Writing a Strong Complaint Letter to Your Principal (with Samples)
Use these sample complaint letters to your principal as templates for your formal complain letter.
Last updated on January 16th, 2019
A complaint letter to the principal of a school may be sent by a student, parent of a student or a teacher employed in the school. Most states encourage the student, parent or teacher to first explain their problem to their principal in person before sending a formal complaint letter.
If this doesn’t have the required effect, they should send a letter formally expressing their complaint, with details, and giving a recommendation for a satisfactory resolution.
The principal may attend to complaints, but cannot legally tell others about the steps they have taken. It may be enough for the complainant to know that the issue is being attended to, but if things don’t get better, they may want to consider sending a complaint letter to the superintendent of the school district or the school board.
Before Taking Further Steps
Before taking further steps, the parent or student should call the principal about a week after they have received the letter to learn if any measures are being taken.
A letter from a parent may be sent if their child is having difficulty at school because of bullying from other students, poor teaching methods or improper conduct in class of a teacher. It may be to draw the principal’s attention to an unfair school policy or to one particular incident.
If this doesn’t have the required effect, they should send a letter formally expressing their complaint, with details, and giving a recommendation for a satisfactory resolution.
The principal may attend to complaints, but cannot legally tell others about the steps they have taken. It may be enough for the complainant to know that the issue is being attended to, but if things don’t get better, they may want to consider sending a complaint letter to the superintendent of the school district or the school board.
Before Taking Further Steps
Before taking further steps, the parent or student should call the principal about a week after they have received the letter to learn if any measures are being taken.
A letter from a parent may be sent if their child is having difficulty at school because of bullying from other students, poor teaching methods or improper conduct in class of a teacher. It may be to draw the principal’s attention to an unfair school policy or to one particular incident.
Here is a sample of a letter from a parent that is intended to draw the principal’s attention to the inadequate teaching of a particular teacher. It should be a formal business letter and sent by certified mail, so the parent is sure it was received.
Complaint Letter Sample (from Parent)
Parent’s Name
Parent’s Address
City, State, Zip Code
DATE
Principal’s Name
School’s Name
School’s Address
City, State, Zip Code
Dear Principal’s Name,
This letter is a formal complaint about my child’s, Name of Child, sixth grade teacher, Name of Teacher. It appears that the teacher is not prepared or qualified to teach students at this grade level. I am willing to help my child with his homework, but he never seems to have any. When I ask him if we can go over the daily lessons he is confused about the subject matter.
I have made several appointments to talk to her about Name of Child, but she has cancelled each one. I have visited the school on several occasions and seen her talking on her mobile phone during class time while the students are left unattended.
I am not insisting on a strict regimen at school, but I would like to see my child advance in the subjects required for his grade level. I believe this is not only detrimental for my son and the other students in the class, but it also reflects badly on the school as a whole.
I can be reached at 555-123-4567 or at [email protected] Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Signature of Parent
Printed Name of Parent
Complaint Letter Sample (from Parent)
Parent’s Name
Parent’s Address
City, State, Zip Code
DATE
Principal’s Name
School’s Name
School’s Address
City, State, Zip Code
Dear Principal’s Name,
This letter is a formal complaint about my child’s, Name of Child, sixth grade teacher, Name of Teacher. It appears that the teacher is not prepared or qualified to teach students at this grade level. I am willing to help my child with his homework, but he never seems to have any. When I ask him if we can go over the daily lessons he is confused about the subject matter.
I have made several appointments to talk to her about Name of Child, but she has cancelled each one. I have visited the school on several occasions and seen her talking on her mobile phone during class time while the students are left unattended.
I am not insisting on a strict regimen at school, but I would like to see my child advance in the subjects required for his grade level. I believe this is not only detrimental for my son and the other students in the class, but it also reflects badly on the school as a whole.
I can be reached at 555-123-4567 or at [email protected] Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Signature of Parent
Printed Name of Parent
NOTE:
If a child would like to make a complaint to the principal, he or she may also write a letter. This letter may be hand written, so the child should use his or her best handwriting and check the spelling of words and names. Here is a sample of a letter from a child complaining about the food served in the cafeteria.
It can be hand delivered to the principal or to his or her secretary. If the child hears nothing from the principal after a week, it is recommended that he request an appointment to talk about the issue in person.
Complaint Letter Sample (from a Student)
DATE
Dear Principal’s Name:
My name is NAME and I am in Teacher’s Name sixth grade class. I am writing this letter to inform you about the poor quality of food and service in the cafeteria. Several other students have also noticed this and join me in my complaint. Here is a list of things that we would like changed.
- The food is not covered, and there are always flies hovering over it. This can lead to diseases. Three of my friends who ate in the cafeteria had diarrhea last Tuesday evening.
- We would appreciate a little more variety in the menu choices. We understand that the choices are limited, but it is not very appetizing to have hot dogs three days in a row.
- The cafeteria staff is rude to us when we make selections. We have done our best to be polite, but it hasn’t had any effect on the staffs’ rudeness.
- The garbage cans are not emptied every day. This means there is a bad smell when we enter the cafeteria, and it is unsanitary.
- We believe these complaints are fair and can be fixed if you will take action regarding these matters. Thank you for taking the time to consider our requests.
Sincerely,
Signature of Student
By Andre Bradley