School Law

The historical and contemporary legal issues affecting the organization and administration of schools in America today are essential subjects for its public and private K-12 teachers. This course is about applying concrete, specific legal knowledge to the real issues and challenges teachers face every day in the classroom and in and around the school. Topics include: recent rulings on religion in public schools, social media, Facebook and Twitter challenges, charter schools, legal aspects of teachers and administrators’ evaluation, teacher performance and misconduct, 504 Rehabilitation plans, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Act, violence and tragedy in U.S. schools, procedures for evaluating and responding to threats, natural disasters and school safety, and proposed changes to No Child Left Behind by the White House.