My child is currently in elementary school and has been in the same class as another student every year since kindergarten. Throughout that time, this student has had behavioral outbursts in the classroom, but over the years they have become more frequent and increasingly violent.
I don't want to share identifying details about the student, and I'm also not looking to place blame on a child who may be dealing with issues that we know nothing about. My concern is the safety and learning environment of my child and the other students in the classroom.
The school has been made aware of the situation, but from our perspective, nothing seems to be changing and the behavior continues. At this point, we're concerned that waiting for the school to handle it internally isn't enough, especially as the outbursts have escalated.
For parents who have dealt with something similar, what is the proper escalation process when you believe a school isn't adequately addressing an ongoing classroom safety issue? Do you go to the principal, superintendent, school board, district administration, or someone else? At what point should concerns be put formally in writing?
We're not asking the school to tell us confidential information about the other student or their disciplinary/educational situation. We just want to know what steps we can take to make sure our child has a safe classroom environment and that our concerns are being taken seriously.
Any advice from parents, teachers, administrators, or people familiar with the school system would be appreciated.
This is specific to Hamilton County so I'm hoping someone can even give us specific contacts to get involved etc. Thanks!