Parents play a significant role in students' success at school. Together with the teacher, principal and staff, parents support learning in the classroom and help students achieve to the best of their ability. Good communication between home and school keep the teamwork happening.
As with any team venture, sometimes concerns arise, and open communication between team members is vital. If a concern arises at school, school staff will contact parents to inform and discuss the issue with them.
If a parent has a concern, it is equally important to discuss the matter and bring it to resolution.
The Qualicum School District has a policy meant to assist parents and the public in having their concerns addressed. Board Policy 710: Resolution of Student and Parent Complaints and its attendant administrative procedures outline the steps that can be taken to resolve a concern. Briefly, the steps are as follows:
- The simplest and most effective way is to contact the teacher or staff member involved and share your concern. In order to problem solve together, it's important that both parties listen to each other to understand the issue from all perspectives. Most of the time, this is the only step needed, and a respectful team approach to solving the problem is successful.
- If the issue can't be resolved at this point, the next step is to contact the principal, or department manager who will facilitate a meeting to resolve the issue.
- If the problem cannot be resolved after this meeting, the next step is to contact the Superintendent or Secretary-Treasurer, who will review the matter, meet with the persons involved, and attempt to resolve the concern.
- If there is no resolution at this point, the final step is to make an appeal to the Board of Education. This step is covered under Board Bylaw 5: Parent/Student Appeals to the Board of Education and its attendant Administrative Procedures, which outline the rights of students and parents to Appeal to the Board.
Board Policy 710 outlines these steps in more specific detail, and includes a "Notice of Complaint Form" which may be used in situations where it is not possible to take your concern directly to the person involved at Step 1.
The Qualicum School District's employees and the Board of Education have the same goal as parents: to provide the best school experience possible for the students in our district. Together we can work to resolve any conflicts that might stand in the way of this goal.
