Williams Case Complaint Procedures

Community Relations (AR 1312.4) – Williams Uniform Complaint Procedures

Types of Complaints

The district shall use the following procedures to investigate and resolve complaints when the complainant alleges that any of the following has occurred (Education Code 35186; 5 CCR 4681, 4682):

1. Textbooks and instructional materials

A student, including an English learner, does not have standards-aligned textbooks or instructional materials or state- or district-adopted
textbooks or other required instructional materials to use in class.
A student does not have access to textbooks or instructional materials to use at home or after school.
Textbooks or instructional materials are in poor or unusable condition, have missing pages, or are unreadable due to damage.

(cf. 6161.1 – Selection and Evaluation of Instructional Materials)

2. Teacher vacancy or misassignment

A semester begins and a teacher vacancy exists.
A teacher who lacks credentials or training to teach English learners is assigned to teach a class with more than 20 percent English learner students in the class.

(cf. 4112.22 – Staff Teaching Students of Limited English Proficiency)

A teacher is assigned to teach a class for which the teacher lacks subject matter competency.

Vacancy means a position to which a single designated certificated employee has not been assigned at the beginning of the year for an entire year or, if the position is for a one-semester course, a position to which a single designated certificated employee has not been assigned at the
beginning of the semester for an entire semester. (Education Code 35186; 5 CCR 4682)

Beginning of the year or semester means the first day classes necessary to serve all the students enrolled are established with a single designated certificated employee assigned for the duration of the class, but not later than 20 working days after the first day students attend classes for that semester. (5 CCR 4600)

Misassignment means the placement of a certificated employee in a teaching or services position for which the employee does not hold a legally recognized certificate or credential or the placement of a certificated employee in a teaching or services position that the employee is not otherwise authorized by statute to hold. (Education Code 35186; 5 CCR 4600)

(cf. 4112.2 – Certification)

(cf. 4113 – Assignment)

3. Facilities

A condition poses an emergency or urgent threat to the health or safety of students or staff.

Emergency or urgent threat means structures or systems that are in a condition that poses a threat to the health and safety of students or staff while at school,
including but not limited to gas leaks; nonfunctioning heating, ventilation, fire sprinklers, or air-conditioning systems; electrical power failure; major sewer stoppage;
major pest or vermin infestation; broken windows or exterior doors or gates that will not lock and that pose a security risk; abatement of hazardous materials previously
undiscovered that pose an immediate threat to students or staff; or structural damage creating a hazardous or uninhabitable condition. (Education Code 17592.72)

Filing of Complaint

A complaint alleging any condition(s) specified above shall be filed with the principal or designee at the school in which the complaint arises. The principal or designee shall
forward a complaint about problems beyond his/her authority to the Superintendent or designee in a timely manner, but not to exceed 10 working days. (Education Code 35186; 5 CCR 4680)

The principal or designee shall make all reasonable efforts to investigate any problem within his/her authority. He/she shall remedy a valid complaint within a reasonable time period not to exceed 30 working days from the date the complaint was received. (Education Code 35186)

Complaints may be filed anonymously. If the complainant has indicated on the complaint form that he/she would like a response to the complaint, the principal or designee shall report the resolution of the complaint to him/her within 45 working days of the initial filing of the complaint. If a response is requested, the response shall be made to the mailing address of the complainant as indicated on the complaint form. At the same time, the principal or designee shall report the same information to the Superintendent or designee. (Education Code 35186; 5 CCR 4680)

If a complainant is not satisfied with the resolution of a complaint, he/she has the right to describe the complaint to the Governing Board at a regularly scheduled meeting. (Education Code 35186; 5 CCR 4686)

For any complaint concerning a facility condition that poses an emergency or urgent threat to the health or safety of students or staff as described in item #3 above, a complainant who is not satisfied with the resolution proffered by the principal or Superintendent or designee may file an appeal to the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) within 15 days of receiving the district’s response. The complainant shall comply with the appeal requirements specified in 5 CCR 4632. (Education Code 35186; 5 CCR 4687)

All complaints and written responses shall be public records. (Education Code 35186; 5 CCR 4686)

(cf. 1340 – Access to District Records)

Reports

The Superintendent or designee shall report summarized data on the nature and resolution of all complaints to the Board and the County Superintendent of Schools on a quarterly basis. The report shall include the number of complaints by general subject area with the number of resolved and unresolved complaints. These summaries shall be publicly reported on a quarterly basis at a regularly scheduled Board meeting. (Education Code 35186; 5 CCR 4686)

Forms & Notices

The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that the district’s complaint form contains a space to indicate whether the complainant desires a response to his/her complaint and specifies the location for filing a complaint. A complainant may add as much text to explain the complaint as he/she wishes. (Education Code 35186)

The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that a notice is posted in each classroom in each school containing the components specified in Education Code 35186. (Education Code 35186)

Legal Reference

EDUCATION CODE

1240 County superintendent of schools, duties
17592.72 Urgent or emergency repairs, School Facility Emergency Repair Account 33126 School Accountability Report Card
35186 Alternative uniform complaint procedure
60119 Hearing on sufficiency of instructional materials
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5 4600-4671
Uniform complaint procedures, especially: 4680-4687 Williams complaints