1312.4 AR - Williams Uniform Complaint Procedures

Annual notice

Parents, Guardians, Students and Teachers:

Pursuant to California Education Code Section 35186, you are hereby notified that:

1. There should be sufficient textbooks and instructional materials. That means each pupil, including English learners, must have a textbook or instructional materials, or both, to use in class and to take home.

2. School facilities must be clean, safe, and maintained in good repair.

3. There should be no teacher vacancies or misassignments. There should be a teacher assigned to each class and not a series of substitutes or other temporary teachers. The teacher should have the proper credential to teach the class, including the certification required to teach English learners if present. Teacher vacancy means a position to which a single designated certificated employee has not been assigned at the beginning of the year for an entire year or, if the position is for a one-semester course, a position to which a single designated certificated employee has not been assigned at the beginning of a semester for an entire semester. Misassignment means the placement of a certificated employee in a teaching or services position for which the employee does not hold a legally recognized certificate or credential or the placement of a certificated employee in a teaching or services position that the employee is not otherwise authorized by statute to hold.

4. If you choose to file a complaint alleging that any of the above conditions is not being met, your complaint will be addressed through the district's Williams uniform complaint procedures as required by law. A complaint form may be obtained at the school office, district office, or downloaded here: Uniform Complaint Form (Español). You may also download a copy of the California Department of Education complaint form from the following Web site: http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/cp/uc/.

Community Relations 
Administrative Regulation No. 1312.4
Regulation Revised:  November 7, 2023

Uniform Complaint Form (Español)

WILLIAMS UNIFORM COMPLAINT PROCEDURES

The district shall use the procedures described in this administrative regulation only to investigate and resolve the following:
 1.  Complaints regarding the insufficiency of textbooks and instructional materials, including any complaint alleging that:  (Education Code 35186; 5 CCR 4681)
 
a. A pupil, including an English learner, does not have standards-aligned textbooks or instructional materials or state- or district-adopted textbooks or other required instructional materials to use in class
b.  A pupil does not have access to textbooks or instructional materials to use at home or after school.  This does not require two sets of textbooks or instructional materials for each student
c.  Textbooks or instructional materials are in poor or unusable condition, have missing pages, or are unreadable due to damage
d. A pupil was provided photocopied sheets from only a portion of a textbook or instructional materials to address a shortage of textbooks or instructional materials.


2.  Complaints regarding teacher vacancy or misassignment, including any complaint alleging that:
a.    A semester begins and a teacher vacancy exists
b.   A teacher who lacks credentials or training to teach English learners is assigned to teach a class with more than 20 percent English learner students in the class.

c.   A teacher is assigned to teach a class for which the teacher lacks subject matter competency.

Teacher Vacancy means a position to which a single designated certified employee has not been assigned at the beginning of the year for an entire year or, if the position is for a one-semester course, a position to which a single designated certified employee has not been assigned at the beginning of a semester for an entire semester. (Education Code 35186; 5 CCR 4600)

Beginning of the year or semester means the time period from the first day students attend classes for a year-long course or semester-long course though not later than 20 business days afterwards. (5 CCR 4600)

Misassignment means the placement of a certified employee in a teaching or services position for which the employee does not hold a legally recognized certificate or credential or the placement of a certified employee in a teaching or services position that the employee is not otherwise authorized by statute to hold. (Education Code 35186, 5 CCR 4600)
     
3.     Complaints regarding the condition of school facilities, including any complaint alleging that:  (Education Code 35186; 5 CCR 4683)

a.   A condition poses an emergency or urgent threat to the health or safety of students or staff.

Emergency or urgent threat means structures or systems that are in a condition that poses a threat to the health and safety of student or staff while at school, including but not limited to gas leaks; nonfunctioning heating, ventilation, fire sprinklers, or air-conditioning systems; electrical power failure; major sewer stoppage; major pest or vermin infestation; broken windows or exterior doors or gates that will not lock and that pose a security risk; abatement of hazardous materials previously undiscovered that pose an immediate threat to students or staff; or structural damage creating a hazardous or uninhabitable condition; or any other condition deemed appropriate.  (Education Code 17592.72)
            b.  A school restroom has not been cleaned, maintained, or kept open in accordance with Education Code 35292.5
 
 Clean or maintained school restroom means a school restroom has been cleaned or maintained regularly, is fully operational, or has been stocked at all times with toilet paper, soap and paper towels or functional hand dryers.  (Education Code 35292.5)
 
Open restroom means, the school has kept all restrooms open during school hours when pupils are not in classes and has kept a sufficient number of restrooms open during school hours when pupils are in classes.  This does not apply when the temporary closing of the restroom is necessary for pupil safety or to make repairs. (Education Code 35292.5)

4.         Complaints regarding the noncompliance of a license-exempt California State Preschool Program (CSPP) with health and safety standards specified in Health and Safety Code 1596.7925 and related state regulations, including any complaint alleging that:  (Education Code 8235.5; Health and Safety Code 1596.7925)
a.         The preschool does not have outdoor shade that is safe and in good repair.
b.         Drinking water is not accessible and/or readily available throughout the day. 
c.      The preschool does not provide safe and sanitary restroom facilities with one toilet and handwashing fixture for every 15 children.
d.      Restroom facilities are not available only for preschoolers and kindergartners.
e.      The preschool program does not provide visual supervision of children at all times.
f.      Indoor or outdoor space is not properly contained or fenced or does not provide sufficient space for the number of children using the space at any given time. 
g.      Playground equipment is not safe, in good repair, or age appropriate.

Forms and Notices

The Superintendent or designee shall ensure a Williams complaint form is available at each school. However, complainants need not use the district's complaint form in order to file a complaint.  (Education Code 35186; 5 CCR 4680)
The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that the district's complaint form specifies the location for filing a complaint and contains a space to indicate whether the complainant desires a response to the complaint. A complainant may add as much text to explain the complaint as desired.  (Education Code 35186; 5 CCR 4680)

The Superintendent or designee shall post in each classroom in each school a notice containing the components specified in Education Code 35186. (Education Code 35186) 

Filing of Complaint

A complaint alleging any condition(s) specified above shall be filed with the principal or designee at the school in which the complaint arises. The principal or designee shall forward a complaint about problems beyond his/her authority to the Superintendent or designee in a timely manner, but not to exceed 10 working days. Complaints may be filed anonymously. (Education Code 35186, 5CCR 4680)

Investigation and Response

The principal or designee shall make all reasonable efforts to investigate any problem within his/her authority. He/she shall remedy a valid complaint within a reasonable time period not to exceed 30 working days from the date the complaint was received. (Education Code 35186, 5 CCR 4685)
If the complainant has indicated on the complaint form that he/she would like a response to his/her complaint, the principal or designee shall report the resolution of the complaint to him/her within 45 working days of the initial filing of the complaint. If a response is requested, the response shall be made to the mailing address of the complainant as indicated on the complaint form. At the same time, the principal or designee shall report the same information to the Superintendent or designee. (Education Code 35186)

If the complainant has indicated on the complaint form a desire to receive a response to the complaint, the principal/preschool administrator or Superintendent's designee shall report the resolution of the complaint to the complainant within 45 working days of the initial filing of the complaint. If the principal/preschool administrator makes this report, the information shall be reported at the same time to the Superintendent or designee.
When Education Code 48985 is applicable and the complainant has requested a response, the response shall be written in English and in the primary language in which the complainant was filed.  (Education Code 35186, 5 CCR 4680, 4685)
If a complainant is not satisfied with the resolution of the complaint, he/she may describe the complaint to the Governing Board at a regularly scheduled meeting. (Education Code 36186)

For any complaint concerning a facility condition that poses an emergency or urgent threat to the health or safety of pupils or staff as described in item #3a above, a complainant who is not satisfied with the resolution proffered by the principal or Superintendent or designee may file an appeal to the Superintendent of Public Instruction within 15 days of receiving the district’s response.  The complainant shall comply with the appeal requirements specified in 5 CCR 4632.  (Education Code 35186, 5 CCR 4687)

All complaints and written responses shall be public records. (Education Code 35186, 5 CCR 4686)

Reports


The Superintendent or designee shall report summarized data on the nature and resolution of all complaints to the Board and the County Superintendent of Schools on a quarterly basis. The report shall include the number of complaints by general subject area with the number of resolved and unresolved complaints. These summaries shall be publicly reported on a quarterly basis at a regularly scheduled Board meeting. (Education Code 35186)

Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
1240 County superintendent of schools, duties
17592.72 Urgent or emergency repairs, School Facility Emergency Repair Account
33126 School accountability report card
35186 Williams uniform complaint procedure
35292.5 Restrooms, maintenance and cleanliness
37254 Supplemental instruction based on failure to pass exit exam by end of grade 12
48985 Notice to parents in language other than English
60119 Hearing on sufficiency of instructional materials
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5
4600-4687 Uniform complaint procedures, especially:
4680-4687 Williams complaints
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