Advocacy

Speaking Up!

Parents helping parents dealing with issues at school

DO YOU KNOW…?

How to effectively communicate and resolve a concern at the school?
Who you should talk to?
Which School District Policies relate to your concerns?
How the school system works?
What educational rights and responsibilities you have?
What options are available for addressing your concerns?
Who to contact if the system doesn't work for you or your child?

Help is available

Call the DPAC Phone line

(250) 564-3722 or email dpac@sd57dpac.ca

The GOAL of Advocacy is to ensure the issue at hand is addressed, by helping parents to:

be heard
receive fair treatment on the basis of law, policy, or normal procedure, and
understand the decision made.

BCCPAC operates the Provincial Advocacy Project that can assist you being an advocate for your child and your issue. Please check out what they have to offer you. http://www.bccpac.bc.ca/advocacyproject.aspx

YOU are your child’s natural advocate.

YOU can make sure your child’s rights, needs and opinions are respected.

YOU can make sure that decisions affecting your child are made fairly.

YOU can be your child’s best advocate because no one knows your situation like you do.

Students and parents who learn to advocate for themselves gain an understanding of their rights and responsibilities. They develop the courage to stand up for themselves and know how to approach problem solving in an appropriate way.

From Speaking Up! A parent guide to advocating for students in public schools

Advocacy Resources produced by BCCPAC:

Speaking Up! A parent guide to advocating for students in public schools

An indispensable step-by-step guide to resolution-based advocacy for parents striving to be better natural advocates for their children. Explains how the school system works, outlines parents' and students' rights and responsibilities, provides strategies for advocating for children and supporting student self-advocacy. Available in English, Punjabi and Mandarin.

Call it Safe

The Call it Safe guide has now been rolled into the newly released Speaking Up !. A parent guides for dealing with harassment and intimidation in secondary schools and bullying in elementary schools. Contain information and resources for parents and PACs on how to keep students safe in schools.

Order copies of these and other BCCPAC resources.