Any student, parent, or legal guardian may make a complaint or request additional information from the school regarding an incident or action for any reason, including to appeal a disciplinary decision. We believe that strong relationships and frequent communication between students, parents, and our teachers and school based staff are critical to ensuring the success of our students. We also believe that collaboration between these parties is often the quickest and best way to resolve issues. Complainants should first schedule a conference with the immediately involved school staff member to discuss the issue. For example, if the complaint is regarding math class, the parent should contact the math teacher. Collegiate Academies reserves the right to redirect complainant(s) to the appropriate personnel if this step has not been followed.
CA has established the following procedures to solve disputes or complaints in a fair and prompt manner. The formal procedures described below may be implemented only after the parties have engaged in an earnest attempt to resolve matter(s) informally. At each step in the process the responsible parties will verify that all previous steps have been followed and documented. Collegiate Academies reserves the right to redirect complainant(s) to the appropriate personnel if the following procedure has not been followed.
A student or parent/guardian of a student who has a question or concerns may choose to seek the help of the building administrator or another adult with whom they trust, such as a teacher, counselor, nurse, psychologist.
1. If satisfaction cannot be achieved through this discussion, the student or parent should send a written complaint or request for information to the school compliance officer, within 5 working days.
The written complaint or request should include:
- the issue/concern/complaint information requested
- What steps have been taken to resolve the situation
- the reason for the complainants dissatisfaction with the actions already taken or information provided
- proposed solutions
The compliance officer will commence an effective, thorough, objective and complete investigation of the complaint/request within ten (10) working days after receipt of the complaint. The compliance officer will consult with all individuals reasonably believed to have relevant information, including the complainant and any alleged violator(s), any witnesses to the conduct, and any victims of similar conduct that the investigator reasonably believes may exist. The investigation shall be free of stereotypical assumptions about either party. The investigation shall be carried on discreetly, maintaining confidentiality insofar as possible while still conducting an effective and thorough investigation. Throughout the entire investigation process, due process rights will be upheld. No reprisals will be taken or permitted for truthfully asserting a complaint.
The compliance officer shall make a written report summarizing the results of the investigation and proposed disposition of the matter, and shall provide copies to the complainant, the alleged violator, the Principal and, as appropriate, to all others directly concerned within fifteen (15) working days after receiving the complaint.
2. If complainant(s) conclude that the initial response/course of action was insufficient, the complainant may request that a meeting may then be scheduled with the Principal.
Prior to the meeting the Principal will first investigate the matter to ensure that Steps 1 and 2 have been appropriately documented and completed.
After the meeting the Principal will record the complaint and/or appeal and will address any concerns regarding appeal of a disciplinary decision, or any action or inaction taken by the school administration, within five (5) working days.
3. If the complainant is not satisfied with the decision of the Principal, an appeal in writing may be made to Collegiate Academies’ Chief Executive Office, Stacy Martin, within ten (10) days of receipt of the decision.
Appeals may be submitted via email to smartin@collegiateacademies.org or mailed to:
Collegiate Academies
Attn: Stacy Martin
PO Box 5367
New Orleans, LA 70153
Within thirty (30) working days the Chief Executive Officer will investigate the complaint and may conduct a hearing to gather additional information before issuing a decision. The decision of the Chief Executive Officer will be final. The Board of Directors does not consider individual parent grievances except in cases related to the alleged violation of law.
Note: that the above procedures are intended to provide a default process for seeking information or making a complaint where other policies or legal requirements do not apply; they do not supersede any other statutorily-mandated procedures in place for receiving, investigating, and resolving reports made pursuant to specific state or federal requirements. These include, but are not limited to, reports made pursuant to Louisiana’s bullying and harassment laws and complaints of disability-based discrimination.
