Process for Addressing Parent Concerns

Livingston Public Schools strives to respond to concerns and/or questions as quickly and effectively as possible. In a school system, as in any organization, the “chain of command” refers to communication levels of authority in the school district. The philosophy behind the chart in the document below is to refer community members to those people in the organization who can best solve any concerns or questions that may arise, and then direct them to the appropriate people if issues are not able to be effectively addressed at the first level. Thank you for your continued partnership. See below for appropriate parties to contact, as well as relevant phone extensions.

ADDRESSING CONCERNS
Livingston Public Schools strives to respond to concerns and/or questions as quickly and effectively as possible. In a school system, as in any organization, the “chain of command” refers to communication levels of authority in the school district. The philosophy behind the chart below is to refer community members to those people in the organization who can best solve any concerns or questions that may arise, and then direct them to the appropriate people if issues cannot be effectively addressed at the first level.

WHERE DO I BEGIN THE PROCESS IF I HAVE A CONCERN?
Most questions/concerns are quickly and completely answered by communicating directly with the staff member involved with or responsible for the area of concern. Depending on the issue, an in-person or telephone conversation is often better than an email conversation, as it allows for true two-way communication with fewer opportunities for misunderstandings. Each situation is different. See the "Progression for Addressing Concerns" listed below for examples.

WHY SHOULD I NOT BRING MY CONCERNS DIRECTLY TO MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD?
The School Board does not operate the district on a day-to-day basis; that is the job of the Superintendent, who operates as the district’s chief officer. Rather, the School Board sets the policies, goals, and objectives for the district – and it holds the Superintendent responsible for implementing the policies and achieving the goals. Therefore, neither the Board of Education nor its individual members are in a position to address specific student concerns. All Board members in the State of New Jersey abide by a 10-item ethics pledge. One item in the ethics pledge specifically states, “I will refer all complaints to the chief administrative officer and will act on the complaints at public meetings only after failure of an administrative solution.” Due to student and parent privacy concerns, the School Board often does not have access to certain information, nor can it access information about individual students. Sharing personal confidential information about a student (even your own child) with a School Board Member can create a conflict for Board Members, since, on some issues, the Board functions as a “court of appeals.” Any Board Member with information obtained outside a “hearing” can be asked to recuse themselves from any discussion or vote on that particular issue. Keep in mind that School Board Members have no legal authority as individual Board Members. They have authority only when acting as a Member of the full Board during a Board session.

I FIND IT HARD TO VISIT FACE-TO-FACE WITH THE PERSON WITH WHOM I HAVE A CONCERN. WHAT CAN I DO?
Find a trusted individual (such as a friend, family member, or a school employee with whom you are comfortable) to accompany you or to sit with you when making a call. In any case, remember it cannot be a School Board Member.

PROGRESSION FOR ADDRESSING CONCERNS

MAIN PHONE NUMBER FOR LIVINGSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS: 973-535-8000
KEY EXTENSIONS: