Concerns & Complaints
Concerns & Complaints
Do You Have A Concern?
Albany Unified School District is committed to open, inclusive, two-way communication with our families and staff. When a question or concern comes up, we want the person closest to it to hear it and resolve it as quickly as possible.
This approach reflects our WARMTH framework: Welcome Warmly, Anticipate Needs, Respect Always, Meet Commitments, Take Timely Action, and Help with Heart. We ask every staff member to bring these values to every conversation, including those that begin as concerns or complaints.
Most concerns are resolved close to home
Teachers, coaches, and school staff know their students and classrooms best, so they can work out most questions and concerns quickly at that level. If a concern is not resolved there, families can bring it to the school principal, and then to the Superintendent's Office. The flow chart on the following page walks through this four-step process in more detail.
Formal complaints follow their own process
Some concerns call for a more formal, documented process. Depending on the subject, that may mean a Uniform Complaint (UCP), which covers specific state and federally funded programs as well as general discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying based on a protected characteristic; a Williams Complaint, for instructional materials, teacher vacancies or misassignments, or urgent facility conditions; or, for the narrower federal category of Title IX Sexual Harassment, a complaint filed directly with the Title IX Coordinator. Each of these has its own timeline, process, and point of contact, summarized in the comparison chart included with this packet.
Uniform Complaint
The district shall follow these complaint procedures when addressing complaints alleging unlawful discrimination based on actual or perceived age, sexual orientation, gender, ethnic group identification, race ancestry, national origin, religion, color, mental or physical ability, or on the basis of a person’s association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics, in any program or activity that receives or benefits from state financial assistance.
Uniform complaint procedures shall also be used when addressing complaints alleging failure to comply with state and/or federal laws in adult education, consolidated categorical aid programs, migrant education, vocational education, child care and development programs, special education programs, and federal school safety planning requirements.
Williams Complaint
California Education Code (EC) Section 35186 created a procedure for the filing of complaints concerning deficiencies related to instructional materials, conditions of facilities that are not maintained in a clean or safe manner or in good repair, and teacher vacancy or misassignment. The complaint and response are public documents as provided by statute. Complaints may be filed anonymously. However, if you wish to receive a response, you must provide contact information.