Dear Various Departments,
A SFUSD procedure is not necessarily synonymous with state and/or federal law. While we might generally prefer that our in-house procedures be followed, it is in fact permissible to modify - even skip! - these procedures. Indeed, if our procedures and the law conflict, it is the law that we must uphold.
I think I speak for teachers everywhere when I say that the likelihood of procedures and processes being used to avoid costly services or programming - even when those are legally required - is infuriating. I hate hearing various talking heads and central office types claim procedures are law (especially when they contradict the law in question). And I loathe the idea that informing parents of their rights is somehow anti-education. Would these talking heads want to be informed if they were the parents in question? Or is it that only some parents in some situations deserve awareness of their options?
I really should start a SFUSD Legal Mythology blog (or at least a tag), because some of these things get recited at you over and over and over and over. I taught in a different district and am a big nerd, so I often can escape this nonsense with glorious facts as my lockpicks, but it's really a shame that new teachers are getting misinformed.
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