Child Custody

The Irwin County Elementary School keeps a confidential list of students whose parents have limited and/or restricted custody rights. Students are placed on the list when and only when the school receives a legal document from the courts indicating a restriction. In the absence of legal papers, both parents have a right to visit and/or pick a child up from school. If circumstances should ever develop during the year and you have a concern about your child’s safety, please contact the school immediately and explain the circumstances. These confidential lists are reviewed annually for accuracy; it is the parent's responsibility to ensure that the court papers are in proper order and updated if necessary.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act - FERPA

Parents or eligible students have the right to the following:

• Inspect and review education records;

• Request the amendment of the student's education records to ensure that they are not inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student's privacy or other rights;

• Consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records, except when requested by a government agency. Identifiable information contains the following: student name, a parent name, address, personal identifier, list of personal characteristics or information that would make the student's identity traceable.

Complaints may be filed with the U.S. Department of Education. Copy of the FERPA may be reviewed in the principal's office (E:28.3). Parents who wish to have student information withheld from printed documents and other agencies may contact a school administrator.

Professional Qualifications Info

In compliance with the requirements of the Every Students Succeeds Act, the Irwin County School System would like to inform you that you may request information about the professional qualifications of your student’s teacher(s) and/ or paraprofessional(s). The following information may be requested:

•  Whether the student’s teacher—

  • has met State qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction;

  • is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which State qualification or licensing criteria have been waived; and

  • is teaching in the field of discipline of the certification of the teacher.

•   Whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.

If you wish to request information concerning your child’s teacher’s and/ or paraprofessional’s qualifications, please contact or school’s principal or Mrs. Candice Cobb at 229-468-7485.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parents may initiate a conference with a teacher anytime during the school year.  It works best for all concerned when parents contact the teachers for an appointment.  If parents go to the classroom without an appointment, it interrupts the teaching/learning process.  Please contact the teacher for parent/teacher conferences.

Parental Involvement

Parental involvement is essential to the success of students in school.  Studies have shown a direct correlation between involved parents and successful students. Therefore, it is important that parents have opportunities to know what is happening with their children on a regular basis. Parents may stay informed about their child's progress through regular progress reports and report cards.  Parents are encouraged to review these materials with their children regularly.  

Additional notices will be sent home with students when they are referred to the school administrator for a violation of the code of conduct. When notices of disciplinary action are sent home, it is the responsibility of the parent to sign and return the notice to the school. At any time, a parent may request a conference with the principal, assistant principal, or teacher to discuss issues related to discipline and the code of conduct. The Irwin County Elementary Code of Conduct was developed with input and review by parents (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-735).  Suggestions for improvement from parents, students, teachers, school council members, and staff are always welcome.

Parental involvement can take many different forms. Speak to your classroom teacher, resource teachers, school administrators, school council member, and/or parent involvement coordinator about ideas that will work for your child and you (see Student – Teacher – Parent Compact for Education in Student Handbook Appendix).

Resolving School-Related Concerns

Parents should try to resolve any concerns you may have at the level where they occur. Unless the situation is extreme, teachers should be contacted to resolve concerns before contacting school administrators, the superintendent, and/or Board of Education (BOE) members. However, student discipline problems relating to buses should be referred to the school administrator.