Parents’ Bill of Rights Policy
In accordance with the requirements found in Georgia House Bill 1178, Coweta Charter Academy maintains the following Parents’ Bill of Rights Policy to promote and facilitate parental involvement in the School.
SECTION 1. Right to Access the Following Information
Parents/guardians may request access to the following information under this Policy, by submitting a request in writing to their student’s grand band Principal.
A. Instructional Materials
Parents/guardians shall have the right to learn about their child’s course of study, which includes the right to access instructional materials intended for use in their child’s classroom. Such instructional materials shall be made available for review during the first two weeks of each grading period. Your child’s teacher(s) will provide you information on where and how to access these materials.
B. Records Relating to Your Child
Parents/guardians shall have the right to review records relating to their child, including, but not limited to, current grade reports and attendance records. A request for this information should be made in writing and delivered to the School Director.
C. Promotion, Retention, and High School Graduation Policies and Requirements
Parents/guardians shall also have the right to access information relating to promotion and retention policies and high school graduation requirements.
Information requested under this policy shall be made available for inspection within a reasonable amount of time not to exceed three school days of receipt of a request. In those instances where some, but not all, of the information requested is available for inspection within three school days, the School Director shall make available within that time period such information as is available. In any instance where some or all of the information is unavailable within three school days of receipt of the request, and such information exists, the School Director shall, within such time period, provide the requester with a description of such information and a timeline for when the information will be available for inspection and shall provide the information or access thereto as soon as practicable but in no case later than 30 days of receipt of the request.
SECTION 2. Right to Object to Instructional Materials
If a parent/guardian objects to any instructional materials intended for use in their child’s classroom or recommended by their minor child’s teacher, the parent/guardian shall first, as soon as possible after becoming aware of the objection, raise the objection with the child’s teacher in which classroom the material is intended for use and/or who recommended the material. The teacher shall respond to the objection within five school days of its receipt, or as soon thereafter as is reasonably practicable.
If the parent/guardian is unsatisfied with the teacher’s response, then within five school days of receiving the response, the parent/guardian shall submit a written objection to the School Director. Such objection should include a description of the allegedly objectionable material, the course in which the material is intended or recommended to be used, why the parent/guardian believes the material is objectionable, and, where possible, should attach a copy of the objectionable material.
The School Director will review the objection and within five school days of receiving the written objection, or as soon thereafter as is reasonably practicable, respond in writing to the parent/guardian to offer a resolution to the objection.
If the parent/guardian disagrees with the School Director’s proposed resolution, the parent/guardian may appeal to the Superintendent. The Superintendent or its designee will review the matter as soon as is reasonably practicable, and notify the parent/guardian, relevant teacher, and School Director of its decision on the matter in writing.
SECTION 3. Right to Withdraw Child from Sex Education
To the extent that any sex education is proposed as part of your child’s course of study, you will be notified in advance by your child’s teacher. Upon notification, you have the right to withdraw your child from the School’s prescribed course of study in sex education by providing written objection to your child’s teacher of your child’s participation.
SECTION 4. Right to Opt-Out of Photographs, Videos, & Voice Recordings of Your Child
Parents/guardians shall have the right to provide written notice that photographs, videos, or video recordings of their child(ren) are not permitted. This opt-out is subject to applicable public safety and security exceptions. All students at the School will be subject to being recorded in the School’s classes, in the school building, and on the school property. Students will also be subject to being recorded in online classes should the need arise to transition to a remote or virtual learning format in an emergency situation, such as an inclement weather event, pandemic, epidemic, etc.
SECTION 5. Review Procedures
If the School Director or Superintendent denies a request for information or does not provide existing responsive information within 30 days, the parent/guardian may appeal such denial or failure to the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors must place the appeal on the agenda for its next public meeting. If it is too late for such appeal to appear on the next meeting’s agenda, the appeal must be included on the agenda for the subsequent meeting.
A parent aggrieved by the decision of the Board of Directors may appeal to the State Board of Education, as provided in O.C.G.A. § 20-2-116