Date:
Tue, 16 Oct 2007 05:58:20 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Nancy Muldowney" <nmuld@yahoo.com>
Subject: Due process
To: dcampbell@chclc.org
CC:jgallagher@chclc.org, ifranklin@chclc.org,
susanbadaracco@chclc.org,
lisaconn@chclc.org, anneeinhorn@chclc.org,
sharongiaccio@chclc.org,
kenhartman@chclc.org, nancyodowd@chclc.org,
stevenrobbins@chclc.org,
robertrusso@chclc.org, marktrentacoste@chclc.org
|
Dear Dr. Campbell,
SEPTA appreciates having had the
opportunity to have our concerns heard with regard to Policy 5131.
When Bob Bourbon and I met with members of administration to discuss
Policy 5131 on September 25, 2007, we requested that the topic of
due process be addressed in the policy so as to inform parents how
to appeal a punishment that involved a suspension or worse, if the
parents felt it was unjust. Administration agreed to this request.
That meeting ended at approximately 4:00 PM and the Board of
Education Action meeting began at 7:00 PM that evening.
Unfortunately the topic of due process was not revised in the
updated policy.
I felt that there was a high
likelihood that this was due to the fact that time was very limited
so I choose not to make an issue of it, and I anticipated that with
our working relationship being developed there would be further
opportunity to address the topic. At the October 5th Policy and
Legislation committee meeting, I mentioned that SEPTA was still
interested in having the due process topic addressed in the policy.
Members of the BOE discussed this and asked if SEPTA would accept a
procedure by which parents would be notified with a pamphlet or in a
letter in which due process was explained when receiving
notification of their child being suspended. On behalf of SEPTA, I
accepted this.
You accepted on behalf of the
school district and indicated that this would be no problem because
the district was already doing so.
On October 10, 2007 a classified
child was suspended from Kingston school for two days. There was no
mention of the parents’ right to due process in the notification
letter. I am attaching a copy of the notification for your
review.
The SEPTA board would like to
re-emphasize our interest in having parents informed of their right
to due process and in the procedural steps that should be taken in
the event of a disputed suspension. I understand that you felt this
information was being disseminated properly but hope that you now
realize this is not the case. On behalf of SEPTA, I request that we
be kept informed of the steps being taken to address this
issue.
Sincerely,
Nancy Muldowney
Recording Secretary
Cherry Hill SEPTA
|
