Frequently Asked Questions
What does the word “ombudsman” mean?
Who should call the Office of the Education Ombudsman?
When should I contact the Office of the Education Ombudsman?
What will the ombudsman do?
Is there a cost for this service?
What kinds of problems are appropriate?
What can I expect from the Office of the Education Ombudsman?
What will I gain from the Office of the Education Ombudsman?
Is the Office of the Education Ombudsman the final recourse?
Do I have to follow the ombudsman's advice?
Will the ombudsman participate in formal meetings?
How is confidentiality assured?
Is the Office of the Education Ombudsman my advocate?
What authority does the Office of the Education Ombudsman have?
What does the Office of the Education Ombudsman make public?
What other services are provided?
What does the word “ombudsman” mean?
"Ombudsman" is a Swedish word meaning "a public official appointed to receive complaints against government." The title "Ombudsman" is gender-neutral, used by both men and women.
The first public sector Ombudsman was appointed by the Swedish parliament in 1809. The concept came to the United States in the 1960’s. There are hundreds of Ombudsman Offices across the nation in education, colleges, universities, government, corporations, mass media, etc.
Who should call the Office of the Education Ombudsman?
Anyone who has questions about public education can contact the Office of the Education Ombudsman (OEO) and speak with an ombudsman. Conflict resolution services must be requested by students or parents/legal guardians of students who are currently enrolled or eligible to be enrolled in elementary or secondary public schools.
OEO cannot help with cases involving elected officials (such as school board members), allegations of educator professional misconduct, or conflict involving private schools, preschools, child care centers, private organizations, businesses, state or public colleges or universities.
When should I contact the Office of the Education Ombudsman?
OEO is a confidential place to call when dealing with a problem with a public school. You should contact OEO if you have a problem that affects your student’s education and you are not sure how to proceed, if you want an independent assessment of the situation, if you need options or if you have questions about education. It is often easier to resolve a conflict when it's brought to the ombudsman at an early stage. However, you may also consult the ombudsman when your efforts to resolve the problem have failed.
What will the ombudsman do?
The ombudsman will listen to you, assess the situation, explain the public education system, research education laws and policies, discuss the situation with school officials (with your permission), facilitate communication among involved parties and present options to move the conflict toward a resolution.
Sometimes problems can’t be resolved exactly the way you would like. However, the ombudsman will do everything possible to help solve the problem or improve the situation.
Is there a cost for this service?
All services provided by OEO are free of cost.
What kinds of problems are appropriate?
Any kind of conflict that affects a student’s academic progress or the learning environment is appropriate. OEO specializes in teaching effective school-family communications and fosters collaborative problem solving rather than win-lose approaches.
What can I expect from the Office of the Education Ombudsman?
OEO’s goal is to provide exceptional customer service and individualized attention to our clients. We will respond to you in a timely manner and treat you courteously and with respect. We will keep you informed of our progress and our efforts to achieve results.
What will I gain from the Office of the Education Ombudsman?
Speaking with the ombudsman can help untangle a complicated situation and uncover alternatives available to the student. In addition to resolving conflict, a goal of the ombudsman is to enhance all parties’ ability to communicate and interact better with each other to support student achievement.
Is the Office of the Education Ombudsman the final recourse?
OEO supplements but does not replace the existing resources for formal conflict resolution in public schools. The ombudsman can give you information about the formal procedures but cannot handle formal grievances.
Do I have to follow the ombudsman's advice?
No. OEO makes no formal or binding decisions. The ombudsman only makes recommendations based on what he/she sees as the most reasonable and fair course of action. However, the ombudsman can bring recommendations to the attention of those with the authority to make systemic changes.
Will the ombudsman participate in formal meetings?
Ombudsmen do not serve as witnesses and do not participate in any formal grievance processes. They can facilitate informal discussions and mediate, but do not take part in disciplinary meetings or conduct formal investigations.
How is confidentiality assured?
OEO holds all communications with those seeking assistance in strict confidence and does not disclose confidential information unless given permission to do so. The only exception is when an Ombudsman determines that there appears to be imminent risk of serious harm to an individual.
To further protect customer privacy, OEO does not do business via e-mail.
Is the Office of the Education Ombudsman my advocate?
Ombudsmen are impartial. They do not advocate for any particular individual. They advocate for fair and equitable processes that support student academic success.
What authority does the Office of the Education Ombudsman have?
Ombudsmen can make recommendations, but do not have authority to force schools or school districts to take a specific action, terminate school personnel or remove elected officials from public office.
What does the Office of the Education Ombudsman make public?
OEO keeps general casework data and publishes reports to the public. These reports present strictly demographic data, with no information that would identify individuals who have used the office. Over the years, data is used to identify trends and patterns and to suggest areas of improvement.
What other services are provided?
In addition to conflict resolution and information about education, OEO offers free publications for families (translated in seven languages) and workshops/trainings for families and educators.