Please feel free to file this under the “you-couldn’t-make-this-stuff-up-if-you-tried” category.

Before writing my last post about Filing a Grievance with Huntsville City Schools, I verified that the form that I had found and linked to, was the correct form to use when submitting a grievance against the board and superintendent. I was concerned about it because, as Redeye pointed out, this was the same form that is used when a parent wishes to file a grievance against a teacher, or other staff member at a school.

I wondered about that when I asked Mrs. McCaulley about the form after the board meeting and she suggested that I pick one up at the schools, but both she and Dr. Robinson had left me with the impression that there was a form to use when a parent had an issue with a board decision.

In fact, I received an email from Dr. Robinson this morning confirming for me that I was indeed using the correct form and that I should submit this form to Dr. Wardynski.

Except now it’s not. (Really. I told you, I couldn’t make this up.)

Moments after posting my last blog, I received a call from Mrs. McCaulley. She informed me that I had indeed filled the form out correctly, but that she had just realized that the board “does not have a policy for when the citizen concern is really against the board.”

She kindly and generously informed me that the 102-7 Policy is really designed for concerns with a teacher, principal, staff member or assistant superintendent, but that when the concern is with the superintendent or the board that the board does not currently have a policy designed to handle those types of grievances.

She assured me that she would look into developing a procedure to handle grievances against the board and superintendent. I believe that she is genuine in her desire to create this, but I have no faith that it will actually happen.

I have asked Dr. Wardynski to respond to the spirit of the request I have made even though there is no policy at the present time that requires him to do so. Shall I hold my breath?

So, once again, the hoop that I was asked to jump through has been pulled away. Do you ever feel like Charlie Brown trying to kick a football that Lucy is holding? Cause I do.

The post No Grievance Policy Against the Board or Superintendent appeared first on Geek Palaver.

[Update: After you read this, make sure that you read the next blog that I have posted as well. It's called, "No Grievance Policy Against the Board or Superintendent." No, I'm not making this stuff up.]

During the board meeting last night, Mrs. McCaulley and Dr. Robinson announced for the first time in my hearing that there was yet another hoop to jump through if you expect to receive a response from the central office or the board concerning a question, issue or grievance that you have.

Interesting isn’t it? I’ve been bringing questions, issues and grievances to the board both privately via phone calls and emails, and publicly via the citizen comments section of the board meetings since April. This is the first time that I’ve been informed of the formal grievance policy and procedure during that time.

I suppose that it didn’t occur to Dr. Robinson to mention this process to me before.

So, despite having regularly and consistently contacted my board member in private, despite having raised the issue of the $7 million dollars in Special Education funding cuts from FY2011 – FY2012 repeatedly in private and public, last night I discover that there was yet another hoop that a parent or a concerned citizen must jump through in order to get an answer from the board or the superintendent.

When I asked Mrs. McCaulley for a copy of the required form to file a grievance, she directed me to pick one up from my local school. While I appreciated that Mrs. McCaulley shared this new method of receiving an answer from the board with me and the public last night, I really wanted to find the form online so that I could begin the process last night

Fortunately, I was able to find the form on my own.

The Grievance Policy, Procedure and Form may be downloaded from the Huntsville City website at the following links: 102-7: Parental/Citizen Concerns Policy, 102-7: Parental/Citizen Concerns Procedure, and 102-7: Parental/Citizen Concerns Appendix A (The Form).

Once you have downloaded and completed the form, the procedure for submitting the form is vague. Here’s the approach I have take concerning my grievance over the cuts to Special Education Funding.

First, I completed the form as follows:

• School Name: Here I listed the Huntsville City Schools Board of Education since my grievance concerns the superintendent’s recommended budget that the board has approved.
• Complaint/Concern Regarding: Here I used the “Other” field and listed Dr. Wardynski and the Board.
• Check One List: I marked Superintendent – 5th Stage as my issue is with Dr. Wardynski and the Board.
• Complainant: I offered my contact information.
• Issue: I stated the issue that I have with the board cutting special education funding more than any other department or student population in violation of Alabama State Code 16-39-3.
• Action Requested By Parent/Citizen: Here I requested a formal and public review of these numbers, and a written justification for why these cuts have been applied in such an unbalanced and unfair fashion. I also requested that the school board correct this budgeting error.
• Resolution: I left this part of the form blank assuming that it is the Superintendent and the Board’s responsibility to respond.

I also attached a copy of the report that Mr. Spinelli sent me showing the $7 million in cuts from FY2011-FY2012 as evidence.

I have emailed signed copies of these documents to Dr. Wardynski and the Board, and I have dropped off copies of the same at the Merts Building.

According to the 102-7 Procedure Dr. Wardynski and the board now have seven (7) working days to respond to my grievance in writing. As such I am expecting a written response from them on or before Monday, December 12, 2011.

I have no issue with jumping through hoops to protect my son’s education. I only wish that my board member had bothered to inform me of the existence of these hoops earlier in this process. I hope that this information is helpful to others who are also facing road blocks to receiving answers from our elected officials.

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