FILE:  HF

Cf:  HB, IFD, IFDA

 

FAMILY ENGAGEMENT AND RIGHTS

 

The Orleans Parish School Board recognizes that family involvement must be a priority of the School Board for children to learn and achieve academic success.  Families are vital and necessary partners with the School Board and schools throughout their children's elementary and secondary school careers.  It is therefore a priority of the School Board to foster an environment that is welcoming to family participation and free from retaliation.

 

  1. DEFINITIONS:

 

  1. School refers to any employee, officer, or school board member of any charter school or charter school program.

  2. Retaliate means to intimidate, threaten, discriminate against, or take any other adverse action against a person for participating in legally protected conduct, including excluding a person from participating in legally protected conduct.

  3. Legally protected conduct includes the following:

 

  1. Raising, identifying or making good faith complaints against the school regarding a suspected violation of law or policy by a school;

  2. Cooperating in good faith in inquiries or investigations about a school;

  3. Legally protected speech, engagement, and advocacy about a school;

  4. Participation in a parent or legal guardian’s child’s education, in accordance with written school engagement policies, which shall include parent-teacher conferences, reasonable access to staff, volunteering and participating in a child’s class, and regular two-way communication between family members and school staff in a language understood by the family; and

  5. Any other parental or guardian right provided for in applicable law or policy.

 

  1. Schools shall not retaliate against any student, parent or legal guardian, or employee for participating in legally protected conduct as defined in Section A(3) of this policy.

  2. Nothing in this policy shall prevent a school from developing and acting on written policies related to parent and guardian participation in their child’s education, including any that prohibit access by a parent or guardian to the school, as long as such policies are in accordance with applicable law and School Board policy.

  3. If the School Board discovers that a charter school violated this policy, the charter school shall incur consequences and be subject to corrective action in accordance with the Charter School Accountability Framework.

 

New policy:  November 18, 2021

 

 

Ref:    20 USC 6312 (Strengthening and Improvement of Elementary and Secondary Schools) of the Every Student Succeeds Act

La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §17:406.9

Board minutes, 11-18-21

 

Orleans Parish School Board