Christ provided a process in Matthew 18 that settled disputes with the goal of restored relationship. The Matthew 18 principle is simple: if one has a problem with another—whether he or she is a parent, administrator, teacher or student—then he or she should go directly to him or her and talk about it. As Christians we must refuse to resort to the destructive behavior of gossip. If parents have a problem with a student, they should contact the student’s parents and not confront the student himself or herself. Sometimes, however, the problem cannot be solved at this level.
If a parent has a concern about a class, team, or organization the first person to contact is the respective teacher, coach or sponsor. The parent should begin this conversation with questions rather than accusations and a genuine openness to the possibility that there may be pertinent information that the parent does not know. If the situation cannot be resolved, then the parent needs to make an appointment for a meeting with the appropriate headmaster, Athletic Director or Fine Arts Director. At this meeting, both the parents and the teacher or coach should be there to discuss the problem. If no resolution occurs at this level, the disputing parties, along with the headmaster or director, meet with the HOS.
To appeal a decision, the person affected or his/her parent/legal guardian must submit a written, signed, and dated statement to the HOS and Evaluation Committee chairperson. No oral or unsigned appeals will be considered. The written statement should describe what the problem is and include specific facts, dates and names, where relevant. The statement must document that the Matthew 18 process has been followed and describe why the position of the school is perceived to be wrong.