A recent Illinois Appellate Court decision highlights the protections that courts recognize for statements by public employees about coworker misconduct. The case should reassure school district employees who in good faith report misconduct by other employees that their reports will […]
Category: K-12 Education
Governor Quinn Signs Education Reform Legislation
On Monday, June 13, 2011, Governor Quinn signed into law Senate Bill 7, the sweeping education reform bill that is the product of months of negotiations between a broad group of stakeholders that included representatives from both management and labor. The […]
Failure to Respond to Bullying May Deprive Student with a Disability of a Free Appropriate Public Education
In T.K. v. New York City Department of Education, one of the first federal court cases to address the issue, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York ruled that “an effective and appropriate education may be negated […]
Circuit Court Upholds School’s Decision to Bar Student from Participating in Graduation Ceremony
It’s that time of year – finals, prom, senior trips, parties….and senior pranks. Year after year administrators attempt to curb this “perceived” rite of passage for seniors and maintain discipline and order in the school buildings the last few weeks […]
The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) recently issued a memorandum cautioning school districts against requesting proof of immigration status when enrolling students. In a “Dear Colleague” letter, OCR noted that it has become aware of “student enrollment practices that may […]
An Illinois appellate court ruled that school administrators had a duty to warn another school district and its students of the danger of a former teacher who had molested students. The school administrators also had a duty to report such […]
School District is Within Its Authority to Enter Into Intergovernmental Agreement with City to Receive Tax Revenues
An Illinois appellate court recently concluded that an arrangement, in which a school district received real estate transfer tax revenues from the city through an intergovernmental agreement, did not violate the U.S. Constitution or exceed the authority of either the […]
OCR Issues Guidance on Sexual Violence in Primary, Secondary, and Postsecondary Schools
On April 4, 2011, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights issued a Dear Colleague Letter addressing sexual violence in schools. According to the Letter, the requirements of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits sex discrimination […]