Communication is the Key!

Follow these steps if you have an issue or complaint with a Support Staff Member, Teacher, or the Principal:

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1. Meet with the person most directly involved first. This should be done in a manner that respects privacy and lets the person maintain their dignity.

   The Complainant should proceed in the following order:

           1.    Support Staff Member or Teacher

           2.   Principal and Support Staff Member or Teacher

           3.   Principal, Pastor, Support Staff Member or Teacher

Keep in mind that the goal of any conversation should be to obtain satisfactory resolution of the concerns raised. When satisfactory resolution of the concern is achieved, no further steps should be taken. Where there is no satisfactory resolution of your concerns you should meet with the people at the next level. A person should not bypass one level to reach higher authority without first exhausting the proper channels of communication.

 

1. If the complaint or concern cannot be resolved, the Pastor or Principal of the school may then involve the Board of Directors. The persons involved should be informed and given the opportunity for explanation and written response. A person who has proceeded through the process and has not received satisfactory resolution may also bring the complaint to the Board of Directors in writing, signed by the person or persons lodging the complaint. When a written complaint is received, the individual named should be notified, given a copy, and have the opportunity for explanation and written response.

 

• If a group wishes to address the Board of Directors they should inform the Chair in advance (through the Principal) so that if the purpose is to make a complaint against a Support Staff Member, Teacher, or Principal the Chair can inform them of the procedure as outlined in this policy.

• The Principal, Pastor, or the Board of Directors should not act on complaints until the complaints have been explored at the appropriate level. Complainants should be advised of the proper order of complaints and directed with whom to meet.

• The exception to following the levels of communication is when a person has reasonable grounds for suspecting child abuse, in which case it needs to be reported to proper authorities according to legal requirements.

• A person should have the right to know who is lodging a complaint against them. Anonymous complaints should not be addressed. Any written complaints that are not signed should be destroyed.

• At any point in the complaint process, the individual named should have the right to have a representative present.

• The Board of Directors should hear all personnel matters in-camera.

• The Principal, Pastor or Director, and Board Members should treat all information received as confidential.

• No documents pertaining to a complaint should be entered into a personnel file of a Support Staff Member, Teacher, or Principal when the level of authority above that person concludes that such complaint was unfounded or that the concerns addressed in the complaint have been properly remedied. When documentation is entered into the personnel file, the person should be notified in writing and given the opportunity to enter a written response.

• As individuals, Board Members should not be involved directly in the complaint process except to advise complainants of the steps in this policy. They should not contact Support Staff Members, Teachers, or the Principal trying to resolve a complaint. They should not bring personal complaints or the complaints of others to the Board.

 

It is the responsibility of the Board of Directors to address concerns brought to its attention in a proper manner. The Board of Directors must be aware of school policy, history, and contracts, educational and professional standards, government directives and policy, civil legislation, labour law, human rights code, canon law, Church teachings or any other relevant documents and policy that may affect the welfare of the school before a decision is made. The Board of Directors may also seek the advice of the Director of Education, Manitoba Education Independent Schools Liaison Officer, Archdiocesan Support Personnel, Legal Council, or other Experts to assist in this process.

The purpose of this complaint policy is to foster communication so a positive learning environment for the children can be maintained in our school. It is not the intention of this policy to remove the responsibility of the Principal to supervise and evaluate Teachers and Support Staff or the Board of Directors responsibility to evaluate the Principal on a regular basis.