Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is BBSST?
A. The Building-Based Student Support Team (BBSST) is a mandatory, best practice, problem-solving team, implemented at the local school level and statewide in all Alabama public schools as part of the Lee vs. Macon Consent Decree.
Q. What is the teacher’s responsibility?
A. The teacher must identify the student’s learning or behavior difficulty in the regular classroom. Assistance is requested from other grade-level teachers and/or individual(s). Then classroom Intervention(s) are implemented and documented.
Q. How do I, as a parent, obtain a BBSST pre-referral?
A. Your school’s BBSST Facilitator will assist you in obtaining the forms.
Q. What is 504 and who is eligible to receive services?
A. Section 504 is a part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This act is a broad civil rights law which Protects the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance from the U. S. Department of Education. It is an anti-discrimination statute.
Q. Does my child have to receive corporal punishment?
A. No; however, a written letter must be on file in the school’s office stating that you do not wish your child to receive corporal punishment. This must be done on a yearly basis.
Q. What is the Code of Behavior?
A. The Code of Behavior is a manual that Montgomery Public Schools publishes yearly that contains the policies and procedures that are pertinent to students and parents. It contains information on attendance, discipline, and health issues. Each student should receive a copy at the time of enrollment.
Q. What happens when my child must go to the principal’s office?
A. A child may be sent to the office for misbehavior in the classroom when the teacher has exhausted all measures of correcting the inappropriate behavior or when a student has done something serious enough to be sent to the office immediately. An office referral is written concerning the incident and is received by an administrator who speaks to the student about it an issues a consequence regarding the incident. A copy of the office referral is sent or given to the parent for notification of the incident. If the student is suspended, the date and time to return to school is noted on the office referral.
Q. Can my child just be sent home with my permission with work packets without going through an office referral, suspension, and/or Due Process?
A. No, this action may not be taken. To do so violates the Board of Education policy and Alabama Code procedures. Offenses must be documented, accurate attendance must be taken and recorded, and proper referrals must be made. In addition, referrals and consequences must be promptly and accurately entered in our system’s network program (STI). Entry should be accomplished within a 48 hour timeframe.
Q. What is the maximum suspension that can be given to a student at the school level for a single Offense?
A. Five days maximum can be given as per the Code of Student Behavior. That span is reserved for very serious offenses. Remember that Special Education students cannot exceed ten (10) days of suspension for the school year. At the secondary level, a five-day suspension might easily mean a loss of credit for a course.
Q. Who must attend school?
A. All students between the ages of seven (7) and sixteen (16) must attend school according To Code of Alabama 16-28-15
Q. Does my child who is five (5) years and enrolled in kindergarten have to attend school every day?
A. Yes, all students enrolled in the Montgomery Public School System, regardless of age, are Required to be in continuous attendance at their designed school.
Q. What should I do if my child needs to be absent from school?
A. The Code of Alabama 16-28-15 requires a written note from the parent/guardian which states the reason for the student’s absence. Failure to furnish a written explanation for the absence may result in the student being considered truant with the knowledge of the parent/guardian as the person in control of the student.
Q. What are excused absences?
A. Written documentation must be submitted to the school within three (3) days after the student’s return to school. The following reasons will be considered for excused absences:
- Illness
- Court-required appearance
- Legal quarantine
- Death in the immediate family (Parent/Guardian, Siblings, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles)
- Inclement weather which could be dangerous to the life and health of the child as determined by the Superintendent of Schools
- Prior permission of the principal with request from the parent/guardian. Parent should complete the “Prior Approval of Absence” form (obtained from the school office) which must be signed by the principal before the absence takes place. Make-up work will be given for excused absences.
Q. What are unexcused absences?
A. Unexcused absences are, but are not limited to, the following:
- Truancy
- Missing a bus or ride
- Suspension
- Trips unauthorized by the principal
- Birthdays or other celebrations
- Any absence for which a written excuse was provided within three (3) days to the school
- Any absence or tardy due to dress code violation Make-up work is not allowed for unexcused absences.
Q. How does a student enroll at the Alternative School?
A. A student who is enrolled at Fews Alternative School (grades 6-12) and/or Hub Sites (K-5) must have been through a Due Process hearing at the PALS office. Consequences and/or length of attendance at the Alternative School site is handled on an individual basis according to circumstances of the offense. When the student has completed the required number of days at the Alternative School, he/she may re-enroll at their zone school if they have met all of the exit requirements.
Q. What do I do if I want to home-school my child?
A. The student must be officially enrolled in an organization or a church’s home school program. The home-school site head master will send an official enrollment form to the PALS office for documentation that the student is officially enrolled in that home-school program.