Grievance Process

GRIEVANCES

A grievance is another name for a complaint. A student/parent grievance exists when a student/parent believes that he or she has been treated unfairly or has not been afforded due process. Anyone wishing to register a school level grievance must do so within ten (10) days from the time they became aware of the alleged infraction. Anyone involved in a grievance has the right to present evidence or witnesses concerning the charges. All conversations and situations concerning grievances will be confidential and all parties should refrain from discussing grievances and related meetings with anyone not involved in the proceedings.

The steps to follow to resolve a school level grievance for a parent or student are:

1. Ask to schedule a conference with the person(s) who allegedly treated you unfairly for the purpose of discussing your complaint. All involved parties should make every effort to solve any disputes calmly and expediently.

2. If the person charged with the alleged infraction does not resolve your complaint, arrange a conference with the school principal. A minimum of two conferences between the teacher and all parties must be conducted prior to the grievance being escalated to the school principal.

3. The school principal will make recommendations regarding resolution of the grievance and all parties are encouraged to accept these recommendations and do their part to affect a resolution.

4. Students should involve their parents or guardians in resolving school level grievances.

Most grievances can and should be resolved at the school level through informal conferences with teachers and other school personnel. If all efforts to resolve the grievance with school level administrators fail, the student or parents may submit a written request for further consideration with the Principal. The Principal will provide a written explanation either accepting or rejecting the grievance and detail the reasons for his/her action and, if applicable, any further recommendations regarding resolution. The school principal may choose to involve the school’s Board of Directors in certain situations.

A student/parent wishing to appeal the principal’s written decision must file a grievance with the Learning Gate Community School’s Board of Directors at [email protected]