Related to: Public School
Schools need not choose between keeping their school community safe and complying with the law, Department Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a letter accompanying newly released guidance documents from the U.S. Department of Education. Schools can both protect students’ rights and respond to safety concerns by providing behavioral supports and imposing discipline in a non-discriminatory…
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On June 15, 2022, the Seventh Circuit issued its decision in N.J v. Sonnabend, holding that schools must apply the test from Tinker v. Des Moines prior to restricting students from wearing clothing depicting firearms. Through this decision, the Sonnabend Court has resolved conflicting decisions within the Eastern District of Wisconsin. In addition to reversing…
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On June 27, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court rendered a 6-3 decision in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, 597 U.S. ___ (2022), where it held the Free Exercise and Free Speech Clauses of the First Amendment protects an individual engaging in sincerely motivated religious exercise and private speech from government punishment. The Court ultimately found…
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To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights released proposed amendments to its Title IX regulations for public comment on June 23, 2022. According to OCR, “The proposed regulations reflect the Department’s commitment to give full effect to Title…
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On Friday July 9, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) relaxed its guidance on mask-wearing within K-12 schools, advising that vaccinated teachers and students no longer need to wear masks inside school buildings. In anticipation of the 2021-2022 school year, the CDC published new guidelines, highlighting the need for flexible, context-specific decision-making…
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As the 2020-21 school year drew to a close, public and private schools across the state began receiving an influx of inquiries from parents, community members, and the media regarding the issue of “critical race theory” and curriculum. Public school districts have received various public records requests from citizens and organizations regarding any such curriculum…
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On June 23, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L., finding in favor of the student plaintiff (B.L.) in a highly anticipated school speech case. The Supreme Court held that, though public schools may have a special interest in regulating certain off-campus student speech, the interests offered…
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Today, on June 11, 2021, in the matter of James v. Heinrich, 2021 WI 58, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that that local health officers do not have the statutory power to close schools under Wisconsin Statute § 252.03. Additionally, because the schools involved in the case were private religious institutions, the Court held that…
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Happy National Special Education Day! Today commemorates the anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (formerly the Education for all Handicapped Children Act) being signed into law in 1975. This was truly a historic milestone. Until then, many children with disabilities were excluded from school. The IDEA was enacted to ensure that every child…
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Discipline is a school’s system designed to minimize disruption and promote positive social interaction. This is achieved through behavior management techniques such as positive reinforcement, social skills training, and development of problem-solving and decision-making skills, as well as punishment. Districts must still carry out discipline during remote and hybrid learning but, like everything else during…
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