Unsent Letters: Thesaurus Edition

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.