Stop the killingBy Hon. Ann Breen-GrecoAlternative Dispute Resolution, May 2012Many schools have ADR practices written into their Code of Conduct but somehow it is not working as well as it should.
Doe-3 v. White: Illinois Supreme Court to decide school district liabilityBy Roland R. CrossEducation Law, February 2012The basic issue raised in this case, which Illinois school districts face on a routine basis, centers around what information a school district can or should provide to successor districts that contemplate hiring teachers who previously served in the initial district.
New education lawsBy Phil MilskEducation Law, February 2012A summary of noteworthy education and related legislation that recently went into effect in Illinois.
The Spircoff loophole to the Peterson bar to retroactive college educational expensesBy Michael W. KalcheimFamily Law, December 2011After Petersen and Spircoff, practitioners must be extremely careful in drafting college expense provisions. When the provisions are examined when the children reach college age, the court will presume that the drafter was aware of both cases and their meaning.
Case dismissed when plaintiff fails to sign settlement agreementBy Michael R. LiedLabor and Employment Law, October 2011In this case, the parties intended to enter into a settlement agreement and did so at the conclusion of an April 25, 2009 conference. In fact, the plaintiff affirmed her understanding of the settlement terms and indicated her acceptance of those terms on the record.
Case note: SPEED District 802 v. Warning, No. 108785 (Ill. Sup. Ct. 2/25/11)By JoAnn G. LimEducation Law, October 2011Reversing the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board and the appellate court’s decisions, the IL Supreme Court ruled that the District did not commit an unfair labor practice when it did not renew teacher's contract.
Community schools: A model for successBy Melissa MitchellEducation Law, October 2011The author argues that Illinois should adopt the community school model statewide.
Seventh Circuit certifies questions to Illinois Supreme Court on tenured teachers’ recall rightsBy Roland R. CrossEducation Law, October 2011The Court of Appeals concluded that the Illinois Supreme Court should be offered the opportunity to review the construction and application of Illinois law on the issue surrounding tenured teachers’ recall rights and certified three questions to the court.
Transfer of funds from Life Safety to Operations and MaintenanceBy Walter J. ZukowskiEducation Law, June 2011A look at the new amendment to the Illinois School Code, which allows a school board to transfer surplus life safety taxes and interest earnings thereon to the operations and maintenance fund for building repair work.
Dumber than dirtBy Phillip B. LenziniLocal Government Law, November 2010A look at the recent case of Board of Education of Auburn Community Unit School District No. 10 v. Ill. Department of Revenue etc. et al.
A review of key legal considerations for layoffs and furloughs at public colleges and universitiesBy Robert T. Bernstein, Mark W. Bennett, & David A. MooreEducation Law, September 2010University and college administrators, human resources professionals and lawyers must play close attention to the legal and practical issues that are unique to each university or college and each group of employees.
Who is going to pay for college?By Kelli E. GordonFamily Law, August 2010College expenses can really add up. This article offers some considerations when attempting to determine how parents can split the costs.
Case update: Forest Grove School District v. T.A.By Mary Kay KlimeshEducation Law, September 2009The United States Supreme Court recently interpreted the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendments of 1997 and whether its provisions required a public school district to reimburse parents for the costs of their unilateral placement of their child in a private school, even when the school district had determined the child to be ineligible for special education services.
Case update: Safford Unified School District v. ReddingBy Phil MilskEducation Law, September 2009Thirteen year-old Savana Redding, an 8th grade student in Safford, Arizona, with no previous disciplinary history at the school, was subjected to a strip search by school employees at the direction of a school administrator after another student told the administrator that Savana had given her a prescription-strength ibuprofen pill.
Alternative method for enrolling grandchildren in local school district proposedBy Ford C. JuneElder Law, July 2009Oftentimes, grandparents are called upon to take care of their grandchildren for extended periods of time. If the parent lives in a different school district than the grandparent, the grandparent’s school district will often request the grandparent to become the grandchild’s guardian.
Does a Board of Education have standing to bring Administrative Review complaint?By Patti Gregory-ChangAdministrative Law, March 2009In the case of The Board of Education of Bremen High School District No. 228 v. Mitchell, the Appellate Court tackled the issue of who has standing to appeal an agency decision pursuant to the Administrative Review Law.
Case notesBy David J. Braun & Rachel E. ClarkEducation Law, January 2009A look at the cases of Hansen v. Board of Trustees of Hamilton Southeastern School Corp. and Bremen High School Dist. No. 228 v. Mitchell.
State Board of Education news: ISBE advice to the fieldBy Darren ReisbergEducation Law, December 2008School administrators and others are aware that ISBE issues “guidance” in the form of guidance letters, guidance documents, and newsletter articles.
State legislative updateBy Phil MilskEducation Law, December 2008The following measures have either been signed into law in 2008 or could be enacted prior to the conclusion of the current session of the Illinois General Assembly on January 14, 2009.
Student discipline hearingsBy Phil MilskChild Law, December 2008The concept of the traditional family, typically a marital union between opposite-sex individuals and their children, is rapidly shifting.
ISBA Lawyers in Classrooms – An Invitation to Make A Difference!Education Law, October 2008As part of our initiative to make a difference in the lives of Illinois students, and to assist in expanding diversity in the legal profession, you are invited to go back to school and speak to students on law-related topics.
A principal’s guide to Internet policies & electronic communicationsBy Brian D. Schwartz, Dr. Larry Janes, & Kenneth ReedEducation Law, October 2008The purpose of this article is to bring school administrators up to date on the legal and practical aspects of monitoring and regulating computer use within the schoolhouse gates.
