"Parent" includes a person standing in parental relation, but does not include a person as to whom the parent-child relationship has been terminated or a person not entitled to possession of or access to a child under a court order. Except as provided by federal law, all rights of a parent under Education Code Title 2 and all educational rights under Family Code 151.003(a)(10) shall be exercised by a student who is 18 years of age or older or whose disabilities of minority have been removed for general purposes under Family Code Chapter 31 unless the student has been determined to be incompetent or the student's rights have been otherwise restricted by a court order.
Education Code 26.002
Parents are partners with educators, administrators, and the School's Board of Trustees in their child's education. Parents shall be encouraged to actively participate in creating and implementing educational programs for their children.
Unless otherwise provided by law, the Board, a School administrator, or an educator may not limit parental rights.
Education Code 26.001(a)(c)
The Board establishes the following procedures to consider complaints that a parent's right has been denied and as a grievance procedure under which the Board shall address each complaint that the Board receives concerning a violation of Education Code Chapter 26 (Parental Rights).
Education Code, 26.001(d), 26.011
The purpose of these procedures is to secure at the lowest possible administrative level, prompt and equitable resolution of student or parent complaints. Except as provided below, all student or parent complaints shall be presented in accordance with this policy.
Complaints regarding certain topics are addressed by specific policies that modify this complaint process or require an alternative process:
Unless otherwise provided by a policy referenced above, students or parents shall be entitled to informal conferences with administrators to resolve their complaints. If such attempts are unsuccessful, the students or parents may take their complaint to the Board. If a complaint involves a problem with a teacher, the student or parent in most circumstances shall be expected to discuss the matter with the teacher before requesting a conference with the principal at Level One.
The student may be represented by an adult at any level of the complaint.
For purposes of this policy, "days" shall mean calendar days.
Announcement of a decision in the student's or parent's presence shall constitute communication of the decision.
A student or parent who has a complaint shall request a conference with the principal within ten days of the time the student or parent knew, or should have known, of the event or series of events causing the complaint. The principal shall schedule and hold a conference with the student or parent within seven days of the request. If the complaint is one of sexual harassment or Section 504 discrimination, the Principal shall include the School's Title IX or 504 Coordinator respectively, in the conference.
If the outcome of the conference with the principal is not to the student's or parent's satisfaction, the student or parent may request, within ten days, a conference with the Superintendent or designee, who shall schedule and hold a conference. Prior to or at the time of the conference, the student or parent shall submit a written complaint that includes a statement of the complaint,
any evidence in its support, the solution sought, the student's or parent's signature, and the date of the conference with the principal.
If the outcome of the conference with the Superintendent or designee is not to the student's or parent's satisfaction, the student or parent may submit to the Superintendent a written request to place the matter on the agenda of the next regular Board meeting.
The Superintendent shall inform the student or parent of the date, time, and place of the meeting. The presiding officer shall establish a reasonable time limit for complaint presentations.
The Board shall hear the complaint and take whatever action it deems appropriate. The lack of official action by the Board shall uphold the administrative decision at Level Two.
If the complaint involves concerns or charges regarding an employee, it shall be heard by the Board in closed meeting unless the employee to whom the complaint pertains requests that it be public.
The Board shall cooperate in the establishment of ongoing operations of at least one parent-teacher organization at the School to promote parental involvement in school activities.
Education Code 26.001(e) (See GE)
A parent is entitled to:
*The decision of the Board concerning these requests is final and may not be appealed.
Education Code 26.003(a)(3)(4), (b)
A parent is entitled to full information regarding the school activities of a parent's child except as provided by state child abuse laws. A parent is entitled to access to all written records of the School concerning the parent's child, including:
Education Code 26.004, 26.008(a) (See FL, FM)
A parent is entitled to access to a copy of each state assessment instrument administered to the parent's child, but a parent is not entitled to access to copies of questions that are being field-tested by TEA and were not used to compute a student's score.
Education Code 26.005 (See EKB)
A parent is entitled to:
The School shall make teaching materials and tests readily available for review by parents and may specify reasonable hours for review.
(See EF)
A parent is entitled to request that the School allow the student to take to the student's School residence or the student's home, if the student goes home during the school year, any textbook used by the student. Subject to the availability of a textbook, the School shall honor the request. A student who takes home a textbook must return the textbook to school at the beginning of the next school day if requested to do so by the student's teacher.
Education Code 26.006
A parent is entitled to complete access to any meeting of the Board, other than a closed meeting held in compliance with the Open Meetings Act.
The Board must hold each public meeting in compliance with the Open Meetings Act. (See BE)
Education Code 26.007
An attempt by any School employee to encourage or coerce a child to withhold information from the child's parent is grounds for discharge or suspension without pay.
Education Code 26.008(b) (See DF)
A School employee must obtain the written consent of a child's parent before the employee may:
A School employee is not required to obtain the consent of a child's parent before the employee makes a videotape or authorizes the recording of a child's voice if the videotape or voice recording is to be used only for:
Education Code 26.009
A parent is entitled to remove the parent's child temporarily from a class or other school activity that conflicts with the parent's religious or moral beliefs if the parent presents or delivers to the teacher of the parent's child a written statement authorizing the removal of the child from the class or other school activity. A parent is not entitled to remove the parent's child from a class or other school activity to avoid a test or to prevent the child from taking a subject for an entire semester, nor is the child exempt from satisfying grade level or graduation requirements in a manner acceptable to the School and TEA.
Education Code 26.010 (See EMB)
TEA or the School may charge a reasonable fee in accordance with the public information laws, for copies of materials described above provided to a parent.
Education Code 26.012 (See GBA)
Adopted: 10/13/78
Amended: 1/14/88, 6/1/89, 9/27/91, 9/25/92, 1/29/93, 11/18/94,
11/14/97, 5/28/03
Reviewed: