Demonstrating that at least some arbitrators understand the constraints on municipal employers caused by the recession, a panel of arbitrators chaired by Arbitrator Susan Meredith has declined to award a non-certified bargaining unit in the Town of Sterling any wage increase for the 2009-10 fiscal year. It also awarded a 2.5% increase for 2008-09 and a […]
The Department of Justice has just released guidance to help schools examine and respond to the issue of school bullying. In light of Connecticut’s strong anti-bullying laws and its new requirements that schools implement proactive strategies and conduct annual in-service training for certified staff on the topic, administrators are encouraged to view in its entirety […]
The 2009 Connecticut General Assembly has adjourned leaving in its wake seventeen new legislative acts pertaining to education. The 2009 legislation passed by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor focuses largely on health, safety and environmental related issues among other areas and ranges from an act requiring the use of green cleaning products […]
Last week, the Supreme Court decided Safford Unified School District #1 et. al. v. Redding, the “strip-search” case. The Supreme Court followed the precedent it created in New Jersey v. T.L.O., which set forth the reasonable suspicion standard for school searches, ultimately holding that the strip-search of the student in this case was unreasonable and violated the Fourth Amendment. Under T.L.O.’s reasonable suspicion […]
The Supreme Court ruling in the Forest Grove School District v. T.A. case was released this week. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t see this ruling as changing much of anything in the world of special education disputes, at least as far as Connecticut is concerned. Essentially, the Supreme Court ruled that 20 U.S.C. 1415(i)(2)(C)(iii) continues […]
A free curriculum is available from the National School Boards Association (NSBA) to address cyberbullying issues at NSBA. NSBA partnered with a group called CyberSmart to produce this curriculum (reported to be “research-based” for those concerned about those things), and it is described on the NSBA website as addressing all of the major issues: In developing these lessons, […]
The School Nutrition Foundation (SNF) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) are co-hosting a free webinar series beginning April 29, 2009 on management of food allergies in the schools. More information is available at SNF. The series continues on May 27 and June 3, with each webinar startiing at 2:30 p.m. EDT and lasting about […]
Free Seminar – May 4, 2009: 7:00-8:30 pm, Monday. Fairfield Public Library, Memorial Room, Second Floor,1080 Old Post Road, Fairfield, CT 06824. This free seminar will address what every parent should know about their child’s basic special education rights in and outside of school. Hear both sides of the story and learn how attorneys representing […]
Parents sue Ohio school over bullied son’s suicide Associated Press; Fri Apr 3, 11:48 am ET MENTOR, Ohio – An Ohio couple has filed a lawsuit saying school officials failed to stop bullying that they claim led to their 17-year-old son’s suicide. The suit was filed in federal court last week, almost two years to the day when Eric […]
A brief review of pending legislation currently awaiting action in the Connecticut legislature: SB 6489: An Act Concerning a Plan for School Resource Officers. This law would be effective 7/1/09, but would require by 1/1/10 the Department of Education, Department of Children and Families, the Judicial Department, and the Connecticut School Resource Officer Association to […]
