E 7239

Educational Law: The District

Fall I 2007

INSTRUCTOR:

STAFF

PHONE:

EMAIL:

FAX:

ALT PHONE:

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Title / AmericanPublic School Law
Author(s) / Alexander, K. & Alexander M.D.
Copyright / 2005
Publisher / Thomson/Wadsworth Publishing
ISBN / 0534274242
Edition / 6th
Title / Cases in Educational Administration
Author(s) / Merseth, K.
Copyright / 1997
Publisher / Longman
ISBN / 0673990036
Edition

This Course Requires the Purchase of a Course Packet: YES NO

Course Description:

This course examines the legal framework of the public school district. It discusses laws, policies and procedures that impact district employees, students, curriculum, and contractual agreements. Through discussions on theory and examples in case law, each module of the course is designed to inform the student and provoke thought about the legal ramifications of school district administration.

Course Prerequisites: None

Course Length: 8 WEEKS

Credit Value: 3

Contact Hours: 45

Technology

Computer:

PC: As a general guideline students should not have computer specifications less than a Pentium III CPU, Windows 2000 or XP, and 512 MB RAM.
MAC: As a general guideline students should not have computer specifications less than a MAC G4 processor, MAC OS X, and 512 MB RAM.

Software:

Microsoft Office Professional (including Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Access and Outlook), Norton Antivirus, Adobe Acrobat Professional3

Peripherals: N/A

Browser:

Courses offered online are best viewed using Microsoft Internet Explorer v5.5/6.0 (PC), v5.2 (MAC), Safari 1.0 (MAC), or Firefox

Course Competencies:

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

  • Critique federal constitutional provisions, which apply to the school district.
  • Examine the federal statutory and regulatory provisions, which influence the school districts.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the rights and responsibilities of trustees, administrators, staff, faculty, and students, and the role of government and community in education law.
  • Analyze state constitutional, statutory and regulatory provisions governing school districts.
  • Analyze tort and contract liability as it relates to the operation of school districts.
  • Present educational information orally and in writing using appropriate media and technology that is concise, organized, well supported, and in a professional manner appropriate to the audience.
  • Access information from a variety of credible sources and apply that information to the solution of educational problems relevant to the improvement of school districts today.

Topical Outline:

Module 1 School Districts: The Legal Framework

  • Course Overview
  • Module Overview
  • Sources of Law
  • System of Courts and Appeals
  • Federal, State, and Local Governance
  • Case Analysis Methodology
  • Researching Legal Cases

Module 2 Church and State

  • Module Overview
  • Separation of Church and State
  • The Instructional Program

Module 3 Student Rights

  • Module Overview
  • Freedom of Speech and Expression
  • Due Process Rights
  • Rights of Students with Disabilities

Module 4 Desegregation and Attendance

  • Module Overview
  • Desegregation
  • School Attendance

Module 5 Torts

  • Module Overview
  • Tort Liability
  • Defamation
  • Immunity

Module 6 Teacher Employment

  • Module Overview
  • Teacher Contracts
  • Tenure and Dismissal
  • Collective Bargaining

Module 7 Teacher Rights

  • Module Overview
  • Speech and Privacy
  • Due Process Rights
  • Discrimination

Module 8 Course Summary

  • Module Overview
  • Project Presentation
  • Course Summary

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