is done by contacting one of the members of the Council to determine what appropriate steps should be taken. The Governing Council will always seek to have the concern resolved at the teacher or Director level.

 

For students who are served under section 504, a formal complaint process has been established by the Moffat Board of Education, which covers all complaints against District personnel and practices including compliance with the rules and agreements set forth under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This is Policy AC-R of the District Administrative Policy Manual. Under this policy, the Compliance Officer is the Superintendent of schools. All formal complaints should be filed with the Superintendent.

 

Because enrollment at the Charter School is a choice made by parents and children, parents always have the option of withdrawing their child and seeking educational alternatives at other schools.