At Hillside High School, we take complaints seriously and ensure all viewpoints are honored. Along with an internal procedure to manage complaints, Durham Public Schools has established a formal process by the board of education to ensure all families and students have a voice in their education. If students, parents or other stakeholders in the school have complaints, we welcome to hear about them from all parties involved so a resolution can be found. Our preference is for issues and complaints to be dealt with informally by the individuals involved. If this is not possible, the procedure detailed below should be utilized.
School & District Level:
Our students and parents/legal guardians always have the option to call or email our school directly to talk with the individual of concern and work to resolve any complaints directly with this person. Board Policy 5060/1742 establishes a procedure to resolve informal complaints. The district policy states that the following process should be used when seeking to address concerns and complaints:
The complaint should be received and addressed at the level closest to which the complaint originated. For example, a complaint regarding a classroom issue should be heard first by the teacher. A complaint regarding the school in general should be addressed first by the principal.
Any board member or employee receiving a complaint should verify that the complaint has been appropriately referred to him or her and if not, assist the complainant by identifying the appropriate personnel to receive the complaint.
Once appropriately referred, if the complainant is not satisfied with the response to the complaint, the complainant should be informed of the options for further review of the complaint.
A complaint or series of complaints that raise significant issues about the educational program or the operation of the schools is an opportunity to further examine the success of the school system in meeting its goals and objectives. When feasible, a group representing various perspectives and interests, such as teachers, administrators, students, and parents, should discuss the issue and make recommendations to appropriate personnel or to the board.
If the student and parent/legal guardian does not believe the complaint has been adequately addressed, they should contact our Assistant Principal/Principal directly. The Assistant Principal/Principal will start the official investigation as per Board Policy 4010/1740:
A student or parent or guardian who has a grievance must provide the following information in writing to the principal: (1) the name of the school system employee or other individual whose decision or action is at issue; (2) the specific decision(s) or action(s) at issue; (3) any board policy, state or federal law, state or federal regulation, or State Board of Education policy or procedure that the parent or guardian or student believes has been misapplied, misinterpreted, or violated; and (4) the specific resolution desired. If there is not a specific decision or action at issue and no concern that state or federal law has been misapplied, misinterpreted, or violated, then the procedure established in policy 1742/5060 is appropriate, and the principal shall address the concern following that policy.
If a student, parent, or legal guardian has a complaint or a request for appeal against IB programme decisions taken by the school they should act immediately by contacting the Middle Years programme coordinator or Diploma Years programme coordinator at Hillside High School. The school will investigate and respond to complaints as soon as possible. The Assistant Principal/Principal will be contacted to keep all lines of communication open.
Internal Resolutions: Program Level Complaints (aka “Whistle Blowing”)
When your disclosure relates to decisions made by an IB World School, discussing your concerns with the IB World School administration is the appropriate course of action. If you have exhausted all options of redress at school level and remain concerned by the response provided by the IB World School, a report may be submitted in writing to whistleblowing@ibo.org Internal complaints can be submitted according to the IB Whistleblower procedures at: whistleblowing@ibo.org. Additional information can be found here.