Posted inLegal

Michigan Student Prevails in First Amendment Claim against Teacher

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] Johnson “Jay” McDowell, a Michigan high school economics teacher, was found in violation of a former student’s First Amendment right to free speech.  The former student, Daniel Glowacki, expressed views that […]

Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, High School, Legal

Michigan High School Bans Athletic Prayer

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] Lahser High School, located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, banned its football team from student-led prayer while on the field.  The ban was instituted as a result of a letter sent by the American […]

Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines

Surviving Teach for America: What I Learned from the Corps

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] As I just finished my two-year commitment with Teach for America, I cannot help but think back on this journey I have just completed.  Never in a million years did I […]

Posted inFeatured, Legal

Supreme Court Rules on Affirmative Action Case

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] On Monday, June 24, 2013, the Supreme Court handed down its ruling in Fisher v. University of Texas, the higher education affirmative action case.  I previously wrote about affirmative action and […]

Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, Legal, Principals' Corner

Testing Pressure Leads to a Criminal Indictment

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] The Atlanta Public School System has been marred in recent years by a state-testing cheating scandal.  On Friday, March 29, 2013, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard issued an indictment against […]

Posted inFeatured, Legal, Special Education, Uncategorized

Planning for the Future: Special Needs Students' Transition Plan

All students, whether in elementary or high school, should have a discussion with their parents or guardians about what they want to do after completing high school.  Students with disabilities are no different.  Except their discussion is required by The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”) and mandates the inclusion of special education teachers, general […]

Posted inLegal, Principals' Corner, Uncategorized

Protecting the Protectors: Limited Liability from Students’ Lawsuits

Teachers have responsibilities beyond the act of just teaching. They must participate in professional development sessions, instruct students using a variety of research-based strategies, and maintain up-to-date student records. One of the most important teacher responsibilities is to maintain a welcoming and safe learning environment. In many teacher evaluation instruments, a teacher is assessed on […]