Materials for our 2017 Firm Workshop, How to Conduct an Investigation, are now online. They can be located here:
http://millertracy.com/sites/default/files/Firm%20Workshop%20Handouts%20...
http://millertracy.com/sites/default/files/2017%20Firm%20Workshop%20Pres...
With new proposed rules for requirements for student growth (which have recently undergone proposed revisions), the Illinois State Board of Education has provided additional clarity on the implementation of student growth for schools that fail to reach agreement with their joint committees. As the rules continue to be developed and modified, Miller, Tracy, Braun, Funk & Miller Ltd. is committed to keeping you posted on the developments.
With the first districts now having been notified of required compliance with full Performance Evaluation Reform Act ("PERA") student growth-based evaluations, the Illinois State Board of Education has clarified the requirements with new rules. According to the rules, a PERA-compliant evaluation must contain a Student Learning Objective Process, which organizes evidence of student growth over a defined p
Two new pieces of legislation were passed in Illinois this summer that are expanding the responsibilities of school districts as they relate to bullying inside and outside of the education setting.
In December 2013, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit issued a decision balancing the First Amendment rights of a school counselor against the public school district's interest in providing effective counseling services - deciding that the school's interest in providing effective counseling outweighed the First Amendment rights of the employee.
In a December 2013 decision, the First District Appellate Court of Illinois limited a union's ability to request information about students as a part of the duty to bargain in good faith. Educational employers' statutory duty to bargain in good faith includes an obligation on the part of the employer to provide the union with information upon request.
As your administrations and boards are wrapping up the year and preparing for next year, we wanted to give you a quick run-down of new and nearly new tasks created by the law that should not be forgotten for next year:
The United States Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a new Dear Colleague Letter
Public Act 97-827 amended the Open Meetings Act to make clear the requirements for posting an agenda at least 48 hours prior to the meeting, adding specifically:
As discussed in our last update, and pursuant to Section 24A-15 of the Illinois School Code and 23 Ill.Admin.Code 50.300, each school district must have a PERA-compliant evaluation plan for principals and assistant principals in place no later than September 1, 2012.
