November Newsletter - Joint Committee Updates, Principal and Assistant Principal Evaluation, and Reclassification
As we begin to work with the new laws and proposals we are seeing at the bargaining tables, we wanted to offer our thoughts about some of our changed perspectives, as well as some of the issues we have begun to see during bargaining. As with any major change in law, the implications of PERA and the Education Reform Act and follow-up legislation are still being examined, and we continue to uncover new challenges and creative solutions for the new procedures before us.
Education Reform Act
On June 13, Senate Bill 7 became Public Act 97-8, now known as the Education Reform Act, when Governor Quinn signed it into law. The Act follows the Performance Evaluation Reform Act (PERA) of 2010 by connecting teachers’ hiring and dismissal (including reductions in force) to teacher performance evaluation tools required by PERA. In order to accomplish these goals, the law makes major revisions to seven areas of school process.
October Newsletter
The Miller, Tracy, Braun, Funk & Miller, Ltd. Fall 2011 Newsletter is now online. It may be accessed HERE. We cover several topics, including:
Public Act 97-123 Changes Home and Hospital Instruction
Governor Quinn has signed legislation amending the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code (105 ILCS 5/14-13.01). The bill changes the home or hospital instruction requirements from a “must miss” basis to an “anticipated miss” basis.
Federal Court Dismisses Administrator’s Constitutional Arguments on Validity of Contract Due to Lack of Contract Goals
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, recently decided a case where a Superintendent claimed that his 14th Amendment due process rights had been violated when he was dismissed after one year of service without a hearing. 42 U.S.C.
Third Circuit Case on Social Media Websites Limits Schools’ Ability to Punish Students
On June 13, 2011, the United States Court of Appeals Third Circuit issued two en banc opinions concerning school districts’ ability to punish students who created inappropriate Facebook or MySpace profiles parodying teachers. The court held that the school districts could not punish the students because the profiles were created off school property and the First Amendment protects speech that is made outside the school. Further, the profiles
Court of Appeals Affirms Lower Court’s Ruling That High School Coach Was a Volunteer under FLSA
On March 10, 2011, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit found that a School Board in Virginia did not violate the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) when it deemed its golf coach a volunteer within the meaning of the FLSA. Purdham v. Fairfax County Public Schools, 629 F. Supp. 2d 544 (E.D. Va.
Education Reform Act Materials Now Online
Did you miss our seminar on the Illinois Education Reform Act?
Did you not receive one of our handouts?
Did you have questions about some of the topics we discussed?
Teaching 9/11
The Chicago Tribune posted a very interesting article regarding the teaching of 9/11. The article does a good job of addressing some of the topics that the issues might springboard into, as well.