The Green Island Union Free School District is required to adopt policies related to school operations and state and federal law, and make them accessible to the public.
Annual Professional Performance Review – Obtaining Teacher/Principal APPR Scores
New York State Education Law requires each classroom teacher and school principal to receive an annual professional performance review (APPR) that results in a composite effectiveness score and rating. All parents/guardians have the right to obtain the APPR quality ratings and composite effectiveness scores for their child’s current teacher(s) and principal(s) once they are available. To initiate this request, please contact Superintendent Kimberly Ross at kross@greenisland.org. Learn more about APPR.
Asbestos Management Plan
As required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Green Island Union Free School District maintains asbestos management plans for district buildings. The plans are on file in the district office and are available for review during normal business hours. As required, periodic surveys are conducted every six months. Information about required inspections and any scheduled asbestos project occurring this school year is contained within the Asbestos Management Plan. The next three-year re-inspection is required to be performed by ____. *Currently, there are no projects scheduled that will disturb asbestos-containing building material. For more information, contact Superintendent Kimberly Ross at kross@greenisland.org.
Body Mass Index
New York state requires schools to track each student’s body mass index (BMI) and weight status category as part of school health examinations. Every year, the New York State Department of Health surveys some schools for the number of students in each weight status category. If Green Island Union Free School District is surveyed by the state, the district will share summary group data only and will not share summary group calculations. In order to opt out of the sharing of this data, parents/guardians must contact school nurse Renae Sawyer at rsawyer@greenisland.org.
Child Abuse Hotline Notification
If you suspect a child is being abused or maltreated (neglected), report it by calling 1-800-342-3720, a toll-free 24-hour hotline operated by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 911 or your local police department. Information about reporting child abuse and maltreatment (neglect) is available online at http://ocfs.ny.gov/programs/cps/.
Concussion
New York state requires tackle football programs to provide information about concussions and sub-concussive blows, and the injuries that might occur as a result of such blows, to the parents/guardians of all children participating in tackle football programs. The Green Island Union Free School District is providing the following materials: Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) information sheet, concussion information sheet, concussion reference card, fact sheet for parents (high school), and the Heads Up Schools – A Fact Sheet for Parents so that you are aware of the risks of concussion and other brain injuries. The “When in Doubt…Take Them Out” concussion campaign also offers several resources on concussions such as a fact sheet for coaches & sports officials and a fact sheet for parents & caregivers.
Dignity for All Students Act (DASA)
New York State’s Dignity for All Students Act (The Dignity Act) took effect on July 1, 2012. Just as with the district’s Code of Conduct, the new law seeks to provide the state’s public school students and staff with a safe and supportive environment free from discrimination, intimidation, taunting, harassment, and bullying on school property, a school bus and/or at a school function. The Dignity Act includes, but is not limited to, acts of discrimination and harassment based on a student’s race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender (defined to include gender identity or expression), or sex.
Dominic Murray Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act
The Dominic Murray Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act took effect on July 1, 2022 and was written to promote safe interscholastic athletics participation and to prevent incidents of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) in student athletes. The law requires school districts to provide information to parents/guardians of student athletes before the student participates in any interscholastic athletics. In addition, the law requires coaches and teachers who coach athletic activities to have a valid certificate of completion of a first aid knowledge and skills course by a nationally recognized organization. View more information about SCA and the Dominic Murray Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act here.
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is a law that outlines how states can use federal money to support public schools. In January 2018, the federal government approved New York State’s plan to spend the approximately $1.6 billion the state receives annually under ESSA.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) – Access to Student Records/Privacy
The federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) provides parents/guardians and students who are 18 years of age or older (known as “eligible students”) with certain rights with respect to the student’s education records. Parents/guardians and eligible students have the right to:
- Inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days after the day a request for access is received by the school. These requests should be submitted to your child’s school principal.
- Request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent/guardian or eligible student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights;
- Provide written consent before the school discloses personally identifiable information from the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent;
- File a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the district to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA are: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) – Student Directory Information
School officials may release to the media, for public relations purposes, a variety of student information, including: a student’s name, address, telephone number, academic interest, participation in sports or other activities, awards received, future educational plans, names of parent(s) and student photo. By law, officials must also release secondary school students’ names, addresses and telephone numbers to military recruiters or institutions of higher education.
Parents must notify their child’s school principal annually in writing if they do not want such information released to the entities noted above. Unless notification is put in writing by a parent, the same information may also be used in district publications, including the district newsletter and on the district website.
Families in Transition
Supported by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, Families in Transition is a program for students and families in temporary housing situations. The program goal is to ensure that homeless children and youth have equal access to the same free, appropriate, public education provided to other children, with the opportunity to meet the same challenging New York State content and student performance standards.
Foster Care Liaison:
Kim Ross
Grade Promotion and Placement Policy
Decisions about student promotion and placement are at the discretion of the building principal. These decisions are guided by recommendations of teachers and staff members, past academic performance, and parent/guardian input. Past academic performance refers to a variety of indicators of student achievement and growth. Promotion and placement decisions are not based solely on student performance on New York state assessments in grades 3-8 English language arts or mathematics. The district’s promotion and placement policy was adopted by the board of education following a review by the district administration.
Integrated Pest Management Policy
Pesticide products may be applied periodically throughout the school year at schools in the Green Island Union Free School District. Under State Education Department law, the district must maintain a list of parents/guardians and school staff who wish to receive 48-hour advance written notice of a pesticide application in the facilities or on school grounds. For more information or to request 48-hour notification, contact Superintendent Kim Ross at (518) 273-1422. Applications to receive pesticide notifications are also available in the main offices of our schools.
Meal Charging and Prohibition Against Meal Shaming
It is the district’s goal to provide students with access to nutritious no- or low-cost meals each school day and to ensure that a student whose parent/guardian has unpaid meal charges is not shamed or treated differently than a student whose parent/guardian does not have unpaid meal charges.
Nondiscrimination Policy/Equal Opportunity Policy
The Green Island Union Free School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, military status or any other protected status in its educational programs, employment or any other activities. Further, it is unlawful for an employer to retaliate against any individual because that person filed a complaint, opposed any unlawful practice or testified or assisted in an investigation or proceeding. Any inquiries and complaints regarding non-discrimination in the district may be referred to Superintendent Kimberly Ross at kross@greenisland.org.
Public Access to District Records (FOIL)
Under the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), the public is entitled to inspect certain school district records. The Committee on Open Government is responsible for overseeing and advising with regard to the Freedom of Information, Open Meetings and Personal Privacy Protection Laws.
The district’s Records Officer is Kimberly Watkins.
Public Relations Use of Student Data/Photos
From time to time, school district officials may release student directory information (defined as name, grade, school, town of residence, photograph, participation in activities and/or sports, any honors or awards received, etc.) for use in school district publications and within district websites and district social media sites, or to the media for public relations purposes.
Parents who object to the disclosure of their child’s directory information should notify BOTH the superintendent of schools and their child’s building principal — in writing — on or before September 15 of each school year.
School Safety Plan
Emergencies and violent incidents in school districts are critical issues that require comprehensive planning and training. The New York State Safe Schools Against Violence in Education (SAVE) law requires school districts to develop a school safety plan to prevent or minimize the effects of serious violent incidents and natural/manmade disasters, including a pandemic plan and to facilitate the coordination of state, local and county resources in the event of such incidents or emergencies. The district wide plan is responsive to the needs of all schools within the district and is consistent with the more detailed building-level safety plans required at the school building-level. Project SAVE is a comprehensive planning effort that addresses prevention, response, and recovery with respect to a variety of emergencies in each school district and its school.
Click here to access the full plan.
Teacher Qualifications
Under the Every Student Succeeds Act, parents/guardians have the right to know the professional qualifications of their child’s classroom teachers, including:
- Whether a teacher has state certification for the grade levels and subjects he or she is teaching;
- The teacher’s baccalaureate degree major and any other certifications or degrees; and
- Whether their child receives services from paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.
Parents/guardians may request their child’s classroom teacher’s professional qualifications by contacting their child’s school principal.
Title I Parent’s Right to Know
As a parent of a student in the Green Island Union Free School District, you have the right to know the professional qualifications of the classroom teacher(s) who instructs your child. Federal law allows you to ask for certain information about your child’s classroom teacher(s). Specifically, you have the right to ask for the following information about each of your child’s classroom teacher(s):
- Whether the teacher has met State qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides the instruction;
- Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which State qualification or licensing criteria have been waived;
- The teacher’s college major and whether the teacher has any advanced degrees and, if so, the subject of the degree.
- Whether your child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.
To obtain the above information please call (518) 273-1422 or email dkalbfliesh@greenisland.org.
Title I Parental Involvement
The board of education endorses the parent involvement goals of Title I of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). Therefore, it encourages the participation of parents of students eligible for Title I services in all aspects of their child’s education, including the development and implementation of district programs, activities, and procedures designed to carry out NCLB parent involvement goals.
In accordance with NCLB requirements, the district will:
- Involve parents in the joint development of its Title 1 plan. If the plan is not satisfactory to the parents of children participating in Title I programs, the district will submit any parent comments to the State Education Department along with its plan;
- Involve parents in the process of school review and improvement. This includes:
- Explaining to parents how they can become involved in addressing the academic issues that caused their child’s school to be identified as a school in need of improvement; consulting with parents in the development of a school improvement plan, and including in such plan strategies to promote effective parental involvement.
- Providing parents with adequate opportunity to participate in the development of a restructuring plan whenever their child’s school is identified for restructuring, and to comment before the district implements an alternative governance arrangement;
- Provide coordination, technical assistance, and other support necessary to assist participating schools in their own planning and implementation of effective parent involvement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance;
- Build the capacity of its schools and parents for parental involvement;
- Coordinate and integrate parental involvement strategies under Title I with parental involvement strategies under other programs such as Head Start, Reading First, Early Reading First, Even Start, Parents as Teachers, Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters, and state-run preschool programs;
- Conduct, with the involvement of parents, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the parental involvement policy in improving the academic quality of Title I schools, including the identification of barriers to greater participation by parents in activities under the policy, and revision of parent involvement policies necessary for more effective parental involvement; and
- Involve parents in the activities of schools served under Title I.
Title I Complaint Procedures
In the Green Island Union Free School District every effort is made to answer inquiries and resolve issues at the most direct and immediate level. If an issue cannot be satisfactorily resolved through communication at the building level, a formal complaint procedure may be implemented. The first point of contact for all complaints is the Title I Coordinator Dan Kalbfliesh at (518) 273-1422 or email dkalbfliesh@greenisland.org.
If the issue is not satisfactorily resolved, the complainant will be asked to submit a formal complaint in writing to the Superintendent. This complaint must be signed by the person or agency representative filing the complaint; specify the requirement of law or regulation being violated and the related issue, problem, and/or concern; concern information/evidence supporting the complaint; and state the nature of the corrective action desired.
The complainant will be informed that if the issue is not satisfactorily resolved at the district level within 30 business days, he/she may contact:
New York State Education Department (NYSED)
Title I Office
89 Washington Street
Albany, NY 12234
(518) 473-0295
The complainant will be asked to notify the Superintendent’s office in the event that he/she chooses to contact NYSED.
Title IX
It is the policy of the Green Island Union Free School District to provide a learning and working environment that is safe, welcoming, and free from discrimination on the basis of sex. Title IX requires the school district not to discriminate. To obtain the district’s full harassment and non-discrimination policy, call 518-273-1422. Reports of sexual harassment can be made at any time, including during non-business hours using the telephone number or e-mail address, or by mailing to the office address listed for the for the Title IX Coordinators:
Chris Karweil
518-273-1422
Jodi Mazzeo
518-273-1422
In compliance with section 106.45 of Title IX, we have included a link to all materials used to train Title IX Coordinators, investigators, decision-makers, and any person who facilitates an informal resolution process in Title IX compliance and practices for the district. View training materials.
Water Testing
In 2016 New York State became the first in the nation to require schools to test all water outlets currently or potentially used for drinking or cooking purposes for lead levels. Water samples are to be sent to a state-approved lab for analysis. A second round of testing was completed in 2021.