Any student, parent or guardian, staff member, or resident may raise an objection to or ask for reconsideration of instructional materials or the manner in which they are being used by using the following procedures. It is the responsibility of the superintendent, in conjunction with the administrative team, to develop administrative regulations for reconsideration of instructional materials consistent with this policy.
Procedures.
1. The person shall first meet with the licensed staff member who is using the instructional material in an attempt to resolve the matter informally. The licensed staff member may attempt to resolve the matter by offering alternative instructional materials to a student if the student or student’s parent or guardian files the request.
2. In the event the matter is not satisfactorily resolved, the person requesting reconsideration must submit to the Director of Curriculum a formal written request for reconsideration on a form provided by the District. The forms must be completed in their entirety.
3. The Director of Curriculum shall appoint a temporary review committee to review the request for reconsideration. The review committee shall be comprised of an administrator (not from the building) as chairperson, a media professional, two teachers, including one member, if possible, from the department where the materials are being used (but shall not include the teacher who held the informal meeting), two residents of the District, and one secondary student.
4. Within thirty (30) days of the filing of the written request for reconsideration, the review committee shall meet in open session with the objector and the licensed staff member who held the informal meeting and any other person the review committee shall request to attend. Prior to said meeting, the review committee shall review the instructional material.
5. Following the meeting with the objector and the licensed staff member, the review committee shall deliberate and shall prepare a recommendation to the Director of Curriculum. The recommendation shall be in writing and shall be delivered (by personal delivery or by mail) to the Director of Curriculum, the building principal, the objector, and to the licensed staff member within ten (10) days of the deliberation.
6. The review committee may recommend that:
a. the instructional material be retained and used as planned; or
b. all or part of the instructional material be withdrawn; or
c. all or part of the instructional material be limited in its use; or
d. a different method of presentation of the instructional material be utilized.
7. The Director of Curriculum, within five (5) days of receipt of the recommendation, shall issue a written decision on the request for reconsideration and shall deliver a copy of the decision to the objector, to the licensed staff member who held the informal meeting, to the chair of the review committee, and to the Superintendent for transmittal to the Board of Directors. The Director of Curriculum may adopt, reverse or modify the decision of the review committee. The objector or licensed staff member may appeal the decision pursuant to the district’s complaint procedure, starting with the Superintendent’s level.
Instructional materials shall not be removed or withdrawn from use during the pendency of the review process except upon three-fourths vote of the entire membership of the review committee and approval of the Director of Curriculum, who shall state compelling reasons in writing for such action. The review committee may recommend that a particular student or group of students be provided alternative instructional materials during the pendency of the review upon a majority vote of the entire membership of the review committee.
- First Adoption:
- 2022-11-07
- Legal Reference:
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Iowa Code §§ 279.8; 74; 280.3, .14; 301.
281 I.A.C. 12.3(12)