Naomi Haywood was troubled when she noticed her son, Jhonathan, wasn’t bringing home any homework. Jhonathan, a ninth grader at Fremont High in Los Angeles, told her the textbooks in his classes were so old that some pages were missing, and there weren’t enough books for students to bring home.

When visits and letters to the school got no results, Haywood decided to file a complaint using a new process created by the settlement of a lawsuit known as the Williams case (see What is the Williams case?).

“That’s part of what the Williams complaint is for, to hold these schools accountable for not allowing these children the adequate materials that they need to be successful young men and women,” says Haywood.

Under the settlement agreed to last year by Gov. Schwarz-enegger:

• Parents can file complaints about instructional materials, facilities, or teacher qualifications.
• Schools have to correct the problem and report to parents in 45 days.
• Schools must post notices about these rights and about where to find complaint forms.

Power and accountability

For Haywood, the complaint process had a mostly happy ending: her son got new books for class and to bring home. “We as parents didn’t know we had power, and we had power. We didn’t know there was accountability for the school,” says Haywood. She was among about two dozen Los Angeles parents who filed complaints in April with the help of Community Asset Development Redefining Education (CADRE), a parent organizing group in South Los Angeles (see Grassroots Snapshot: South L.A. survey shows parent dissatisfaction).

Haywood reports that one of Jhonathan’s teachers reacted to her complaint by making disparaging remarks about her son. But fear of retaliation shouldn’t stop parents from filing a Williams complaint, says Haywood.

“If you’re going to be afraid of anything, be afraid of your child’s future . . . if he’s not able to read, write or fill out an application,” she says.

More results

Adrian Angulo also filed a Williams complaint about inadequate textbooks for his ninth-grade son. “Our community’s been neglected for a long, long time with regards to education,” he says. In filing the complaint, “the feeling that I felt is empowerment.”

Angulo was at first dissatisfied with the school’s response, but a few months later a shipment of new textbooks arrived.

Maria Galvan heard about the Williams settlement from the L.A. parent advocacy group Parents-U-TURN. After staff saw her taking notes on the conditions of bathrooms at her daughter’s elementary school, locks on the stalls were fixed, she says. Two days after she complained about a broken water fountain, it was fixed.

“Basically what makes them move is the law, the Williams (settlement),” Galvan says.

“Tons of potential”

“This case really does have an accountability component of making sure our communities aren’t overlooked, areas like South Central Los Angeles,” says Frank Wells, principal of Locke High in L.A. “You have to have the basics in order for kids to be in a position to excel.”

Maisie Chin, CADRE’s director, says the Williams complaint process has “tons of potential.” So far, “it created some communication chains,” she says, but “I think there’s still more work to do (to make it) a good communication tool between parents and the schools.

“That’s why we are using it—not just to deal with resource issues, but also to elevate the impact of parents’ voices.”

What is the Williams case?

Williams vs. California was a class-action lawsuit claiming that the state failed to provide many students, especially low-income students of color, with equal access to instructional materials, safe and decent school facilities, and qualified teachers.

Under last year’s settlement, schools must ensure that ALL students have these things. The settlement provides about $138 million for instructional materials and $800 million to repair buildings at low-performing schools.

What rights do parents have under Williams?

The Williams settlement created a new complaint process for parents and community members to raise concerns about textbooks, facilities, and teachers. Schools must post notices explaining this, noting that complaint forms are available at the school or district office or on the California Department of Education’s web site, www.cde.ca.gov/

Who can use the Williams complaint procedure?

Anyone, including community members, may file Williams complaints about any school in the state.

What steps should you take?

First, approach your child’s teacher or principal about the problem. If you are not satisfied with the response, try the Williams complaint process.

What is the school required to do?

The school must investigate and respond to your complaint within 45 working days.

Sources: Liz Guillen, Public Advocates Inc. and California Department of Education

Williams complaint tips

From advocates and parents who have filed Williams complaints

• Talk to your child. “I tell parents to ask your students, ‘What’s going on at the school? Does everyone have a textbook, or is there a need to share?’” says Kim Shipp, chairperson of the district advisory council for Oakland Unified School District and mother of two.

• Shipp also advises parents to ask about facilities—whether bathrooms have running water and if doors lock, whether classrooms are too hot or cold, etc. And ask children how class is going and who their regular teacher is.

• Ask for a tour of the campus. Check out bathrooms, play areas, classrooms, cafeteria—anywhere your child spends time.

• Write down room numbers, subjects, teacher names, dates, and times. “People have to put themselves in a position to have a positive . . . response,” says CADRE director Maisie Chin. “That means researching your complaint.”

• Approach a teacher or principal with your concerns before filing a complaint.

• Don’t be intimidated by the form. “It’s simple. There’s nothing complicated,” says Los Angeles parent Adrian Angulo.

• Check the box on the form requesting a response.

• You may attach additional sheets if you have more to say.

• If you are dissatisfied with your school’s response you can take your complaint to the school board. “Communities, parents, and students must monitor and take action to make sure the Williams case leads to real change,” says Liz Guillen of Public Advocates.

• Finally, “follow through and keep at it,” urges Los Angeles parent Maria Galvan.

For more information:

• California Department of Education, 916-319-0821, www.cde.ca.gov/eo/ce/wc/index.asp
• Public Advocates, 916-446-1940, www.publicadvocates.org