Parent/Legal Guardian and Student Rights and Responsibilities
Find Parent/Legal Guardian and Student Rights and Responsibilities in the APS Handbook, including information about the complaint process, foster care, non-discrimination, and more.
Complaints/Concerns of Parents or Students
When a parent/guardian encounters a non-threatening conflict or concern, they should work to resolve that issue at the most direct, local level, which means, a parent/guardian should communicate first with the classroom teacher. If communication with the teacher does not resolve the concern, the parent/guardian should call the school principal. If the school principal does not resolve the concern, the parent/guardian should call the Student, Family, and Employee Service Center.
Emergency, discrimination, harassment, and other complaints as outlined in the links below may be immediately addressed or elevated directly through specific mechanisms or to specific people and departments. Please also reference the “numbers to know” at the front of the handbook.
- Gender Discrimination and Sexual Harassment (Title IX)
- Whistleblower Complaints (Board Policy GB7)
- Whistleblower Complaints – Anonymous Reporting
- Community Complaints and Inquiries
Foster Care
- Child Custody Issues
- Foster Care (read Foster Care section in Students Attending a School Outside their Attendance Boundaries)
- NMPED Foster Care Guidelines
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), includes key provisions for supporting the educational stability of students who are in foster care. These provisions are intended to assist students in succeeding in school and extra-curricular activities by reducing the number of educational disruptions while increasing school stability.
Non-Discrimination and Title IX
- Nondiscrimination (Board Policy AC)
- Discrimination and Harassment: Students
- Disability Discrimination: Students
- Gender Discrimination and Sexual Harassment (Title IX): Students
- Non-discrimination for Students: Gender Identity and Expression
- Section 504/ADA: Physical Access for Students, Parents, and Employees with Disabilities
Office of Equity and Engagement
- Bullying Prevention (Board Policy JI6)
- Cyberbullying Prevention (Board Policy JI9)
- Bullying and Cyberbullying Prevention
- Hazing (Board Policy JI2)
- Hazing
Parental Consent
- Child Custody Issues
- Release of Students (Board Policy JH1)
- Release of Students during the Instructional Day
Parents of Students with Disabilities
Police Investigations
- Student Protection (Board Policy JL2)
- Safe Schools and Relations with Law Enforcement
- School Police
- Student Searches
- Ethical Misconduct Involving Children or Students: Reporting and Investigation Requirements
Research and Survey Proposals
Restraint
Safe Gun Storage
- Student Possession of a Firearm (Board Policy JL3)
- Firearms Prohibited (Board Policy AD1)
- Albuquerque Public Schools Police and Firearms (Board Policy GF)
Student Education Records
- Release of Student Information (Board Policy JR)
- Student Records (Board Policy JR1)
- Inquiries Regarding Student Information or Student Records
- Records Retention and Disposition Schedule
- School Photographs and Yearbooks
- Yearbooks and Student Annuals: Confidentiality Issues
Student Insurance
Teacher and Student Teacher
- Student Teacher and Preservice Teacher Placement in School
- Teacher and Staff Qualifications and Training
Tobacco
Visitor and Guests on Campus
- Visitors to Schools (Board Policy KI)
- Visitors to Schools
- Recruitment in Schools (Board Policy KI1)
- School Campus Visits by Recruiters
- Banning Individuals from School Campuses
Updated as of July 2024