Academic Concern/Complaint Process:
For Non-Academic Concerns:
Section 2855 (4) of the NYS Charter Schools Act provides a formal complaint process for use by individuals (including parents) or groups who believe that a charter school has violated a term of its charter, a provision of the NYS Charter Schools Act, or any other provision of law relating to the management or operation of the charter school.
The process requires that any and all complaints be brought first to the School Administration. All complaints must be submitted in writing to the principal’s office. If the concern has not been adequately addressed by the school’s administration after a meeting at the school, the concern/complaint is then submitted to the School’s Board. If, after making your complaint to the School’s Board of Trustees, you believe that the Board of Trustees has not adequately addressed your complaint, or if, after a reasonable period of time, the Board of Trustees or its designee does not respond to your complaint in writing – or does not respond within the time that the School provides in its formal complaint – you then have the right to bring your complaint to the entity that authorized the charter school (the “Charter Entity” or “Authorizer”), which in this case is the Board of Regents.
Bringing a Complaint to the Board of Regents
The Board of Regents has delegated the authority to the Commissioner of Education to handle complaints brought to the Regents concerning charter schools. All complaints brought to the Board of Regents/Commissioner concerning charter schools must be submitted in writing to the State Education Department’s Charter School Office, either via mail at: Charter School Office, NYS Education Department, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12234, or via email to: charterschools@nysed.gov The subject line of the email should read:
Complaint: [Name of School].
The contents of the letter/email should include:
Investigation of a Complaint Brought to the Board of Regents
The Charter School Office, on behalf of the Commissioner and the Board of Regents, will conduct any investigation that it determines necessary and appropriate regarding complaints that have been appropriately filed concerning charter schools. This investigation may include contacting the School and the relevant Charter Entity concerning the complaint, providing a copy of the complaint to the School and the Charter Entity, and requesting additional information or materials from you and/or the School. Upon completion of the investigation of a complaint brought to the Board of Regents, a decision will be issued by the Commissioner, which may include a remedial order as appropriate. A copy of the Commissioner’s decision will be provided to you, the School, and the Charter Entity, as applicable.