Each week, “Answer Key” aims to help families by responding to an important question about education and schools in Greater Houston. If you have a question for us to answer, please email us at education@houstonlanding.org or fill out the form at the end of this article.
This week’s question:
Who should I contact at my child’s school if I have an issue?
Children face many challenges during the school day, from transportation issues to lack of funds for lunch, and the challenges are countless.
Many districts refer parents to their websites or handbooks. These handbooks can be upwards of 200-pages long and determining who to reach can be complicated. Parents trying to help their children may not have the time to figure out who to call if they need help.
Who should parents reach out to if their student is being bullied? Or if a student is struggling academically? Here’s a general guide to who to contact to at your child’s district.
Who should caregivers contact if their child is struggling academically?
Typically, academic concerns should be directed toward the child’s teacher. If their teacher can’t determine a solution, parents are advised to turn to the school counselor, assistant principal or principal.
“Parents should always make the teacher their initial point of contact -especially concerning grades, behavior, instruction, etc… If that is not effective, then the parent should reach out to the principal,” said Sherry Williams, director of strategic communications at Fort Bend ISD.
What if a child is being bullied?
Parents should start with the child’s teacher first or school administrators. Some districts, such as Fort Bend, Alief and Spring ISDs, have online reporting forms.
“Report the incident to your child’s teacher or school counselor immediately,” said Shane Strubhart, chief of communications at Spring ISD, in an email statement. “If the situation persists, escalate the concern to the principal.” Houston ISD recommends parents talk to a school administrator about the issue. Once the principal is informed, they will begin an investigation and create a formal written form.
What if a student says they don’t have money in their accounts for lunch?
Parents should reach out to the respective school cafeteria manager or the front office. For meal accounts or eligibility, parents should contact their student’s child nutrition departments, who oversee school meals.
What if a child is having problems on the bus?
Transportation departments at each district oversee bus routes for thousands of students across the Houston region. Reach out to these departments to learn about bus eligibility or if there are issues with a student’s bus driver.
A student got wrongfully disciplined. Who should parents call?
Most districts recommend parents to reach out to school administrators including principal, assistant principal or a counselor.
What if a parent is having issues with a student’s teacher?
Districts recommend parents try to resolve the matter directly with the teacher. If it goes unresolved, schedule a meeting with the school principal for further assistance.
When should a parent reach out to their student’s principal rather than the teacher?
If an issue remains unresolved with a student’s teacher, most districts recommend contacting the campus principal.
Other issues where a principal would be the point of contact would be school-wide polices or procedures affecting a child or safety concerns outside of the classroom but within the school environment.
What if a parent wants to talk to the superintendent or the school board?
Most districts only advise higher intervention if concerns remain unresolved at the campus level. Issues that could be escalated to a superintendent or the school board would include district-wide policies or legal issues facing their children.
“While the superintendent and Board of Trustees are responsive to [parent] concerns, issues should never start at the superintendent or Board level,” Lamar CISD Chief Communications Officer Sonya Cole-Hamilton said.
If a parent wishes to speak to a district department, superintendent, or school board, contact information should be available on each campus website.
Parents can also speak at school board meetings if they wish to present an issue to their school board. To find information about a school district’s meeting information, check out the Landing’s database on how to address 50 Harris County governing bodies.
What if a parent doesn’t know where to start?
Parents can ask their student’s teacher about a particular issue. Otherwise, parents can reach out to the school’s front office or the district’s central office if they don’t know where to start when an issue arises.
Where can parents find more information?
Aldine ISD: Click here to find Aldine ISD’s handbook and general guidelines. Parents can reach the district main office at 281-449-1011 or visit their office at 2520 W.W. Thorne Blvd. Houston, TX 77073.
Alief ISD: To find Alief ISD’s handbook and policies, click here. Caregivers can find the main office at 4250 Cook Road Houston, Texas 77072, or reach the district at 281-498-8110.
Conroe ISD: The main office is located at 3205 W. Davis Street, Conroe, TX 77304 or call them at 936-709-7752. Parents can also submit questions or comments to the district’s general inquiries form online. Click here to learn more about the district policies and to view the handbook.
Cy-Fair ISD: Cy-Fair ISD offers an online form for feedback and where parents can submit questions. Their district office can be found at 11440 Matzke Rd. Cypress, TX 77429, or reach the district by phone at 281-897-4000.
Houston ISD: Its main office is located at 4400 West 18th Street, Houston, Texas 77092-8501, or reach them by phone at 713-556-6000 for general inquiries. Find the handbook online here.
Humble ISD: The administration building is located at 10203 Birchridge Drive Humble, TX 77338. Parents can reach the main office at 281-641-1000. Click here for this year’s student and parent handbook.
Katy ISD: The district’s office is located at 6301 South Stadium Lane, Katy, TX 77494. Caregivers can reach them by phone at (281) 396-6000. Check out the handbook here.
Fort-Bend ISD: Parents can find the student and parent handbook online here. Parents can reach the main office by phone at 281-634-1000 and it is located at 16431 Lexington Blvd., Sugar Land, TX 77479.
Klein ISD: Caregivers wishing to speak to the district can call 832-249-4000 for general inquiries or find the main office at 7200 Spring Cypress Road, Klein, TX, 77379. Click here for the student and parent handbook.
Lamar CISD: The district’s office is located at 3911 Avenue I, Rosenberg, TX 77471, or they can be reached by phone at 832-223-0000. Click here to view the student and parent handbook.
Spring ISD: The main office is located at 16717 Ella Blvd, Houston, Texas 77090, or caregivers can call 281-891-6000 to reach the district. Click here to find the student and parent handbook.
Pasadena ISD: The administration building is located at 3920 Mickey Gilley Blvd. Pasadena, TX 77505, or parents can call 713-740-0000 to reach the district office. The handbook can be found online here.
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