Ombuds Office

Confidentiality is a key characteristic of the Ombuds Office.  The office does not divulge a client's name or the nature of the issue being discussed without the client's consent.  With the client's permission, individuals whose help is necessary to resolve a specific problem may be contacted.  The office acts only with your permission except in the unusual situations of imminent risks of serious harm where it appears to be no responsible options except to act without permission.

The Role of the Ombuds

The role of the Ombuds is to help staff, students and their families in identifying and evaluating their options for resolving and managing conflicts, provide mediation support, and make referrals to other appropriate departments, offices and/or community resources.

The Ombuds:

• Provides a completely confidential and neutral resolution service independent of the Human Resources department for all members of the WISD community.
• May advise an individual on how to make an official complaint to the WISD Superintendent or Board of Education about a problem.
• Can identify problem and conflict areas within the school district and recommend improvements to the district leadership.

What the Ombuds Can do for you

1. Listen and discuss questions, concerns, and complaints of clients about the functioning of the school district.
2. Help staff develop problem solving skills and promote critical thinking so that staff is better able to act on their own behalf in resolving conflict.
3. Assist clients in evaluating and assessing a variety of options to address their own concerns.
4. Answer questions, help clients formulate appropriate questions and find others who can provide the correct answer.
5. Identify problems and conflict area within the school district and recommend improvements.
6. Make referrals for mediation, counseling, and dispute resolution services, and assist in creating a helping network for clients.
7. Provide a safe and confidential setting where clients feel respected and where they can be candid and forthright.

What the Ombuds Cannot  do for you

1. Take part in any formal grievance process, hearing, or judicial process.
2. Make administrative or academic decisions for any other part of the school district.
3. Assign sanctions.
4. Give legal advice. 

Types of Ombuds Issues

• Career Management - Promotion, performance management, end of appointment, layoff, reorganization, hostile environment, overwork, compensation, benefits. 
• Work Relationships - Conflict with a colleague or supervisor, difficult staff, inappropriate or disrespectful behavior, abuse of power, bullying.
• Policies and Requirements - Employment guidelines, disciplinary process and decisions, grievance and complaint procedures, academic policy or procedure concerns.
• Illness and Disability - Disability services, accommodation requests, disability plans, leave options, internal and outside resources.
• Discrimination and Sexual Harassment - Unwelcome and inappropriate behavior, inappropriate relationships.
• Other Concerns - Safety, unethical behavior, compliance.

Contact the Ombuds Office if you:

• Have a problem or conflict involving the school district or a department and don't know where to go to solve it.
• Feel your concerns are not being heard.
• Need information about policies and procedures affecting your work environment.
• Believe your rights have been violated or you have not been given due process.
• Need help to resolve or mediate a dispute.
• Feel you have been treated unfairly or insensitively or that you are being subjected to intimidating, bullying or emotionally "toxic" behavior.
• Think that the school district has made an error, but has not acknowledged it.