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12 Parents’ Guide to Public School Discipline in Washington Parents’ Guide to Public School Discipline in Washington 13STEP TWO: DEVELOP A STRATEGYPreparation is an important ingredient for success. School administratorscannot do what you want unless they understand what you areasking for and why.1. What is your goal?Think carefully about what you want to achieve. Goals to considerinclude:Reversing the disciplineKeeping the same discipline,but taking steps to reduce itsacademic impact (for example,making sure the absences willnot affect the student’s grades)Returning the student toschool as soon as possibleReducing the length or severityof the punishmentScheduling suspension days ordetentions so they do not conflictwith academic or familyschedulesAccepting a reduced punishmentin exchange for certainpromises by the family (forexample, an apology by theAs you prepareto meet withschool officialsstudent, an agreement for improved behavior, a psychologicalevaluation, therapy, or substance abuse treatment)Changing classes to avoid personality conflicts with particularteachers or studentsThink about yourgoal. What outcomedo you want?Think about whythe school shouldchange its mind; andMake an outline!That way you will notforget what you wantto say under thepressure of a meetingor hearing.Establishing or modifying an individualized education plan fordisabled or special education studentsTransferring to another school in the same district or a differentschool districtThink about the long term: When thinking about your goals,remember that you and your family will likely need to maintain anongoing relationship with the school. Your child might have severalyears left in the same school or school district. It might work againstyou in the long term if you take an aggressive position that antagonizesschool officials. On the other hand, you can use the disciplinaryprocess to develop relationships with school officials who might beable to help you get better educational services for your child in thefuture.2. Why should the school change its decision?School authorities will not change their mind about how to disciplineyour child unless you can convince them there is something wrongwith their decision. Depending on the circumstances, one or more ofthe following arguments might be persuasive.Your child is innocent. Sometimes students are wronglyaccused, wrongly identified, or there are misunderstandingsabout students’ actions. It can be difficult to win in these cases.But, it helps if you can find witnesses or evidence to back upyour child’s explanation of what actually happened. It alsohelps if you can explain how your child was misunderstood orfalsely accused. However, if school administrators must pickone side in a “he-said-she-said” dispute, they will typically sidewith the staff. Look for witnesses or evidence to back up your child’sexplanation. Explain how your child was misunderstood.
14 Parents’ Guide to Public School Discipline in Washington Parents’ Guide to Public School Discipline in Washington 15Your child did not violate any school rule. In some cases,the student did what the school alleges, but the student’sactions did not violate any school rule. This may be the caseif the school is attempting to punish a student for violatingunwritten rules.Ask the school to show you, in writing, the rule theybelieve your child violated!The rule or policy is invalid. Sometimes, schools try to punishstudents for violating a written school rule, but the rule islegally invalid and should not be enforced. For example, it isnot fair to punish students for violating rules that are so vaguethat students could not have known they were doing somethingwrong. In other cases, a rule or policy might wrongly tryto cover off-campus conduct when a school has no authority toregulate such behavior.A district might not want to change its rules in the middle ofa disciplinary proceeding. But you can try to convince officialsnot to enforce the rule if it is invalid or unfair. Even if theschool will not change its position, you should mention yourconcerns at the discipline hearing or in a letter to the school.That will keep the issues on the table in case you decide toappeal. A court could overturn a school rule that punishes studentconduct protected by the state or federal constitutions. Explain why the rule is invalid when applied in yourchild’s circumstances. Mention your concerns at a hearing or in a letter, even ifthe school will not change its position.The punishment is excessive. Often, even when students violatea written rule, the punishment is too harsh. Unless thereare exceptional circumstances, a student should not be suspendedor expelled for a first offense. If the school has a zerotolerance policy, and the standard punishment is a long-termsuspension or expulsion, it may be too harsh in light of yourchild’s behavior.Ask the school to reduce the punishment to one that isappropriate in light of the circumstances of your child’sbehavior.Your child was unfairly singled out for discipline. Sometimesstudents are unfairly singled out for discipline on the basis ofrace, ethnicity or other factors. Research shows that studentsof color are disciplined more often and harshly than theirpeers, giving evidence that there is discrimination in disciplinepractices.But discrimination in a specific situation can be difficult toprove. Questions to consider include whether you know ofother children who received different disciplinary punishmentsfor similar behavior, or whether school staff made any inappropriateracial or ethnic remarks. School staff cannot discloseinformation about other students’ disciplinary records to you,so it can be difficult to find evidence. Point out specific facts that lead to your concerns. Be clear about what actions you want the school to take.There were procedural violations. Students (and in some casesparents) are entitled to notice and an opportunity to present theirside of the story before discipline is imposed. If the school doesnot follow the state laws on procedures for notice and hearing,the discipline is improper. Procedural problems alone will notlikely cause a school to change its disciplinary decision. Butyou should point out any violations. That way the school cancorrect them and give you a fair chance for a hearing.The notice and hearing requirements for different punishments
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