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ifyourchildorteenagerissuspendedfromschoolwhattodo

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WhattoDoifYourChildorTeenisSuspendedfromSchool
byDoreFrances,IEC,founderofHorizonFamilySolutions,LLC
Ifyoursonordaughteriseversuspendedfromschool,these
suggestionsmaymaketheexperienceeasier.
GettheFacts
1.Immediatelycontacttheschoolandrequest:1)acopyof
thestudent'sschoolrecords,includingrecordsfor
attendance,grades,andanypastdiscipline2)acopyof
anyadministrator's,teacher's,orstudent'sstatements
aboutthecharge/incidentand3)acopyoftheschool's
ordistrict'sdisciplinarypoliciesinwriting(iftheyhavenot
asyetbeenprovidedtoyou).Reviewthesematerialsand
noteanythingyouwanttoaskyourchildortheschool
aboutthatmayincludeissuesrelevanttothecurrent
situation.
2.Schooladministratorsmustprovidestudentswithnotice
ofthechargesagainstthem,thebasisforthecharge,and
anopportunitytotellhis/hersideofthestory.
3.Talkwithyoursonordaughter.Askhim/hertotellyou(or
evenbettertowriteout)exactlywhathappenedassoon
aspossiblesoyouhaveaclearunderstandingofthe
detailsrelatedtotheincident.Makesurehe/sheisbeing
honestaboutwhathappened.

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MeetwithSchoolOfficials
1.Calltheprincipalorassistantprincipalwhogavethe
suspensionandaskforafacetofacemeetingatatime
thatisconvenientforyou.Askforwhatever
accommodationyouneedtoenableyoutoparticipatefully
inthemeeting,forexample,ifyouneedtomeetinthe
eveningorneedatranslatorifyoudonotspeakEnglish.
Therearefivegoodreasonstorequestandattendaface
tofacemeeting:tolearnmoreofthefactsaroundthe
incident,toverifythatyourchildisbeingtreatedfairly,to
ensurethatyourchildistakingresponsibilityforhis/her
actions,toensurethatyourchild'seducationalprogressis
notadverselyaffected,andtolearnofanyopportunities
orservicesthatmayhelpyourchild,suchascounselingor
othertypesofsocial,educational,orhealthservices.
2.Donotgoalonetothemeeting.Takesomeonewithyou
whocanserveasanadvocateandprovideyouwith
supportormakeyoufeelmorecomfortable.Thismightbe
afriend,neighbor,communityserviceagency
representative,orclergy.Makesurethattheschoolofficial
isinformedthatthispersonwillbepresentatthe
meeting.
3.Approachthemeetingwithanopenmindandafirm
commitmentnottoargueorraiseyourvoice.
4.Writedownanyquestionsyouhavebeforethemeeting
andbringyourlistwithyousoyoucanaskyourquestions
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andhavethemansweredatthemeeting.
Questionsthatparentsmaywanttoaskaboutthe
situation:
1.Whatruledidmychildbreak?MayIseethisrulein
writing?Whatdidmychilddotobreaktherule?
2.Whatisthenormalpunishmentforbreakingthisrule?Is
thereadifferentpunishmentforthefirst,second,orthird
violationofthisrule?Arethesethingsinwriting?
3.Whyismychildreceivingextrapunishment?
4.Wherewasmychildwhenthishappened?Whowasthe
teacherincharge?Wherewastheteacherwhenthe
incidenthappened?
5.Whatotherstudentsoremployeeswerearoundwhenthis
happened?Whataretheiraccountsoftheincident?
6.Wereotherstudentsinvolvedinthisincident?What
punishmentdidtheotherstudentsreceive?Whyistheir
punishmentdifferent?
7.Exactlywhatdideachpersondo?Exactlywhatdideach
personsay?
8.Couldtheteacherhavehandledthisdifferently?
9.Hasmychildhadsimilarproblemsbefore?Isthis
documentedinwriting?
10.Willthispunishmentcausemychildtofailaclassorbe
heldback?
11.Canmychildmakeuphisschoolworkandtests?
12.Whatcantheschooldotohelpmychildandavoidthis
probleminthefuture?Forexample,maymychildchange
hisseatinclassorbetransferredtoadifferentclass?
1.Takeyourson/daughtertothemeetingwithyouifhe/she
canactrespectfullyandtakeresponsibilityforhis/her
actions.He/shemustadmitifhe/shewaswrongand
violatedaschoolrule.
2.Donotadmitwrongdoinganddonotletyour
son/daughteradmitwrongdoingunlessitistrue.
3.Ifyoursonordaughteradmitswrongdoing,consideror
askwhatcanbedoneto"makethingsright."For
example,isanapologytoateacheroranotherstudentin
order,oristheresomeotheractionyoursonordaughter
maytaketocorrectormakeamendsforthesituation?If
so,haveyoursonordaughterfollowthroughonthis.
AskForHelpToensuretheeducationalprogressofyour
child.
Astudentcanfailaclassifhemissestoomuchworkorcanbe
retainedinthesamegradeifhemissestoomanydays.Ifthe
suspensionwillharmyourchild'seducationalprogress,askthe
schoolofficialstohelpavoidtheseoutcomesforyourchild.
1.Asktheschooltoprovideallofyourchild'sschool
assignmentssoyourchildcancompletethemduringthe
suspension.Alsoaskforpermissiontohaveyourchild
makeuptheteststhatwouldbemissed.
2.Askifthereishelpforhomeworkinthecommunityor
tutoringhelp.
3.Askifyourchildcouldfinishthepunishmentduringin
schoolsuspension.
4.Askiftheschoolcouldassignanotherpunishment.
5.Askforahearingtorequestthatasituationthatwould
harmyourchild'seducationalprogressbereconsidered,or
appealthesuspensiondecision
Togetotherservicesforyourchild:
Theincidentthatledtoyourchild'ssuspensionmayberelated
toanissueorproblemthatisnotresolvedbythesuspension.
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1.Askwhatotheropportunitiesandservicesthereareinthe
schoolorcommunitytohelpyourchild.Considerandask
aboutservicessuchas:ongoingcounselingtestingfor
learningdisabilitiesopportunitiestobementoredpeer
mediationprogramsspecialeducationservicesspecial
languageprogramstutoringdrugcounselingmental
healthservicesangermanagement,socialskills,and
conflictresolutiontrainingclassesandinvolvementin
youthleadershipactivities,sports,camps,afterschool
programs,andcommunityserviceactivities.
Togetsupportforyouasaparent:
Oftentherearethingsthatparentscandoandlearnabouttobe
betteradvocatesfortheirchild'seducationandwellbeing.
Schoolsandcommunitieshaveresourcesormayknowof
supportgroupsoropportunitiesthatcanbehelpfulforparents.
1.Askyourschoolaboutgroups,programs,and
opportunitiesforyoursupportandinvolvementinyour
child'seducationanddevelopment.
IfYouBelieveYourChildHasNotBeenTreatedFairly
1.Ifyouarenotsatisfiedwiththesuspensiondecision,you
maybeentitledtoappealthesuspensiondecisiontothe
superintendentorhis/herdesigneeortothelocalschool
board.Yourschoolprincipalcantellyouhowtogoabout
theappealprocess.
2.TheUnitedStatesConstitutionandotherfederallaws
prohibitanyeducationaldiscriminationonthebasisof
race,sex,disability,orotherdifference.Ifyoubelieve
yourchildhasbeentreatedunfairlybecauseofhisraceor
othercharacteristicyoumayfileacomplaintof
discriminationwiththeOfficeforCivilRightsoftheU.S.
DepartmentofEducation.Thereisaregionaloffice
servingyourarea.CalltheCivilRightsHotlineat1800
4213481.
IfYourChildIsASpecialEducationStudent
StudentswhohaveIndividualEducationalPlans,calledIEPsin
mostschools,andarespecialeducationstudents,havevery
specificrightsconcerningsuspension.Disciplineforspecial
educationstudentshasspecificrequirements.Thereareparent
centersineverystatetoprovideassistance.Inaddition,there
areotherorganizationsthatcanhelpparentsunderstandwhat
theirchild'sandfamilyrightsareinthecaseofsuspensions.
Parentsshouldcall18882480844orcontacttheTechnical
AssistanceAllianceatwww.taalliance.org.
RESOURCESSpecialEducationTechnicalAssistanceand
DisseminationNetwork
TheAllianceisaninnovativeprojectthatfocusesonproviding
technicalassistanceforestablishing,developing,and
coordinatingParentTrainingandInformationProjectsand
CommunityParentResourceCentersundertheIndividualswith
DisabilitiesEducationAct(IDEA).Telephone:18882480844.
U.S.OfficeforCivilRights
ThemissionoftheOfficeforCivilRightsistoensureequal
accesstoeducationandtopromoteeducationalexcellence
throughoutthenationthroughvigorousenforcementofcivil
rights.
Acomplaintofdiscriminationcanbefiledbyanyonewho
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believesthataneducationinstitutionthatreceivesFederal
financialassistancehasdiscriminatedagainstsomeoneonthe
basisofrace,color,nationalorigin,sex,disability,orage.The
personororganizationfilingthecomplaintneednotbeavictim
oftheallegeddiscrimination,butmaycomplainonbehalfof
anotherpersonorgroup.Telephone:18004213481.
www.ed.gov/offices/OCR/.
AssociationforChildhoodEducationInternational
TheAssociationforChildhoodEducationInternational(ACEI)
workstopromotetherights,education,andwellbeingofall
childrenintheirhomes,schools,andcommunities.TheACEI
promotescooperationamongthoseservingchildren,worksto
raisethestandardofpreparationforthoseinvolvedwiththe
careanddevelopmentofchildren,encouragescontinuous
professionalgrowthofeducators,andfocusespublicattention
onchangesrequiredinvariousprogramstoaccommodatethe
rightsandneedsofchildren.
Telephone:(800)4233563
www.udel.edu/bateman/acei
FamiliesandEducation
FamiliesandEducationprovidesinformationandideastohelp
parentsunderstandhowschoolsandothereducationalprograms
work,howchildrenlearn,andhowparentsandfamiliescanbest
contributetothelearningprocess.Itincludestheparent
brochureseries"ParentsAskAbout..."inEnglishandSpanish,
anddocumentsrelatedtoparent
involvement.www.rmcres.com/famed/index.html.
AmericanBarAssociation
TheAmericanBarAssociation(ABA)isthenationalprofessional
organizationofthelegalprofession,principallyrepresenting
practicinglawyers,judges,courtadministrators,lawteachers,
publicserviceattorneys,andnonpracticinglawyersinother
professions.www.abanet.org.
TheABA'shomepageoffersaccesstothefollowingtwoyouth
relatedsites:
TheABACenteronChildrenandtheLawworkstoimprovethe
qualityoflifeforchildrenthroughadvancementsinlaw,justice,
andpublicpolicy.Inareasrelatingtochildrenandfamilies,the
centerworkstoimprovelaws,policies,andjudicialprocedures
toconductanddisseminateresearchonlaw,policy,and
practicetoenhancetheskillsandcompetenceoflegal
professionalsandnonattorneysandtoincreasepublic
awarenessofthelawandthejudicialsystem.
www.abanet.org/child/.
DoreFrances,IEC,isaneduccationalconsultant,childsrightadvocate,parent
coach,specializinginworkingwithtroubledteensandtheirfamiliesintheUnited
States,Canda,andabroad.Seehersiteat:www.guidingteens.comorcontacther
byphoneat:(541)3124422,oremailat:Dore@DoreFrances.com.
SeeourlistingonISER.COM

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parentsfindlocalspecialeducationprofessionalsandresources.ISERdoesnotrecommendorendorseany
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educationprofessional,orspecificspecialeducationprofessional.

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