Parent Resources

East Newton School wants you to know that upon your request, we are required-in a timely manner-to provide you this information:

1. Whether the teacher has met state qualifications and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction.
2. Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or provisional status through which state qualifications or licensing criteria have been waived.
3. Whether your child is provided services by para-professionals and if so, their qualifications
4. What baccalaureate degree major the teacher has and any other graduate certification or degree held by the teacher and the field of the certification.

In addition to the information you may request, we are obliged to provide every parent information on the achievement level of your child in each of the state academic assessments in a timely notice; if your child has been assigned for four or more weeks a teacher who is not qualified.

What If You Have a Complaint?

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) COMPLAINT PROCEDURES 

This guide explains how to file a complaint about any of the programs¹ that are administered by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (the Department) under the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA)² . 

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Complaint Procedures for ESSA Programs Table of Contents:

General Information 

1.  What is a complaint under ESSA?

2.  Who may file a complaint?

3.  How can a complaint be filed?

Complaints filed with LEA

4. How will a complaint filed with the LEA be investigated?

5. What happens if a complaint is not resolved at the local level (LEA)?

Complaints Filed with the Department 

6.  How can a complaint be filed with the Department?

7.  How will a complaint filed with the Department be investigated?

8.  How are complaints related to equitable services to nonpublic school children handled differently?

Appeals

9.    How will appeals to the Department be investigated?

10.  What happens if the complaint is not resolved at the state level (the Department)?

1. What is a complaint?

For these purposes, a complaint is a written allegation that a local education agency (LEA) or the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (the Department) has violated a federal statute or regulation that applies to a program under ESSA.

2. Who may file a complaint?

Any individual or organization may file a complaint.

3. How can a complaint be filed?

Complaints can be filed with the LEA or with the Department. 

4. How will a complaint filed with the LEA be investigated?
 Complaints filed with the LEA are to be investigated and attempted to be resolved according to the locally developed and adopted procedures. 

5. What happens if a complaint is not resolved at the local level (LEA)?
A complaint not resolved at the local level may be appealed to the Department.

6.    How can a complaint be filed with the Department?
A complaint filed with the Department must be a written, signed statement that includes:

1. A statement that a requirement that applies to an ESSA program has been violated by the LEA or the Department, and
2. The facts on which the statement is based and the specific requirement allegedly violated.

7.    How will a complaint filed with the Department be investigated?

The investigation and complaint resolution proceedings will be completed within a time limit of forty-five calendar days. That time limit can be extended by the agreement of all parties.

The following activities will occur in the investigation: 

1. Record. A written record of the investigation will be kept.
2. Notification of LEA. The LEA will be notified of the complaint within five days of the complaint being filed.
3. Resolution at LEA. The LEA will then initiate its local complaint procedures in an effort to first resolve the complaint at the local level.
4. Report by LEA. Within thirty-five days of the complaint being filed, the LEA will submit a written summary of the LEA investigation and complaint resolution. This report is considered public record and may be made available to parents, teachers, and other members of the general public.
5. Verification. Within five days of receiving the written summary of a complaint resolution, the Department will verify the resolution of the complaint through an on-site visit, letter, or telephone call(s).
6. Appeal. The complainant or the LEA may appeal the decision of the Department to the U.S. Department of Education.

8. How are complaints related to equitable services to nonpublic school children handled differently?  

In addition to the procedures listed in number 7 above, complaints related to equitable services will also be filed with the U.S. Department of Education, and they will receive all information related to the investigation and resolution of the complaint. Also, appeals to the United States Department of Education must be filed no longer than thirty days following the Department’s resolution of the complaint (or its failure to resolve the complaint). 

9. How will appeals to the Department be investigated?

The Department will initiate an investigation within ten days, which will be concluded within thirty days from the day of the appeal. This investigation may be continued beyond the thirty day limit at the discretion of the Department. At the conclusion of the investigation, the Department will communicate the decision and reasons for the decision to the complainant and the LEA. Recommendations and details of the decision are to be implemented within fifteen days of the decision being delivered to the LEA.

10. What happens if a complaint is not resolved at the state level (the Department)?  

The complainant or the LEA may appeal the decision of the Department to the United States Department of Education

¹ Programs include Title I. A, B, C, D, Title II, Title III, Title IV.A, Title V, revised 4/17
² In compliance with ESSA Title VIII- Part C. Sec. 8304(a)(3)(C) 

Local education agencies are required to disseminate, free of charge, this information regarding ESSA complaint procedures to parents of students and appropriate private school ofƒicials or representatives.

All responsible public agencies are required to locate, evaluate, and identify children with disabilities who are under the jurisdiction of the agency, regardless of the severity of the disability, including children attending private schools, children who live outside the district but are attending a private school within the district, highly mobile children, such as migrant and homeless children, children who are wards of the state, and children who are suspected of having a disability and in need of special education even though they are advancing from grade to grade. The East Newton School District assures that it will provide a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) to all eligible children with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 21 under its jurisdiction. Disabilities include autism, deaf/blindness, emotional disorders, hearing impairment and deafness, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, other health impairments, specific learning disabilities, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, visual impairment/blindness and young child with a developmental delay.

The East Newton School District assures that it will provide information and referral services necessary to assist the State in the implementation of early intervention services for infants and toddlers eligible for the Missouri First Steps program.

The East Newton School District assures that personally identifiable information collected, used, or maintained by the agency for the purposes of identification, evaluation, placement or provision of FAPE of children with disabilities may be inspected and/or reviewed by their parents/guardians. Parents/guardians may request amendment to the educational record if the parent/guardian believes the record is inaccurate, misleading, or violates the privacy or other rights of their child. Parents have the right to file complaints with the U.S. Department of Education or the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education concerning alleged failures by the district to meet the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

The East Newton School District has developed a Local Compliance Plan for the implementation of State Regulations for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

This plan contains the agency’s policies and procedures regarding storage, disclosure to third parties, retention and destruction of personally identifiable information and the agency’s assurances that services are provided in compliance with the General Education Provision Act (GEPA). This plan may be reviewed Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM in Central Office which is located at 22808 E HWY 86, Granby, MO 64844.

This notice will be provided in native languages as appropriate.

Private/Public school statement:  The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires timely and meaningful consultation among the public-school district, officials of private schools, and representatives of parents of parentally-placed private school children with disabilities within their jurisdiction. If you have a child with a disability or know of a child with a disability in the East Newton district who is not attending public school, please contact

Sara Mathis
Director of Special Services
East Newton R-VI Schools
417-472-6233.

Homeless and Transitional Housing Support (McKinney-Vento Act)

If your family is currently in a temporary or transitional living situation, such as:

• Staying in a shelter
• Living in a motel, hotel, or campground due to lack of other housing options
• Living in a car, park, abandoned building, or similar setting
• Temporarily staying with others due to loss of housing or financial hardship

Your child may qualify for additional support and services under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

Students in transitional housing have the right to:

• Enroll in school immediately, even without documents typically required for enrollment
• Stay in their current school (school of origin) or enroll in the local school, depending on what’s best for the student
• Receive transportation to and from their school of origin, if requested
• Access the same educational services and opportunities as other students
• Receive support while the school helps gather any missing documents

If you believe your child may qualify, contact our local coordinator:

Homeless Local Coordinator:
Jari Jacobs
Granby Campus
440 E. High Street.
Granby, MO 64844
Phone 417-472-6279 or 417-472-6270
 

Foster Care Local Liaison:

Sara Mathis
Central Office
22808 East Hwy. 86
Granby MO 64844
Phone 417-472-7583 or 417-472-6233

For additional support, you can also contact the National Center for Homeless Education:

• 1-800-308-2145
• homeless@serve.org
• Click here to visit www.serve.org/nche

Pursuant to Missouri Senate Bill 638, Section 161.1050, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has established the “Trauma-Informed Schools Initiative.”

For the purposes of this initiative, the following terms are defined as follows:

1. “Trauma-informed approach” - an approach that involves understanding and responding to the symptoms of chronic interpersonal trauma and traumatic stress across the lifespan
2. “Trauma-informed school” - a school that:
   a. realizes the widespread impact of trauma and understands potential paths for recovery
   b. recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma in students, teachers and staff
   c. responds by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into its policies, procedures and practices; and
   d. seeks to actively resist re-traumatization

The implementation of a trauma-informed approach is an ongoing organizational change process. A “trauma-informed approach” is not a program model that can be implemented and then simply monitored by a fidelity checklist. Rather, it is a profound paradigm shift in knowledge, perspective, attitudes and skills that continues to deepen and unfold over time. Some leaders in the field are beginning to talk about a “continuum” of implementation, where organizations move through stages. The continuum begins with becoming trauma aware and moves to trauma sensitive to responsive to being fully trauma informed.

Learn more about Trauma-Informed Schools.