School Policies Vary on Classroom Visitation

By VANESSA DeRUYTER

March 2, 1998 12 AM PT

SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

As a responsible parent, Fay Chavez felt obligated to visit her son Luis’ classroom and observe the environment he was learning in. He wasn’t the best student, but through the in-class visits, she hoped to help her son do better in school.

But Chavez ran into problems after her son was transferred to a different school.

When she visited the classroom at the new campus, she alleges, the principal told her to leave and said she could visit only twice a year, provided she gave at least three days’ notice.

Chavez believed that her rights had been violated, and after failing in an attempt to solve her differences with the principal, she contacted district officials. They secured her classroom visitation rights.

“I feel I am paving a way for other parents, who may not know any better,” she said.

Although the State Education Code has no provision specifically granting parents the right to enter their children’s classrooms and observe, most school districts countywide have policies allowing them to do so. But these policies set various conditions.

“A school district must take into consideration the rights of all the students in the school, not just the one whose parent is visiting,” said Ronald Wenkart, general counsel for the Orange County Department of Education.

Parents should become familiar with their school’s policy and any arrangements that should be made:

* Always notify the school office in advance of your visit. Principals and teachers need to make sure your visit won’t interfere with plans, such as a test.

* Tell the school who may visit your child. Parental visits are common in elementary schools, but middle and high schools could find themselves involved in custody battles. Make sure the school notifies you of any requests to visit your child’s classroom.

* Do not make visits a habit unless there are special circumstances that merit them. Habitual visitors could become a distraction to students. Some districts, such as Fountain Valley’s, limit the number of visits to two per month.

* Become a volunteer. Most schools welcome involvement in the classroom, which also allows parents to become a participant in their child’s education.

* If for any reason the teaching methods used become questionable, inform the school principal.

Some schools, such as Rosary High School in Fullerton, discourage any visits. Mater Dei in Santa Ana forbids it.

“In an academic classroom, there is an environment we don’t want to compromise, so if somebody wants to be in the classroom, they must have a good reason why,” said Jan Lovette, assistant principal at Rosary.

Rosary and Mater Dei do encourage parents to volunteer on campus.

There are times when a school deems a parent’s visit distracting to the education of other students. Parents should comply with any requests the school makes.

According to the Penal Code, a school has the right to bar a parent from campus if the parent becomes disruptive or threatens an administrator. A disruptive parent could face misdemeanor charges and be subject to a fine of $500 per offense and up to 90 days in jail for repeat offenses, Wenkart said.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

A Sample of Policies

Anaheim Union High School District

* Parent or guardian must sign a card indicating who is allowed to take the child out of school.

* Office must be informed of expected visit date and parent must sign in before going to classroom.

* Unannounced visits are OK if teacher and principal allow it.

* No time limits on visits.

* Volunteers must be approved by district board of trustees.

Brea Olinda Unified School District

* Parent must inform school in advance.

* Teachers must agree to the visit.

* Unannounced visits discouraged.