Can someone tell me where to find a written policy regarding the process of including a teacher complaint in the teacher's personnel file? It was my understanding that if I asked that my written communication be placed in a teacher's file that should happen, but I can't recall where I read such information. I simply want my issues recorded, even though I fully expect they will not be considered in this teacher's job performance review.

In this situation the department chair is also complicit. How do I file an official complaint?

Here are the official steps, according to the district.

http://d1868cr0a5jrv6.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Melrose-Chain-of-Communication-Parents.docx

To Seeking Process: Does this complaint concern possible harassment, bullying or retaliation? If so, there is a different complaint process.

Thank you for asking. No, my concern is with lack of/poor job performance.

In that case, I would skip the "talk to the teacher first" step, and put your complaint in writing, cc-ing everyone listed; department chair, curriculum director, principal, and superintendent..

Simply going in to talk to people won't get recorded. Do you know if the teacher is tenured?

I hate to say this but you need to be cautious about retaliation by the teacher, principal and superintendent's office, especially at certain schools, Horace Mann for example. Do not be surprised if you suddenly get a call from the city solicitor or school resource office. Since 2012, this appears to be the new "off the books" procedure for dealing with parent or student complaints. By scaring parents into dropping their complaints, they don't have to do the difficult work of actually doing their jobs and ensuring our kids are getting a decent, safe education free from bullying, harassment or intimidation by a student or educator and resolving poor teacher hires. As soon as you have contact any contact with the SRO or city solicitor, you need to immediately get good legal counsel. With the Federal Civil Rights investigations of late we have all seen what actually happens in the dark underbelly of the administration. For every complaint that the OCR is currently investigating, there are perhaps dozens more that could have been filed but where the district was successful at scaring off complainants from taking any action.

I would start by posting on an anonymous message board. That is a great way to solve all of your problems. After all, the internet solve everything.
The next step is to sit back and ask yourself...do I really have a problem with a teacher; or am I just an over-entitled millennial that does not have the cherries to go in and deal with the school directly and; as such; am I raising a little brat that will turn out to be just like me?

Yes, Clown Patrol. We have a real problem with certain teachers, a couple of principals, the assistant super PWL, super CT and the city solicitor. I think I speak for many in the city, particularly those (there are many) who have had illegal actions taken against them. It is NEVER okay to intimidate and retaliate against those who have or had a complaint of educator or administrator misconduct before the school district or city hall; it is highly illegal per state and federal laws, yet seems to happen here on a routine basis. Since the complaint process here has been completely derailed by corrupt actions of the above, we come here, to coffee houses, to the press, to attorneys and to the Office of Civil Rights to have a voice. It was the District administrators' and the City administrators' choice to circumvent the complaint process afforded by state and federal law...Now they have to live with the results!

Awesome man, couldn't have said it any better myself. All you new residents suck. Smug, entitled, a$$holes who think everyone is beneath you. Go back to cambridge if you don't like the way we do things here. I'm also going to go out on a limb here and say it's probably your kids fault, usually is.

You don't realize how stupid you come across. You've lived your entire life a mile from Mummy and Daddy and you think you know how the world works. Other people are following jobs and moving up in the world and so move into different communities. You don't feel they should have a say in bettering the community because they haven't lived here all their lives. That is just ridiculous and so is your attitude that there are not things that need improving in Melrose. I'm not a native but have been here a long time so I think I should be able to speak up about the community. I feel anyone should be able to regardless of how long they have lived here. Melrose has a lot of residual stupid entitled sh$ts like you. Your mindset will limit you and your children because that is not they way the world works any more. There is a good chance you don't have a life and are living in Mummy's basement so you don't have to worry about your children running into some other ignorant yahoo in some other town with the same ignorant attitude. Time to move to South Carolina dude. But then you would be the outsider. Haha.

This really isn't about how long you have lived here (although I do think many of the newbies are a bit much to deal with). The simply fact is that if your first reaction to your child's issues is to run to an anonymous message board you are either lying about the issue or you are a moron that is unfit to be a parent.