How to File a Complaint About a Teacher in LAUSD

Teachers are entrusted to educate students and help prepare youth for the future. When a teacher violates that trust or fails to properly perform, the matter should be reported. When an issue involving a teacher arises in the Los Angeles Unified School District, you can file a complaint in one of several ways.

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Complete and submit the complaint form to your school principal if your efforts to resolve the issue directly with the teacher have failed. If the complaint concerns a teacher's qualifications, use the Williams/Valenzuela Uniform Complaint Procedures Form. Other forms are available for sexual discrimination or harassment complaints, as well as for allegations that a teacher is not adhering to a special education student's individualized educational program. If none apply to your situation, draft a complaint letter regarding your specific issue and send or deliver it to the principal.

Arrange a meeting with the principal and explain your specific issues with this teacher. If you prefer that the teacher not be present, make your wishes known to the principal when scheduling the meeting.

Meet with the superintendent if your complaint is not resolved at the school level. Bring documentation with detailed allegations about the teacher. Be specific about dates, times and other details related to your complaint.

Contact your district school board member if you feel the issue is not satisfactorily resolved after meeting with the superintendent. Check district maps for the name of your board member, if needed. Explain the problem and request suggestions for resolution.

Appear before the district's board of trustees. The LAUSD Board of Education holds regular meetings the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 1 p.m. Every agenda includes a public communications time when anyone with an issue can speak to the board for up to three minutes. However, each meeting is limited to 15 speakers unless the board votes to let more people speak. Arrive early and sign up to speak prior to the start of the meeting. You can also write to board members prior to the meeting to familiarize them with your complaint. To mail or email your letter to each board member, refer to contact information on the LAUSD Board of Education webpage.