• Grievance Policy

    The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) has initiated and implemented procedures for grievances/appeals by candidates with the intent of assuring fairness and objectivity.

    The purpose of this procedure is to secure equitable solutions to the concerns which may come from actions and decisions rendered about a candidate's admission, progress and successful completion of the induction program. Both parties agree that these proceedings will be kept confidential as may be appropriate at any level of the procedure. A candidate has the right to initiate the grievance/appeal at either the program or unit level.

    Informal Process:
    A candidate or applicant with a concern has recourse through grievance/appeals procedures beginning at the program level by requesting a meeting with a program coordinator.  Program coordinators will make every effort to answer questions and resolve the concern. If the concern is not resolved at the program level, then the candidate can choose to advance the grievance/appeal to the unit level.

    Formal Process: Unit-Level
    The candidate may choose to have the concern reviewed at the Unit-Level. In this case the following procedures apply:

    1. Candidate/Applicant submits a formal grievance/appeal to the Human Resources Director using the Grievance/Appeal Process form on the SMMUSD Induction website.

    2. The Human Resources Director (or designee) will investigate and, if necessary, convene a panel comprised of other SMMUSD Induction Advisory Council members to review grievance/appeal documents. The panel may, as necessary call upon the candidate, mentor, or program coordinators in which the grievance/appeal generated for clarification and/or input regarding the complaint. A panel decision must be made by majority vote.

    3. The panel shall issue a written decision within 30 calendar days of submission to the candidate and Program Coordinator and shall include a statement summarizing the panel's final disposition of the grievance/appeal. The panel's decision shall be final, and all remedies shall be considered to have been exhausted. The panel's written decision shall be placed in the candidate's induction program file.

    SMMUSD Grievance Appeal Form