Franczek P.C. strengthened its position as Chicago’s labor and employment law firm with the return of Jason Patterson as a partner and co-chair of the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice Group. Jason rejoins the firm after several years providing in-house […]
Category: Publications
School Law Legislative Update: New Laws in Effect in 2026
January 6, 2026
Happy New Year! As always, the team here at Franczek has been tracking laws impacting schools that have passed in the Illinois legislature over the course of the past year. Below we provide our annual Legislative Update, which addresses those […]
ISBE Releases Revised RTO Guidance
January 6, 2026
The Illinois State Board of Education (“ISBE”) recently released revised guidance on physical restraint, time out, and isolated time out (“RTO”) in schools. The Permanent Regulations for the Use of Isolated Time Out, Time Out, and Physical Restraint: FAQ were […]
Redefining the Line of Title IX: Reminder About Change to Sexual Assault Definition
December 16, 2025
In August 2025, the definition of what constitutes sexual assault under the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) expanded, and as a result impacted the way Title IX Coordinators must evaluate certain incidents for Title IX applicability. NIBRS removed the category of […]
Join us for a timely webinar addressing the Top Ten Questions School Administrators Are Asking About Title IX. From identifying Title IX issues to understanding the nuances of report writing and team training, this session will provide up-to-date guidance on the […]
New Changes to Public Transparency Laws Set to Take Effect Beginning in the New Year
December 5, 2025
On November 21, 2025, the Governor signed into law a bill that modifies the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”), the Open Meetings Act (“OMA”), and the Local Records Act. Now referred to as Public Act 104-0438 (the “Act”), these changes […]
Trump Administration Announces New Agency Partnerships and Moves Key K-12 Education Programming to Department of Labor
December 3, 2025
On November 18, 2025, the Trump Administration announced that it will reassign some of the Department of Education’s key programs, including those involving K-12 education, to the Department of Labor. As described by the Trump Administration, this shift was a […]
Fifty Years of IDEA
December 3, 2025
Fifty years ago, millions of children with disabilities were excluded from public education. Today, how far have we come—and where do we go next? On November 29, 1975, President Gerald Ford signed the Education of All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) […]