Families » Reporting a Concern

Reporting a Concern

  1. Academic Concern/Complaint Process:

     

    1. Request a meeting with your child’s teacher to discuss the concern.
    2. Once you have met with the teacher, if the situation has not been resolved, request a meeting with the academic team to discuss the concern.
    3. After meeting with the academic team, if you still have a concern, request a meeting with the principal, or complete a Complaint Form that will be forwarded to the principal for review and follow up.  Complaint forms can be requested at the Reception Desk in the school's main lobby, or from the parent coordinator.
    4. The principal will review the complaint/concern and contact the parents within 72 hours.  Serious concerns are prioritized and responded to immediately.  The parent will be required to attend a meeting at the school to discuss the concern/complaint.
    5. 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. The parent is to contact the school’s Director of Government, Parents & External Relations, Carmen Goldberg, at 914-476-5070 Ext. 4 in order to submit a written complaint to the Board of Trustees.

     

    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: [email protected] The subject line of the email should read:

     

    Complaint: [Name of School]. 

     

    The contents of the letter/email should include: 

    • A detailed statement of the complaint, including the provision of the School’s charter or law that you allege has been violated.
    • What, if any, response you received from the School’s Board of Trustees (and the School’s Charter Entity in the case of schools not authorized by the Board of Regents).
    • Copies of all relevant correspondence between you and the School, and you and the Charter Entity, if applicable. (You should maintain copies of all correspondence and materials for your own files.)
    • What specific action or relief you are seeking.
    • Contact information for you – name, address, email address, telephone number.

     

    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.