Student Rights and Responsibilities Student involvement in the educational process is a basic right and responsibility. Active involvement of students in their education, including planning and evaluation, fosters a spirit of inquiry in which students may freely express their own views and listen to and evaluate the opinions of others. Basic to this philosophy is the concept of mutual respect among faculty and students. The school staff, parents or sponsors, installation commanders, and students have the responsibility for working together so that all students have the opportunity to develop to their full potential under a democratic system. |
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Guidelines
have been developed by DoDDS in order to provide an understanding of
the rights and responsibilities of all students attending Department
of Defense
Dependents’ Schools. These guidelines are general statements of principle
and are subject to limitations imposed by the laws or customs of the host nation
or by general authority of the installation commander. The host nation's legal
agencies and the installation commander share legal jurisdiction in overseas
military communities.
Formal Discipline Hearnings Top
DoDEA Regulation 2051.1 defines a formal hearing as, “The process by which
the school Disciplinary Committee reviews the evidence and affords the school
and the student accused of misconduct (and his/her parent or guardian) a chance
to contest allegations. Formal hearings afford certain rights to the student
accused of misconduct when the proposed disposition involves expulsion or suspension
for more than ten (10) days. These include an impartial fact-finder or hearing
officer, a statement of charges in writing prior to the hearing, the opportunity
to present a defense including the presentation of evidence and witness in the
student’s behalf, an opportunity to request that certain questions be asked
of witnesses against him or her, a written findings of fact and disposition,
and a right to appeal to a higher authority.”
Major Offenses Top
All violators of major offenses will be subject to school disciplinary
action
as well as being reported to the Base Inspector’s Office, Military Police
(when warranted), and sponsors’ commanders.
Major offenses include but are not limited to the following:
• Fighting
• Bomb threats
• Insubordination
• Possession, selling, consumption of alcohol or drugs
•Sexual harassment
• Truancy
• Vandalism
• Weapon
Minor Offenses
Each teacher will establish
classroom rules and procedures. When a student continues to break a classroom
rule, and the teacher has followed all of the steps in their rules and
procedures, the student will be referred to the administration for appropriate
action. (The next step following referral to school administration is
the Base Inspector’s Office.)
Teacher-Assigned Detention Top
Teachers may assign lunch or afternoon detentions. Students who disrupt
or misbehave in class or fail to do the assigned classroom work may
be required, on an individual basis, to serve detention with his/her
teacher. The Sponsor/parent will be given twenty-four (24) hours notice
for an after-school detention. If a student misses a teacher’s
detention, the teacher will contact the parent and may refer the student
to administration for further disciplinary action.
Administrative-Assigned Detention
Lunch detentions. Such detentions will be served during the student’s
lunchtime in the cafeteria, or the student may be required to perform
campus clean-up duty.
Saturday Detention
Students who are given Saturday Detention are expected to work
in isolation on school assignments they have received, in advance, from their
teachers. Students
are to report to the front of building 1408 by 8:00 a.m. to be escorted to the
detention room. Students will be dismissed at 12:00 p.m. In addition to their
Saturday Detention assignment sheet, they must bring necessary textbooks, paper,
pens, and pencils. Failure to follow the expectations of Saturday Detention will
result in an out-of-school suspension. Students on Saturday Detention may not
participate in any school activity until the detention has been successfully
completed. This includes any weekend activity such as sports events, dances,
plays, or school function. Failure to show for Administrative-Assigned Detentions
will result in suspension.
Students will not be given Saturday Detention more than two times in a school
year for the same offense. After two Saturday Detentions for the same offense,
students will be suspended.
Plagiarizing
Students involved in cheating or plagiarizing will receive a “0” grade
for the examination, project, or homework assignment, and the parents will be
so notified by the classroom teacher. Depending upon the seriousness of the offense,
further disciplinary action may be taken. All such offenses will be handled on
a case-by-case basis.
Suspension Top
The student and sponsor will be notified by the school administration
of
the
reason for which a student may be suspended. Command officials will be involved
when necessary.
Following suspension, the sponsor will be required to bring the student to school
for a scheduled re-admittance conference with school administration. Suspension
will be from one to ten days in duration, and the student will be allowed to
make up schoolwork given during the period of the suspension. Students on an
out-of-school suspension may not participate in any school activity nor be on
the school grounds until the out-of-school suspension has been successfully completed.
This includes any weekend activity such as sports’ events, dances, plays,
or other school functions.
Suspension Direct Escort
Direct Escort is an option in lieu of an out-of-school suspension. Direct Escort
allows a sponsor or parent to directly escort his or her child to all classes
throughout the regular school day. The accompanying sponsor or parent attends
all classes with the student, eats lunch in the school cafeteria with the student,
and is with the student for the entire daily routine, from the opening until
the close of the school day. Family friends and older siblings may not act as
a student’s Direct Escort.
Additionally, Direct Escort affords sponsors
or parents an opportunity to personally see and experience their child’s
school environment. It is especially helpful for students that are
truants, disrupters, and
non-performers and is another method of intervention that keeps the child
in school. During a period of Direct Escort, students may earn credit
for their work. Although Direct Escort is an alternative to suspension,
it is considered a suspension.
Weapons Top
Weapons, or items that could be used as weapons, will not be tolerated at Kubasaki
High School. Students in possession of such items will be subject to automatic
suspension, pending an expulsion hearing. They include, but are not limited to
the following:
• Guns (to include B B Guns)
• Look-alike (replica) guns
• Knives, Razors
• Box or carpet cutters
• Slingshots
• Nun chucks
• Any flailing instrument (e.g. a fighting chain; a heavy studded or chain
belt)
• Objects designed to project a missile
• Explosives
• Mace
• Pepper spray (or any other similar propellant)
• Any object concealed, displayed, brandished in a manner that reasonably
provokes fear