General Information, Guidelines & Procedures

the issue and may share the issue with the Board of Trustees for review if warranted. No survey, petition, questionnaire, etc., soliciting information or feedback from or about students, faculty, staff, parents, or School issues or programs shall be distributed or organized independently by Association members without the prior written approval of the Superintendent. AIS-R does not accept or respond to written and/or verbal feedback from a community or Association member (or members) who does not follow the established communication protocols implemented by the School, such as accepting anonymous letters/emails, hearsay, group or “group think” emails/responses, petitions, social media chats, online reviews, questionnaires/surveys, and/or vague authorship as these would contravene Board Policy and Saudi Arabian law.

Following the “AIS-R Communication Flowchart,” parents may address concerns with AIS-R faculty members through email or a scheduled meeting. At no time should an AIS-R faculty member be approached to address concerns during instructional time with students or outside of school hours unless appropriately scheduled.

At all times, AIS-R parents are required to act in a respectful and positive, mission-driven "partnership" in solving a problem or issue. As valued community members, AIS-R expects all parents to adhere to AIS-R's Core Values, the AIS-R Profile of an EAGLE Learner and Board Policy as acknowledged and signed via the Partnership for Success during the admissions process. If a parent chooses to act or react in a manner that does not uphold these values and principles, the teacher, principal or Superintendent will cease the interaction and/or meeting and reschedule to another date when the parent is able to act in a manner that is consistent with expectations of the organization.  Positive, respectful communication is always the primary focus of all meetings between parents and AIS-R employees.

Confidential records of the school, such as meetings, meeting minutes, student and personnel records (to include credentials, degrees, etc.), financial accounts, sections of the board policy manual, are not accessible to Parent Association and/or Community inspection. Parents may access their own child's records through the appropriate building Principal or designee. Records will be available to authorized persons/organizations only as approved by the Superintendent and/or the Board of Trustees.

Parents as Role Models

While AIS-R strongly encourages parents to attend events on campus, such as Back-to-School Nights, Parent-Teacher Conferences, assemblies, sporting events or performances, it should be noted that AIS-R expects parents to be positive role models at all times while on campus, especially when in the presence of students. Furthermore, parents are expected to adhere to and support all AIS-R rules and policies as detailed by the AIS-R Board of Trustees, Leadership Team, Partnership for Success, and Student-Parent Handbooks, especially in relation to student absences, dress code, expected student behavior, campus visitation and operating hours.

At AIS-R, we are committed to nurturing a relevant and dynamic community partnership. We believe that purposeful interaction, meaningful connection and an exchange of constructive ideas will enhance the AIS-R learning experience for all.

As a matter of established direction, protocol, time, etc., AIS-R has the right to depart from parent feedback or limit communication, especially if the feedback is excessive and not consistent with the following: AIS-R's mission; overarching goals; policies adopted; parent feedback surveys; in good educational standing; aligned with AIS-R's educational authorities and professional affiliations to include licensure with the Ministry of Education and other Saudi ministry regulations; and/or within the financial resources available. Parents have the right to speak on behalf of their own child/children, but are not authorized to speak on behalf of, or act as a proxy for, other individual registered members, or a select group, or AIS-R in any capacity such as in the form of group emails, survey/questionnaires, petitions, etc. In addition, the  PTSO is not authorized to be a conduit for parent issues, complaints or concerns as individual parent issues must be addressed directly through AIS-R’s communication channels/flowchart. Non-approved communication approaches contravene leadership function, governance processes, legal parameters in KSA, and the established “partnership” necessary to orderly conduct in a diverse community. Parent members are invited to discuss school experiences at Eagle Community Exchanges where senior school leadership and a representative from the Board reside to share school successes, challenges, and  listen to constructive feedback. 

Parent EAGLE Behavior and Addressing Concerns With AIS-R Faculty Members and Staff

Following the below “AIS-R Communication Flowchart,” parents may address concerns with AIS-R faculty members through email or a scheduled meeting. At no time should an AIS-R faculty member be approached to address concerns during instructional time with students or outside of school hours unless appropriately scheduled.

At all times, AIS-R parents are required to act in a respectful and positive, mission-driven "partnership" in solving a problem or issue. As valued community members, AIS-R expects all parents to adhere to AIS-R's Core Values, the principles in the AIS-R Profile of an EAGLE Learner and Board Policy as acknowledged and signed via the Partnership for Success during the admissions process. If a parent chooses to act or react in a manner that does not uphold these values and principles, the teacher, principal or Superintendent will cease the interaction and/or meeting and reschedule to another date when the parent is able to act in a manner that is consistent with expectations of the organization. Positive, respectful communication is always the primary focus of all meetings between parents and AIS-R employees.

If a parent repeatedly chooses to behave in a manner that does not honor AIS-R's values and principles, and/or is not in line with Board policy, they will be subject to a Superintendent and Board of Trustees review, which could result in a written censure or termination of their child's enrollment at AIS-R. As a private, independent school, the AIS-R Board has the right to determine enrollment continuation or termination of any family who does not follow school expectations. Past instances of immediate action have included issues of slander (i.e. making false and damaging statements against an employee or community member), malicious gossip, and harmful acts and accusations that negatively impact the reputation of the school. As a matter of process, the Superintendent will review and assess the situation and inform the Board accordingly with details of the misconduct, to include a recommendation. In addition, should a parent at anytime demonstrate behavior that is not in accordance with our Partnership for Success or as outlined in this Handbook or Board Policy, upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, the Board is responsible for investigating and/or taking legal action for misconduct; harassment; dissemination of privileged information not deemed public; disrespectful, culturally insensitive, or defamatory comments and/or communication; inappropriate online activity; actions that may damage the reputation of any registered Association member and/or the School; or any activity that jeopardizes AIS-R’s status and/or licensure in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Upon investigation and substantiation of misconduct, the Board shall reserve the right and final decision, by majority vote, to de-register a parent or group of parents (leading to a change of enrollment status for their child/ren).

  Academic Freedom and Controversial Issues 

At AIS-R, “Academic freedom” is defined as the belief that teachers and students are free to pursue the search for global knowledge and understanding, in its many forms, and to make public their methods and findings in a manner that is reflective of the AIS-R Profile of an EAGLE Learner, the IB Learner Profile, as well as the professional expectations further discussed in this policy. In the classroom, academic freedom also means the right of teachers to encourage discussion of controversial issues and to develop in students a quest for knowledge. Teachers present issues in a fair and unbiased manner to allow students to arrive at balanced views. The exercise of academic freedom will not violate the cultural norms, laws, or regulations of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, nor will it extend beyond the agreed upon curriculum and standards of AIS-R.

Prior to the initiation of discussion about a subject that might be sensitive or controversial, a teacher will seek the guidance of the principal.

Since the students and staff of the school are guests in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, controversial issues which might be offensive to the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia should be avoided.  Being respectful and tolerant of the culture, practices, and norms of this country is expected of all employees, family members and students.  Further, as a global community, the culture, practices and norms of all cultures will be respected to ensure that all teachers and students create an environment of tolerance. 

AIS-R Board of Trustees & Superintendent

The AIS-R Board of Trustees is a “Strategic” self-perpetuating Board. AIS-R Trustees hold the school in trust for the future and their primary undertaking is to look at long term viability issues of the school that include strategic and fiduciary responsibilities. Board Trustees are recruited from the AIS-R “community,” based on independent speciality and the strategic needs of the school (leadership, finance, security, government relations, etc.) to support the work of the Superintendent (education). The make-up of the Board includes AIS-R parents, AIS-R former parents, US Embassy parent(s) and community members. While the Board of Trustees take a “bird’s eye” strategic view for the future of the school, the Superintendent is empowered to run the daily operations of the school and leads educational advancements in consultation with the AIS-R Leadership Team and AIS-R’s accrediting organizations. This model/practice ensures a stable and sustainable school environment for the long-term. Currently, the AIS-R Board is comprised of the following eight members, as approved by the Ministry of Education:

• • Joseph Edward Giansiracusa, Board Chairperson 

  • Mahdy Katbe, Treasurer (former AIS-R parent)

  • Dr. Fawziah Al Bakr, Board Secretary (former AIS-R parent)

  • Santhi Janakiram Gollapalli (current AIS-R parent)

  • Fahad Almalki (current AIS-R parent)

  • John Philip Paladino III (former AIS-R parent)

  • Alison Dilworth, US Embassy Liaison (current AIS-R Parent)

The administration of the school system and educational program in all of its aspects shall be delegated to a Superintendent, who shall be appointed by the Board of Trustees and shall carry out her/his administrative and educational functions in accordance with the policies adopted by the Board of Trustees. Should an Association member require further clarification regarding policy after honoring the above communication flowchart, they are invited to meet with the Superintendent who will provide the necessary information as it is documented in the Board Policy Manual. The Board Policy Manual is accessed and housed in the Superintendent's Office. 

Consent Upon Admittance

With admittance to AIS-R, the following conditions apply for a successful school experience:

• Falsified information or withholding pertinent information forfeits a child's opportunity to attend AIS-R or remain enrolled at AIS-R. Such actions may result in immediate dismissal/withdrawal. No tuition reimbursement. 

• All children enrolled at AIS-R must be fully potty-trained and independent in toileting cleanliness and hygiene.

• AIS-R is not a nut-free environment. All allergies must be communicated on the application health form. If an allergy emerges after admittance, the divisional nurse must be notified. Epipens must be provided by the family and are stored in the K-12 Nurses station.

• All contact information in PowerSchool must remain up-to-date and accurate.

• All families enrolled at AIS-R must adhere to all AIS-R policies and fees set forth by the AIS-R Board of Trustees.

• Images/videos/photographs of AIS-R Eagles are utilized in both digital and print AIS-R publications. Individual school photos are at the discretion of the photographer/AIS-R yearbook team.

• It is the responsibility of the family/parent/child to read and honor the rules and guidelines of the Student Parent Handbook as well as the AIS-R Profile of an EAGLE Learner, TRUA, and Child Safeguarding Handbook. Updates are regularly made to these documents in the spirit of relevant, timely, and accurate information.