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Ombudsman's Office

Mission

The Ombudsman partners with families, students, school staff and district staff, and community stakeholders to navigate challenges that impede teaching and learning and facilitate options for collaborative, and fair resolutions. The Ombudsman also makes recommendations based on relevant data to inform systemic changes and or improvements, as necessary.

Overarching Goal

Assist in promoting and maintaining a positive climate conducive to teaching and learning, and family and community engagement that affects successful academic and socio-emotional outcomes for all students by:

  • Demonstrating the highest standards of impartiality, objectivity, thoroughness, fairness, and accuracy in the timely review, consideration, and resolution of issues or concerns.
  • Facilitating internal and external collaboration to review options and enhance solutions to issues and concerns.
  • Engaging in accountability measures that improve the handling of complaints by eliminating or mitigating the underlying causes.
  • Exercising fairness in the treatment of all complainants regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age disability, sexual orientation, religion, or any other irrelevant consideration.

What the Ombudsman Does: Services and Supports

  • Encourages effective communication between parents and schools
  • Assists parents and students with questions, concerns, or complaints that interfere with a student's positive academic, social-emotional, and safety experiences
  • Serves impartially in addressing, and seeking resolution to concerns that impede positive teaching and learning, student well-being, and positive parent and family engagement
  • As applicable, makes recommendations based on the student's best interest and safety
  • Provides information on resources and referrals to applicable district offices/departments, and relay information about district programs, policies, regulations, and procedures
  • Explores options and empower parents and guardians to advocate for their students' education, for themselves, and for a positive climate conducive to teaching and learning
  • Facilitates conversations and or meetings to resolve issues, as appropriate
  • Collaborates with other district offices as necessary to resolve the issue or concern at hand
  • Collects data on emerging trends and patterns while safeguarding anonymity
  • Utilizes data to provide systemic feedback to district leadership, including recommendations for systemic and organizational improvement or change, as necessary

What the Ombudsman Does Not Do

  • Take personnel action against school or district staff
  • Provide legal advice or act as a legal advocate
  • Intervene when the parties are involved in legal or administrative proceedings
  • Mandate policies, make binding decisions, or serve as an appeal process
  • Disclose confidential communication or act without the complainant's express consent unless required by statute (state/federal law) or board policy
  • Make management or personnel decisions for the district or school administration
  • Create, change, or disregard established policies and procedures
  • Replace existing formal channels of communication or reporting
  • Determine guilt/innocence, right/wrong, etc.

Procedural Standards

  • Address complaints or concerns related to applicable issues affecting student learning and safety including, but not limited to:
  • Student Academics
  • Student Behavior
  • Student Transportation
  • Student Safety/School Climate
  • Special Education
  • Suspensions/Expulsions
  • Student Extracurricular Activities
  • Attendance/Truancy
  • Respond by acknowledging the receipt of the concern or complaint within 48 hours (normal business hours
  • Review/listen to concerns or complaints to seek a clear understanding of the issue presented
  • Maintain confidentiality of the concern or complaint unless there are serious reservations or concerns regarding student safety
  • Depending on the situation, the approach may involve:
  • Coaching parents and school/district staff on evidence-based, realistic practices for communication and problem-solving;
  • Seeking additional information and records from schools;
  • Participating in meetings to support effective communication and problem-solving;
  • Facilitating or mediating conversations; and or
  • Making recommendations for school staff and district and staff to take an identified action that affects system-wide practices, improvements, or changes as necessary.

When to Contact the Ombudsman

  • When you are facing a problem, you have not been able to resolve by speaking to the school principal or applicable district office/department (e.g. Executive Director of Schools, Student Services, Special Services, Student Transportation, Nutrition Services, etc.)
  • When communication between the parent and school has broken down
  • When you do not know where to go for assistance
  • When you are having trouble finding information that you need
  • When there is a perceived lack of trust, a breakdown in communication, and/or a power
    imbalance
  • When you are concerned about confidentiality and/or retaliation
  • When you feel your voice is not being heard

Ombudsman Review/Response Process

1. The complainant describes the issue via the online Ombudsman Intake Form, email, or phone.

• Concerns will be reviewed in the order they are received (exception: apparent or real emergency or safety concern).

  1. A copy of the complaint will be shared with all parties involved. Those individuals or district departments/offices will be allowed to respond to the complaint in writing.
  2. Once the complaint is reviewed, the Ombudsman will determine if the allegation(s) can be investigated and begin the investigation as appropriate.
  3. The process will involve active listening, issue identification, and options exploration that lead to resolution or intervention.

• The Ombudsman may contact the complainant to present a proposal to resolve the issue or concern. If the complainant accepts the proposal to resolve the complaint and withdraws the complaint, the Ombudsman will discontinue the investigation. If an agreement among the involved parties is not reached, the investigation will continue.

5. Intervention: Review, research, and analyze necessary documentation. Reach out to school staff or applicable district department/office. Facilitate a meeting and mediate as appropriate.

  1. As necessary, referrals will be made to schools, applicable district department/office, agency, or third party for resolution.
  2. Follow-up as necessary.

How to Contact the Ombudsman

Basil Harris
1616 Richland Street
Columbia, SC 29201
ombudsman@richlandone.org or 803-231-7612

 

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