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How to Solve a Concern at School

The Vancouver School Board is committed to a district code of conduct that upholds safe, inclusive, equitable, welcoming, nurturing and healthy school environments. 

To this end, the district code of conduct promotes clear behavioural expectations of respectful and responsible citizenship that lead to a culture of safety, caring and respect amongst everyone in our schools and programs and at all school-events and activities.

What if you have a concern at school?

Most concerns at schools are solved through meeting with the district employee in question. Sometimes, parents are assisted by district staff including the Directors of Instruction. The process parents and students are asked to follow is outlined in the Conflict Resolution Process for School-Based Concerns. This process must be followed prior to pursuing a formal appeal.  

Appeals

The Vancouver School Board recognizes and respects the fact that parents and students may strongly disagree with decisions made by school employees that significantly affect the health, education or safety of a student at school. In this rare case a formal Appeal may be launched in accordance with the Appeal Policy and Procedures Bylaw but only after an attempt has been made to resolve the issues at school. Parents are encouraged to review VSB Parent and Student Appeal Guide prior to launching a formal appeal. Any questions about the appeals process can be answered by the Secretary Treasurer's Office via e-mail at appeals@vsb.bc.ca. 

The determination of whether a decision significantly affects a student’s education, health, or safety will be made on a case by case basis. The following will typically be considered significant: 

  1. expulsion from an educational program;
  2. suspension from an educational program for more than five (5) school days;
  3. suspension from an educational program where no other educational program is made available;
  4. transfer of a student from one school to another for disciplinary reasons;
  5. distributed learning required as part of a disciplinary matter; 
  6. a decision not to provide a student with an Individual Education Plan (IEP);
  7. grade promotion or graduation; 
  8. consultation about placement of a student with special needs and the provision of an IEP; 
  9. bullying behaviours including intimidation, harassment or threats of violence by a student against another student;
  10. exclusion due to a medical condition that endangers others. 

Appeals must be started within fifteen (15) days of the completion of the Conflict Resolution Process for School-Based Concerns unless good reasons are shown why the time should be extended. To start an appeal, please complete the form entitled Notice of Appeal. Once the form has been completed, please submit to the Secretary Treasurer at appeals@vsb.bc.ca, or by mail to the attention of the Secretary Treasurer at 1580 West Broadway, Vancouver BC V6J 5K8. 

More information on filing a formal appeal:


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