Requirements, Truancy and Chronic Absences
San José Unified welcomes our obligation to educate our students to the best of our ability. To do this, students need to be at school on time and attend school regularly. Studies have shown that missing even five days of school in a year can be detrimental to learning. Because of this, State law requires that all children ages 6-18 be enrolled in full-time education. A student who misses three or more days of school or is 30 or more minutes late to school without an approved excuse will be subject to our truancy process. Parents of students who miss five or more days of school, even if excused, will be contacted by school employees so that San José Unified may work in partnership with families to help our students get back to school and engaged in their own learning.
Freedom of Speech
Public school students have the right to exercise freedom of speech and of the press. However, any expressions which are forms of harassment, racial slurs, obscene, libelous, or slanderous, are prohibited.
Bullying
Bullying is defined as repeated and systematic abuse and harassment of another or others. Bullying and ridiculing-type conduct includes name-calling, mimicking, isolation and/or exclusion, invasions of personal space, inappropriate touching, physical violence (hitting, kicking, pushing, shoving), gender and sex-based bullying, and extortion. San José Unified prohibits discrimination, harassment, intimidation, inappropriate behavior, and/or “bullying” of any student or employee. This includes students or employees singled out because of, but not limited to:
• Age • Marital, parental, or family status • Sex • Color
• Sexual orientation • Religion
• Gender • Gender expression
• Gender identity • Race
• Ethnic group identification • Ancestry
• Native language or perceived lack of • National origin
English language ability
• Mental or physical disability, or based on a person’s association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics in its educational programs and activities or employment practices
Behaviors Inappropriate at School and in the Community:
• Deliberately hurtful teasing, taunting, name calling, ridicule, intimidation, belittling, degradation, threats, and/or demands
• Derisive and unfriendly mockery and laughter
• Physically aggressive moves
Cheating & Academic Integrity
Students, parents and guardians, staff, and administrators are responsible for creating and maintaining a positive school climate that encourages honesty. Students found to have committed an act of academic dishonesty (cheating on tests, exams, or assessments; plagiarism; deliberate deception; stealing or unauthorized use of assessment tools, answer keys, or school records, etc.) will be subject to district and school discipline rules. Teachers are encouraged to require the student to redo the assignments so that they can assess the student’s skill but are not required to include the grade in the gradebook.
A teacher’s professional judgment will determine whether cheating has occurred, in concurrence with school administration. Consequences will be assigned based on the severity and number of offense(s). Consequences may include suspension, removal of school privileges, removal from current school, and/or loss of grade or credit.
Classroom Suspension
A teacher who imposes a classroom suspension will report all suspensions in writing to the appropriate school administrator and inform the parents or guardians of the student within 24 hours. In the event of a classroom suspension, the teacher will ask the parent to attend a parent-teacher conference as soon as possible.
Consequences for Violation
Upon discovery through monitoring software or other methods, violations of these rules will be reported to the site administrator and may result in disciplinary action, including the loss of a student's privileges to use the district’s IT resources (i.e. disabling of accounts, elimination of access to technology and technology platforms). Other disciplinary actions may be taken in accordance with California Education Code (EC) and San José Unified policy.
Supervision and Monitoring
School and network administrators and their authorized employees monitor the use of IT resources to ensure that uses are secure and in conformity with this policy. Administrators reserve the right to examine, use, and disclose any data found on the school's information networks to further the health, safety, discipline, or security of any student or other person, or to protect property. They may also use this information in disciplinary actions and will furnish evidence of crime to law enforcement.
Social Media Use
The United States Surgeon General issued an advisory in May of 2023 on the Effects Social Media Use Has on Youth Mental Health. The advisory stated, “… there is growing evidence that social media use is associated with harm to young people’s mental health.” San José Unified restricts all social media sites and applications on district-provided student devices. Students who bring personal devices, such as phones or tablets, will not be restricted from accessing social media sites on those devices while at school.
Smart Phones and Electronic Devices
Cellphones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches, and any other internet-connected devices are to be turned off in class, except
when used for a school-related purpose, as determined by the teacher or other district employee, and at any other time as
directed by an employee. Any device with a camera, video, or voice recording function may not be used in any manner
that infringes on the privacy rights of any other person. Using any electronic device to record inappropriate behavior is
prohibited and subject to possible disciplinary action, including but not limited to suspension and expulsion.
Dress and Grooming
San José Unified believes that students and their parents or guardians are primarily responsible for their attire and
grooming. Appropriate attire and grooming contribute to a productive learning environment. We expect our students to pay
appropriate attention to personal cleanliness and wear clothes suitable for the school activities in which they participate.
School-directed changes to a student’s attire or grooming should be the least restrictive and disruptive to the student’s
school day. Any school dress code enforcement actions should minimize the potential loss of educational time. The
administration and enforcement of the dress code will be gender-neutral and consistent.
Schools may not enact policies with more restrictive or less restrictive dress and grooming codes except in cases where
schools require uniforms.
Student attire and grooming must permit the student to participate in learning without posing a risk to the health
or safety of any student or school district personnel.
a. Students must wear clothing, including a shirt with pants or a skirt or the equivalent (for example, dresses,
leggings, or shorts) and shoes.
b. Hats and other head coverings are not permitted on school grounds except when worn as sun-protective clothing
prescribed by the student’s physician (see below) or as an expression of religious beliefs.
c. Clothing must cover the chest, torso, and lower extremities.
d. Clothing must cover undergarments.
e. Clothing must not be see-through.
f. Professional sports attire may not be worn except for special occasions determined by the principal.
g. Clothing must be suitable for all scheduled classroom activities, including physical education (PE), science labs,
shop classes, and other activities where unique hazards or specialized attire or safety gear is required.
Attire or grooming depicting or advocating violence, criminal activity, gang-related activity (including professional
sportswear and/or colors identified by the Santa Clara County Sheriff or San José Police Department as gang-affiliated),
use of alcohol or drugs, pornography, or hate speech are prohibited.