Legal Seminar
MS/HS Principal: Wednesday, February 8, Hyatt Hotel in Green Bay
Middle and High School Principal’s Legal Seminar
12:30 – 4:30 PM
12:30Welcome
12:35Conducting Effective Investigations
MalinaPiontek, AWSA Retained Attorney and Robert Butler, Associate Executive Director and Staff Counsel
Do you know how to respond to a potential employee or student disciplinary issue? This session will address the investigation process step by step, with a focus on the administration and board’s role as well as due process requirements.
1:10Administrator Contracts
MalinaPiontek, AWSA Retained Attorney and Robert Butler, Associate Executive Director and Staff Counsel
You have an administrator contract, but do you know why and what it should or shouldn’t contain? This presentation covers all aspects of administrator contracts, including the drafting of contracts, contract term, application of section 118.24 Wis. Stat. to administrator nonrenewals and State and federal court decisions on administrator contracts.
1:45Break
1:55Policy, Handbook and Activity Codes
Mike Julka, Attorney, Boardman & Clark
For good reasons, Legal Seminars for building administrators often focus upon applicable constitutional, statutory, regulatory, and judicial principles and developments. However, what is often not emphasized is the translation of such legal principles into board policies, employee and student handbooks, and activity codes, oftentimes the governing documents applicable to employees and students within the building. This presentation will specifically address the important role of board policies, handbooks, and activity codes, as well as the legal principles applicable to their interpretation and administration. Emphasis will also be given to some of the areas within building administration where the administrative guidance provided by such policies, handbooks, and codes are of critical importance, such as transgender students, the role of law enforcement in the schools, the scope of expellable offenses, pre-expulsion procedures and options, and parents subject to court orders, to name a few. One of the goals of the presentation is to inform building principals of the areas where policies, handbooks, and activity codes will be most effective in assisting them in their critical role in their buildings.
3:05Break
3:15Law and Technology: Challenges and Solutions for Principals
Kirk Strang, Attorney, and, Shana Lewis, Attorney, Strang, Patteson, Renning, Lewis & Lacy
School administrators confront a number of legal issues related to technology almost daily, some obvious and some less apparent. Staff use of technology can present employment issues and other workplace challenges, and can also be a factor inperformance, communications, and school climate. Students' use of technology also presents challenges for administrators, and can be a factor in pupil discipline, academic integrity, bullying, and any number of other areas. The challenges presented by students can be compounded by the fact that schools deliver educational content through a variety of mediums andalmost universally have students usepersonal devices as part of their educational programs.
This section reviews statutes, cases, and legal principles that define the law in these areas. We will focus on specific problems that principals confront regularly (whether they know it or not!) and on how principals can address them while protecting themselves and the school district at the same time. We'll also consider FAQs and live questions from conference attendees regarding their own experiences and concerns.
Join us for this timely and essential program!
4:25Closing Comments
4:30Adjourn