If you have a concern related to discipline, security, personal safety or welfare, or vandalism:

• Tell the nearest teacher or adult staff member. Tell him/her exactly what has happened to you or what you have observed happening to someone else. Concerns related to discipline, security and personal safety are considered very serious.
• Talk to the principal or assistant principal right away.
• It is natural to feel worried and upset. Talk to someone who will listen and understand – perhaps a peer mediator, peer helper, teacher, school counselor, school psychologist, social worker or an adult mentor. It is important to talk to a trusted adult. A school counselor, school psychologist or social worker can help students learn ways to deal with problems so that they may feel safer and more comfortable when faced with similar problems in the future.
• In addition to alerting school personnel, you should tell your parents/guardians about the concern. They will want to know. It is important you to know that when a report is made to the school about an incident of this nature, every effort will be made to keep the information and identity confidential.

• Discuss the problem with parents/guardians.
• If you and your parents/guardians cannot solve the concern, there are a number of people in the school who may be able to offer additional help:
  • A teacher with whom you feel comfortable.
  • School counselors, psychologists and social workers. All these people are trained to offer help with personal problems. They can also lead you to other resources you may not know about.
• Confidentiality in counseling: When a student indicates that he or she is thinking about hurting himself or herself or other students, school personnel are required to take action to ensure the safety of the student or other students. This action will include sharing of information with the school principal and parents, and may include other outside agencies.

For help, you can:

• See the teacher who teaches the subject. Teachers regularly work with individual students who are having academic concerns. The teacher may recommend help sessions or mentoring, or may make a referral for additional assistance. The teacher may ask for a conference with the student or request a parent/teacher conference.
• See the school counselor for academic support and guidance.
• Unresolved Concerns: You should discuss the matter with your parents/guardians and with the principal or assistant principal. Parents/guardians may wish to join you in discussions with the principal.

Bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, intimidation, hazing and bias behaviors are unsafe and do not reflect respect for others as defined by the Code of Conduct. If you or someone you know is a target of one of these behaviors, you can report it using the Bullying, Harassment or Intimidation Reporting Form, available on the school website or in the main office or the counseling office of your school. You can also tell a staff member, who will respond quickly and provide a practical, private and safe place to report. If an administrator determines that one of these behaviors has occurred, the students involved will receive support from a school counselor, school psychologist, school social worker, pupil personnel worker or school health staff person to be sure everyone involved feels safe and supported.

All complainants and those who participate in the investigation of a complaint in conformity with state law and district policies, who have acted reasonably and in good faith, have the right to be free from retaliation of any kind.

If you are being bullied:

• Tell someone – a parent, a teacher, a counselor.
• Calmly tell the student to stop, or say nothing and walk away.

If you know someone who is being bullied:

• If you feel safe, be an “upstander” and:
  • Tell the bully to stop by saying, “We don’t do that at this school.” Or “That’s not right to treat someone like that.”
  • Say words of support to the student being bullied.
  • Be a friend!
  • Don’t encourage the bully by laughing or joining in.
  • Tell other bystanders how to help stop bullying.
• If it doesn’t feel safe:
  • Tell an adult.
  • Encourage the student being bullied to talk to someone.

Please visit our Dignity Act page for the current coordinators in each building.

The City School District of Albany does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, weight, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or other characteristic protected by federal or state law in its programs and activities, including but not limited to admission, access to and participation in educational programs, course offerings and student activities. The following persons at the City School District of Albany have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the City School District of Albany’s non-discrimination policies and the application of regulations prohibiting discrimination as they relate to students who have been discriminated against:

For further information on this notice of non-discrimination, or to inquire regarding the application of regulations prohibiting discrimination you may also contact the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights. 

Students and parents/guardians have the right to file a complaint if they believe that there has been a violation or misapplication of a written provision of school policy or their due process rights have been violated.

A student or parent with a concern about a discipline-related decision or action should first discuss the concern with the person who made the decision.

If the student or parent is not satisfied with the handling of the matter, the student or parent should file a verbal or written complaint with the school principal.

If the student or parent is still not satisfied, they may contact:

All complainants and those who participate in the investigation of a complaint in conformity with state law and district policies, who have acted reasonably and in good faith, have the right to be free from retaliation of any kind.