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Questions
to Consider
Below
are some questions and suggestions for situations that you and your community
may be facing.
- How
are Federal Moneys spent?
Parents
have a right to ask the school to provide information about the way
Impact Aid and JOM money is being spent. Schools cannot refuse you
this information. If they do not comply, this is the basis for a complaint.
Request the information in writing, ask that you receive this information
within two weeks, in writing. Remember, the school needs the money
that Indian children bring into the school. Impact Aid money for each
child is generally much more than the money the school receives through
taxes. This gives the Native community power. If the parents were
to boycott for a specific amount of time, the school would lose a
substantial amount of money.
-
Is there an Indian Education Committee? What is their responsibility
and how are they funded? Who selects the members? Does the committee
work as a liaison between the Native parents and the school? Does the
school board listen to the Indian Education Committee? Is there an Impact
Aid committee?
If
the school is not listening to the Indian Education Committee, complain
to the OCR. The tribe or the community should be involved in choosing
the Indian Education Committee, not the school. The parents should
be able to make suggestions through the Committee, and the School
Board should meet and listen to the Committee. If they do not, contact
OCR. Also, the Community Resolution Service can help to negotiate
all of this for you.
-
How does the Indian Education Committee view the school board? Do they
receive money for program development? How many activities are geared
to Native students, both within the classroom as well as in extracurricular
events? Does the administration encourage Native events and celebrations
within the school, and do they promote them to ALL students as well
as they do other events, like Homecoming? Does the school host a POW
wow, a cultural display of any kind that would boost the enthusiasm
of the kids and make them feel like this is a school that belongs to
them?
If
you cannot answer all of these questions above in a positive way,
then all of these issues that can be filed as complaints. These are
all rights that the nonnative community is entitled to, and you are
equally entitled to them as well. Be sure when filing your complaint
that you note how the events you want are treated differently than
other events in the school.
-
Does the school embrace multicultural awareness in any way at all? What
are they doing to make sure that No Child is Left Behind?
It
is imperative that teachers participate in cultural awareness classes
so they can better understand their students. Ask the State Board
of Education what services they provide for Indian people, what training
do they offer and require of teachers and administration. Must teachers
participate in any Native studies to receive their certification?
-
Is there an affirmative action policy for hiring Indian teachers? Do
they make any effort to have Native people in positions of authority?
This
is critical to the way Native children see themselves. If they only
see themselves represented in subordinate positions, they will never
have the sense that the school supports their success. The Indian
Education Committee should be able to influence the school board.
If they meet with resistance or are ignored, file a complaint. If
you work within the school and are treated differently or are paid
less than others for the same work, file with the EEOC. (See List
of Agencies)
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How many Native children are prescribed Ritalin or similar drugs? Does
this recommendation come through the schools? Do they refer parents
to doctors who prescribe the drugs without monitoring the children first?
Parents
should find their own doctors who will assess their children and make
the decision in an unbiased way. Many nonnative teachers will suggest
Ritalin because they don't understand Native learning styles and will
misinterpret boredom for an inability to focus. Many Native children
are taught to think critically, to examine issues before they speak.
Most nonnative children are taught to learn by rote, by lecture, not
by thinking situations through and they are taught to respond quickly.
These different learning styles and others create common misunderstandings
and often result in recommending Ritalin for children who do not need
it. The school needs to learn to understand the children they are
supposed to teach.
-
Has there been retaliation?
Many
people fear filing complaints because they are afraid of retaliation
by the administration. This is illegal. If you or your children suffer
any retaliation, file a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights.
You can file these reports yourself, or have someone else file it
as long as you stand behind your complaint for as long as it takes.
One of the most common problems is that people become afraid or tired
and they choose not to see their complaint through. This lessens the
impact of the efforts of the entire community. Do not give up.
You
can file more than once. File EVERYTIME there is an incident!
Document
Everything!
Remember to make notes each and every time you have a communication with
a teacher, principal, superintendent and the school board. Keep track
of dates, who said what, when you submitted a letter asking for information,
the way your letter was received, the way you were treated when making
a complaint, etc. All of this will make your accusations stronger.
When
filing your complaints, there are a few very important things to consider.
Remember that the complaints must be filed within 180 days of the offense.
If there is an ongoing history of discrimination and there are incidents
that have happened in the last few years, then it could be useful to include
that with your complaint, however if 180 days have elapsed since an offense,
if will be very hard to file your claim.
Also,
many people feel that the words they use to describe an offense may not
appear to give the full impact of how hurt they were by that offense.
Sometimes people feel they must either elaborate on their story or exaggerate
it. It is imperative that only truthful and complete descriptions of the
offense are given. Anything less than the simple yet complete truth will
hurt your complaint. It is also important to document exactly how the
offense made you feel. No matter how small the situation may appear to
you, if it has caused you to feel discriminated against, it is a worthwhile
complaint.
Good
luck in your efforts to fight racism in your community and schools. Please
contact STAR if you have any questions, need help in writing your complaints
or if you wish us to help you with distributing your press releases to
the media and internet. Feel free to send us information to post to our
website and promote to the media. This often causes the school system
embarrassment at being held up to public scrutiny.
Filing
Your Complaints
Information on filing a civil rights complaint against a school can be
found at:
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/complaintintro.html
The
Department of Justice Community Resolution Services:
To
file a complaint regarding misuse of Impact Aid funds:
First
contact your State Department of Education. If you are not satisfied
, contact
US
Department of Education,
Office of Inspector General
1-800-647-8733
If
you suffer a work related civil rights offense within a school system,
you can contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
If
you wish to have your complaints written as press releases and sent to
the local and/or national media, please contact STAR at ROSEPETL5@aol.com
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