Complaint Procedures
Information about filing a complaint for a school or a school district.What is a complaint?
A complaint is a statement that a local school, school district, or county of education policy has been violated or that a state or federal law or regulation has been violated.
If you have a complaint, submit it in writing to your school, district, or county office of education, following the governing board policies and procedures. The local governing board has ultimate authority over many subjects, including:
- hiring and evaluation of staff
- student assignments
- student discipline
- facility conditions
If you have a complaint about educator misconduct, in addition to submitting a complaint to the school, district, or county office of education, you can report educator misconduct to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing
[http://www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-discipline/default.html] 
.
If you have a complaint about special education, in addition to submitting a complaint to the school, district, or county office of education, you can report it to the Procedural Safeguards and Referral Service for their Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process [http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/cs/k3/dispute.asp].
If you have a complaint about student discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying, please visit the CDE Resolution of Discrimination/Harassment Complaint Web page [http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/di/eo/complaint.asp].
What if I don’t get a response or decision?
Refer back to the governing board policies and procedures of the district, county office of education, or charter school for guidance. Districts are required to provide copies of these policies free of charge. Many post these documents on their Web site.
What if I don’t like the response or decision I receive?
Refer back to the governing board policies and procedures of the district, county office of education, or charter school for guidance. Districts are required to provide copies of these policies free of charge. Many post these documents on their Web site. For violation of specific state or federal laws and regulations that that fall within the Uniform Complaint Procedures [http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/cp/uc/], you may appeal the decision to the California Department of Education.