Concerns are a normal and natural occurrence among people working together toward shared goals. When we engage in moving a concern toward resolution, we model healthy human relationships for our students and for each other. Resolution can take a variety of forms, including:
- coming to a mutual understanding;
- recognizing the need for further work;
- agreeing to disagree, and agreeing, nonetheless, to treat each other with respect.
WCS has a four-level process to support concern resolution and improve parent staff communication.
Level 1: Speak to the Person Directly
Level 2: Contact Your Class Teacher or the Person with Direct Responsibility
Level 3: Contact the Communication Support Team
Level 4: Fill out written form to start an Formal Concern
At any level, inviting a mutually agreed upon Third Person as listener or facilitator into a conversation is always an option . The Third Person can be anyone from within or outside the WCS community, you can also request a Communication Support Team member to be present (see below under Level 3). With honest, direct communication, most concerns can be resolved. A resolution may be documented with a formal agreement.
Level 1:
Speak to the Person Directly, whether a parent, teacher, or staff member. Direct communication, with respect and sensitivity, is the groundwork for all conflict resolution. Keeping in mind the principles in Healthy Communications and Electronic Communications guidelines. (See Below)
Sometimes, before we have the face-to-face conversation to resolve an issue, we may want to process that concern with a friend. In that case, we select a mutually agreeable time and place for that meeting and ask our friend to keep the conversation confidential. Afterward, we follow through by having the face-to-face conversation with the appropriate person to address our concern. If a friend approaches us with a concern, we encourage our friend to pursue a face-to-face conversation to address the concern, and we follow up with our friend later.
At WCS, we speak TO not ABOUT others.
Level 2:
Contact Our Class Teacher or Individual with Direct Responsibility.
If a direct conversation has not yielded a satisfactory resolution to the concern, the next step is a conversation with the Class Teacher or Individual with Direct Responsibility (If the concern is with our Class Teacher or Individual with Direct Responsibility, then Levels 1 and 2 become one. If the concern is unrelated to class teaching, then the person with direct responsibility for the issue should be contacted. See the flowchart below.)
The Class Teacher or Individual with Direct Responsibility has a larger perspective that can often be helpful. He or she may be able to facilitate a resolution to the concern. Also, sharing your concerns can also help create a fuller picture for the Class Teacher or Individual with Direct Responsibility.
If necessary, invite a mutually agreeable Third Person to the conversation. The teacher or in the case of a third person being a CST member (see Level 3 below) will document the conversation for future reference and distribute to “needing to know parties” and do a follow up after a week.
If, after taking this action, we feel the conflict remains unresolved, we proceed to Level 3.
Level 3: Contact the Communication Support Team.
If Level 2 has not brought satisfactory resolution, the next step is to contact the Communication Support Team (CST) at CST@wasatchwaldorf.org or ask for assistance at the front desk to help you get in touch with the team.
WCS has a “ Communication Support Team” that handles concerns.
The Communication Support Team (CST) is an appointed body composed of up to five people including faculty members and parents. These individuals are appointed because they are skilled at listening and have demonstrated successful results in addressing concerns and will receive training on mediating meetings.
The CST will work when with all parties involved, bring them together as needed, and assist in resolving the issue. The CST will take objective notes during those meetings reflecting the concerns, recommendations, resolutions and or action plan, distribute those notes to the parties involved and follow up after a week.
When a concern is brought to the CST, the CST will acknowledge the request for assistance within one working day by phone, email or in writing, and will work with all parties, to bring them together, as needed, to help resolve the issue. We may invite a mutually agreed upon Third Person to participate in any meeting with the CST. Two or three members of the CST will participate in any given meeting; any CST member involved in the specific conflict will recuse him/herself from participating.
All inquiries to the Level 3 process will be logged and communicated to the CST team which meets on a monthly basis.
Level 4:
Filing a Formal Concern.
Should still further action be needed, the next step available for concern resolution is to request to fill out a Formal Concern Form. The forms will be kept at the front desk or can be printed from the school website. [Coming Soon] Forms should be priority mailed or handed over in person to the Executive Director, Emily Merchant The Formal Concern will be handled by the Communication Support Team which will provide a formal response acknowledging that the formal concern was received and giving a timespan in which to expect further action on handling and resolving the concern by involving proper authorities.
concern's form