Reconsideration+of+Materials

http://www.cpsd.us/web/PubInfo/LibrarySelectionPolicy.pdf VI. Reconsideration Procedures **  Any resident of the school district or any employee of the school system  may challenge resources housed in a school’s Library Media Center on the basis of appropriateness.   Occasional objections to material may be voiced by the public despite the qualifications of the person making the selection for that library media center, and the care taken in the selection process. Any such objection should be directed to the library media specialist in charge of that center and to the Coordinator, who can provide information regarding the selection and use of the material and explain the philosophy and goals of the library media center and program. If the objection cannot be resolved at this level and the individual wishes to make a formal complaint, the library media specialist will notify the principal. A packet of materials will be forwarded to the complainant, which includes a dated cover letter, a <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">copy of the district’s materials selection policy, and a reconsideration request form. If no <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">action is taken within a two-week period by the objecting party, the matter will be <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">considered closed. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">Challenged material will remain in use during the reconsideration period, and <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">cannot be removed except upon action by the library media specialist, a Reconsideration <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">Committee, the Superintendent, or formal action of the School Committee. A <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">parent or guardian filing a formal request for reconsideration may ask that access to <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">challenged materials be denied to his/her child or children. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">At the school level, reconsideration requests will be heard by the Reconsideration <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">Committee, a standing committee constituted each September to serve for that school <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">year. The Reconsideration Committee will be chaired by the principal and will consist of <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">the library media specialist, the library media coordinator, a member of the teaching staff, <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">a member of the School Council, and another parent. At the high school level, a student <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">also may serve as part of the Reconsideration Committee. At the time of composition, <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">the Reconsideration Committee will meet to learn about the issues and process involved <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">in a reconsideration. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">When a signed and completed reconsideration request form is received by a <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">principal, he/she will immediately notify members of the Reconsideration Committee and <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">the Executive Director for Curriculum Development. A meeting of the Reconsideration <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">Committee will be scheduled to occur within three (3) weeks of the date of submission of <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">the request for reconsideration form and the complainant will be notified of the date and <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">time of such meeting. Packets including copies of the reconsideration request form, <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">bibliographic data on the challenged material, and professional reviews or other relevant <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">information about the challenged material will be forwarded to Reconsideration <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">Committee members as soon as possible by the library media specialist. At the scheduled <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">meeting, the complainant will have the right to address the Reconsideration Committee. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">After the meeting, the Reconsideration Committee will consider the work as a <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">whole, survey review literature, and assess the merits of the work in the context of a <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">Library Media Center before making a decision. The Reconsideration Committee will <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">issue a written report to the principal explaining the reasons for their decision to remove <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">or to retain the work in question. If any members of the Reconsideration Committee <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">disagree with the decision of the majority of committee members, then the report should <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">include a section explaining the dissenting views. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">A decision of the Reconsideration Committee to sustain a challenge shall not <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">necessarily be interpreted as a judgment of irresponsibility by the professionals involved <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">in the original selection of the material. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">The principal will notify the complainant of the Reconsideration Committee’s <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">decision. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">If the complainant is still not satisfied, he/she may, within two (2) weeks of the <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">date of notification of the decision of the Reconsideration Committee, request an appeal <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">to a district-wide committee. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">When a complainant is notified by the principal of the Reconsideration <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">Committee’s decision, he/she has the option to request an “Appeal of Reconsideration <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">Committee Decision” form from the principal. Such an appeal must be submitted to the <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">Office of the Superintendent within a two (2) week period from the date of notification of <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">the Reconsideration Committee’s decision. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">The Superintendent’s office will assemble a district level reconsideration <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">committee chaired by the Superintendent or her/his designee. The District <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">Reconsideration Committee will include the following: the principal of the school <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">concerned; the Coordinator of the Library Media Department; the Executive Director for <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">Curriculum Development and two community members who were not part of the initial <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">Reconsideration Committee. Members of the District Reconsideration Committee are <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">charged with the same responsibilities as the initial Reconsideration Committee, and will <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">receive a copy of the school level Reconsideration Committee report as well as the <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">original supporting materials. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">A meeting of the District Reconsideration Committee will be scheduled to occur <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">within a three (3) week period from the date the appeal was submitted. At the scheduled <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">meeting, the complainant will have the right to address the District Reconsideration <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">Committee. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">After the meeting, the District Reconsideration Committee will consider the work <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">as a whole, survey review literature, and assess the merits of the work in the context of a <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">Library Media Center before making a recommendation. The District Reconsideration <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">Committee will issue a written report to the Superintendent explaining the reasons for <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">their recommendation to remove or to retain the work in question. If any members of the <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">District Reconsideration Committee disagree with the recommendation of the majority of <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">committee members, then the report should include a section explaining the dissenting <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">views. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">Any recommendation by the District Reconsideration Committee to sustain a <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">challenge shall not necessarily be interpreted as a judgment of irresponsibility by the <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">professionals involved in the original selection of the material. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">The Superintendent will review each recommendation of the District <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">Reconsideration Committee and shall make a determination whether the appeal will be <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">granted or denied. The Superintendent will notify the complainant in writing as to <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">whether the appeal was granted or denied. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">If the complainant is still not satisfied, he/she may, within two (2) weeks of <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">the date of notification of the district level decision, appeal the decision to the <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">School Committee for a hearing before the full committee. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">When such an appeal is filed with the School Committee, the Office <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">of the Superintendent will forward to the Cambridge School Committee a copy of the <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">District Reconsideration Committee report as well as any supporting materials that were <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">provided in connection with the District Reconsideration Committee meeting and a copy <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">of the school level Reconsideration Committee report as well as the original supporting <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">materials. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman">
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman,Bold','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'TimesNewRoman,Bold'">
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman,Bold','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'TimesNewRoman,Bold'">I. Informal Reconsideration **
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman,Bold','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'TimesNewRoman,Bold'">II. Formal Reconsideration at the School Level **
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman,Bold','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'TimesNewRoman,Bold'">3. Formal Reconsideration at the District Level **
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'TimesNewRoman,Bold','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'TimesNewRoman,Bold'">4. Appeal to the School Committee **