THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 14, 1996 TAG: 9601110159
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Another View
SOURCE: BY SUSAN VAUGHAN
LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines
Trying to solve a problem with Manteo High School regarding my daughter's illness and the opportunity to do make-up work, I went looking for a copy of the Dare County Board of Education's School Policies. I am disturbed by what I discovered and by the continued disregard of my daughter's rights.
The first time I called the Dare County Board of Education much of the staff was out, but I was told that they did not have a copy of the policy. A couple of weeks later I went to the office with a friend who was also looking for a copy of the policy. This time, we were both told that there was no copy of the policy in that office (at 508 Budleigh St.).
We were told that we should go to the school to see a copy of School Board Policy. I stated that I thought this information was public record, and that we should be able to see something governing school policies in Dare County. I was then given a copy (in two binders) of North Carolina Public School Law. We looked through these binders for the information we needed, but discovered by looking at the tables of contents that several sections were missing. When we asked to see the missing sections, we were told that these sections were being revised. So I asked to see the old sections which I felt should be effective until the new sections were completed. We were told that these were not available.
The high school's Student Handbook for 1995-96 clearly states that students are required to make up work due to absences, and that full credit will be given for make-up work. In spite of this policy, one teacher refused to allow several assignments to be turned in late even though a doctor's note was presented to the school. Since the teacher ignored the policy printed in the manual, I have had to continue searching for remedies to deal with this situation.
My friend called the office of one Dare County elementary school and was told that a copy of the School Board Policy was there, but it was not updated. The person she spoke to said that he was new this year, and that updates on policy had been handled differently in the school where he had worked before. We ended up going to another school and found its copy of the policy with several sections missing.
I called an assistant to the superintendent who assured me that the Board of Education's office did have a copy of School Board Policy and that it was indeed public record. I asked her to send me a copy of policy concerning make-up work due to illness and a copy of any other policies that might help a student with a serious and/or long-term illness. I received a policy on make-up work that is identical to the policy listed in the high school's handbook. The old attendance policy which I found in a school's records allows for a student to take an incomplete as a grade, giving him or her extra time to make up work missed due to illness. There was no mention of this ``incomplete policy'' in the information that was mailed to me by the Board of Education office. Also I did not receive any information on homebound instruction which I had heard in the past was available. I wrote a letter requesting information on policy and where to get a complete one, what policy is used until the new one is written and made effective, what policies exist that help students through a time of severe and/or prolonged illness, and other concerns. I never received a reply.
Over the past three months, I have written letters to individual teachers, spoken personally to the school counselor and teachers, met with the principal, assistant principal, teacher and counselor, written to members of the school board, a senator's office, the State Board of Education, and even the governor. The State Board of Education has informed me that they have no jurisdiction over local schools or school boards.
The principal had asked the teacher and superintendent not to answer my letters.
He also wanted all my questions put into one letter, which I wrote and hand-delivered to the principal's office on Dec. 7. I took my requests to the Board of Education Meeting on Dec. 12 because I still had not received an answer to my questions and requests. I presented my requests to the board asking for a reply within seven days and that these concerns and requests be made public record. The superintendent replied on Dec. 18 that he was waiting for the principal to answer my concerns and requests. To date I still have received no answer; I still do not know where to get a complete copy of the School Board Policy; and my daughter has two zeroes averaged into her total grade because she still has not been given the opportunity to make up some of her work. This class will end next week. MEMO: Susan Vaughan lives in Kill Devil Hills.
by CNB