Archives: Board of Education, Generally

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SEE YOU IN COURT! – October 2018

Mr. Chairperson has had his hands full with two new members of the Nutmeg Board of Education. Mal Content and Chrissie Critical were elected to the Board just last November, but they quickly started antagonizing Mr. Chairperson and the other … Read more

SEE YOU IN COURT! – September 2018

By Thomas B. Mooney on September 4, 2018 Posted in Board of Education, Generally, CABE Journal Columns, Most Recent Columns, Public Schools, Publications and Alerts

The glory days for Nutmeg Knights Football were long gone, the last winning season having been in 2003. But Coach Rock, the beleaguered long-time Knights coach, soldiered on. Calls for change grew shriller, however, as the Knights dropped their first … Read more

SEE YOU IN COURT! – July/August 2018

By Thomas B. Mooney on August 1, 2018 Posted in Board of Education, Generally, CABE Journal Columns, Most Recent Columns, Public Schools, Publications and Alerts

Bob Bombast was watching “Fox News” on June 27 when the scroll at the bottom of the screen caught his eye. “Supreme Court strikes down agency fees; deals big blow to public sector unions!!” Though Bob had chaired the Personnel … Read more

SEE YOU IN COURT! – June 2018

By Thomas B. Mooney on June 1, 2018 Posted in Board of Education, Generally, CABE Journal Columns, Finances, Most Recent Columns, Public Schools, Publications and Alerts

The Nutmeg Board of Education finally has a budget for the 2018-2019 school year. Difficult as the process was, however, the hard work for the Board of Education was now beginning. Somehow, somewhere, the Nutmeg Board of Education must find … Read more

Massachusetts’ Supreme Court Finds Colleges May Face Liability for Student Suicide Under Certain Circumstances

By Julie C. Fay, Leander A. Dolphin and Melika S. Forbes on May 23, 2018 Posted in Board of Education, Generally, Board Organization, Authority and Responsibilities, Colleges and Universities, Independent Schools, Liability, Public Schools, Responsibilities, Students, Superintendents, Supervision of Students

Earlier this month, Massachusetts’ highest court ruled favorably for Massachusetts Institute of Technology (“MIT”) and three school officials in a wrongful death lawsuit closely watched by educational institutions for close to a decade. The court found that while a special … Read more

SEE YOU IN COURT! – May 2018

By Thomas B. Mooney on May 1, 2018 Posted in Board of Education, Generally, CABE Journal Columns, Most Recent Columns, Public Schools, Publications and Alerts

Bob Bombast, veteran member of the Nutmeg Board of Education, was surprised to see a work team and a backhoe on the grounds of Median Middle School. So surprised in fact that he parked his car and walked over to … Read more

SEE YOU IN COURT! – April 2018

By Thomas B. Mooney on April 3, 2018 Posted in Board of Education, Generally, Board Organization, Authority and Responsibilities, CABE Journal Columns, Freedom of Information, Most Recent Columns, Public Schools, Publications and Alerts

After serving as Chairperson of the Nutmeg Board of Education for six long years, Mr. Chairman announced unexpectedly at the last meeting in February that his company had transferred him to Illinois. At what would be his last meeting, Mr. … Read more

Sixth Circuit: Title VII Prohibits Discrimination Based on Transgender and/or Transitioning Status

By Anne H. Littlefield and Melika S. Forbes on March 12, 2018 Posted in Board of Education, Generally, Board Organization, Authority and Responsibilities, Colleges and Universities, Discrimination, Employer Obligations, Employer Responsibilities, Independent Schools, Liability, Public Schools, Religion and the Schools, Responsibilities, Rights of Teachers, Superintendents, Teacher Employment, Evaluation and Dismissal

Less than one week after the Second Circuit Court of Appeals held that Title VII’s prohibition on sex discrimination bars discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals issued its own landmark Title VII … Read more

SEE YOU IN COURT! – March 2018

By Thomas B. Mooney on March 1, 2018 Posted in Board of Education, Generally, Board Organization, Authority and Responsibilities, CABE Journal Columns, Most Recent Columns, Public Schools, Publications and Alerts

Mark Millennial was recently elected to the Nutmeg Board of Education. More than ten years younger than any of the other Board members, Mark brings a new approach to Board service. His presence on social media is far more extensive … Read more

Equal Access in the Digital Age: OCR Ramps Up Investigations into Website Accessibility

By Leander A. Dolphin, Laura Fisher and Benjamin FrazziniKendrick on September 12, 2017 Posted in Board of Education, Generally, Colleges and Universities, Public Schools, Rights of Students, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Consider the fact that we now live in a digital age, with limitless information at our fingertips, accessible (to many of us) with a few keystrokes or a simple voice command into our now ubiquitous cell phones. Now consider that, … Read more

Webinar: Board Member Boot Camp – Board Member Conduct: Empowering Good Behavior/Dealing with Bad Behavior

By Gary R. Brochu on September 12, 2017 Posted in Board of Education, Generally, Board Organization, Authority and Responsibilities, Public Schools, Seminars and Events

Join Shipman & Goodwin attorney Gary Brochu on September 22, 2017 for this complimentary webinar where he will discuss Board Member Conduct: Empowering Good Behavior/Dealing with Bad Behavior.

In addition to legal and procedural guidelines and requirements as to how … Read more

U.S. Department of Education Announces Intention to Review and Replace Title IX Regulations Concerning Sexual Harassment and Violence

By Leander A. Dolphin and Melika S. Forbes on September 8, 2017 Posted in Board of Education, Generally, Board Organization, Authority and Responsibilities, Colleges and Universities, Liability, Public Schools, Responsibilities, Rights of Students, Students, Superintendents, Supervision of Students

On Thursday, in a speech by U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy Devos, the Department announced that it would undertake a review of its current Title IX enforcement guidance concerning campus-based sexual harassment and violence. Particularly, Ms. DeVos notified stakeholders … Read more

Connecticut Supreme Court Issues Decision in Munn v. Hotchkiss

By Julie C. Fay and Melika S. Forbes on August 14, 2017 Posted in Board of Education, Generally, Board Organization, Authority and Responsibilities, Colleges and Universities, Independent Schools, Liability, Public Schools, Responsibilities, Rights of Students, Students, Superintendents, Supervision of Students

On Friday, the Connecticut Supreme Court issued its long-awaited ruling in Munn v. Hotchkiss School, the case involving a private school student who contracted tick-borne encephalitis on a school-sponsored trip to China. In its ruling, the Supreme Court found unanimously … Read more

Shipman & Goodwin Hosts Annual Law Day Event

By Alyce Alfano, Benjamin FrazziniKendrick and Christopher Engler on May 10, 2017 Posted in Board of Education, Generally, Board Organization, Authority and Responsibilities, Public Schools, S&G News, Students

On May 3, 2017, Connecticut area high school students learned firsthand about the legal profession at Shipman & Goodwin’s Law Day 2017, an annual event designed to give students from diverse backgrounds an inside view of life at a law … Read more

Fourth Circuit Reverses Preliminary Injunction in Transgender Student Rights Case; Adds its Two Cents

By Gwen J. Zittoun and Laura Fisher on April 28, 2017 Posted in Board of Education, Generally, Board Organization, Authority and Responsibilities, Colleges and Universities, Federal and State Role in Education, Public Schools, Rights of Students, Students

In March of 2017, the Supreme Court of the United States remanded the high profile transgender student rights case, Gloucester County School Board v. G.G. ex rel. Grimm, no 16-273, to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals for further … Read more

High School Sleuths Expose Questionable Credentials of New Principal

By Anne H. Littlefield and Ashley L. Marshall on April 24, 2017 Posted in Board of Education, Generally, Board Organization, Authority and Responsibilities, Employer Obligations, Employer Responsibilities, Employment of Teachers, Public Schools, Responsibilities, Teacher Employment, Evaluation and Dismissal

Earlier this month in the city of Pittsburg, Kansas, a group of curious student journalists raised serious questions about the credentials of their newly hired principal, Amy Robertson. According to the Kansas City Star, Robertson had received 100 percent … Read more

Gary Brochu Presents at NSBA Meeting on a Board of Education’s Path to Excellence

By Gary R. Brochu on April 10, 2017 Posted in Board of Education, Generally, Board Organization, Authority and Responsibilities, Public Schools, S&G News, Seminars and Events

On March 25, 2017, Shipman & Goodwin attorney Gary Brochu delivered a presentation entitled “From Awful to Award Winning: One Board’s Path to Excellence” at the National School Boards Association meeting in Denver, Colorado. Gary has presented numerous times at … Read more

Last Chance to Register! Webinar: Board Member Boot Camp – Conducting BOE Hearings

By Gary R. Brochu on March 27, 2017 Posted in Board of Education, Generally, Board Organization, Authority and Responsibilities, Public Schools, Seminars and Events

There’s still time to register for this complimentary webinar offered to board of education members and chairs.

One of the responsibilities of serving on a board of education is serving as a hearing panelist. Boards of education are statutorily and … Read more

Webinar: Board Member Boot Camp – Conducting BOE Hearings

By Gary R. Brochu on March 8, 2017 Posted in Board of Education, Generally, Board Organization, Authority and Responsibilities, Public Schools, Seminars and Events

One of the responsibilities of serving on a board of education is serving as a hearing panelist. Boards of education are statutorily and often contractually required to conduct hearings, placing board members in a new and often unfamiliar role.

Join … Read more

Webinar Recap: Your Guide to Robert’s Rules of Order

By Gary R. Brochu on March 2, 2017 Posted in Board of Education, Generally, Board Organization, Authority and Responsibilities, Public Schools, Responsibilities, Seminars and Events

On January 26^th Attorney Gary Brochu provided another webinar in the Board Member Boot Camp webinar series. The focus of the latest webinar was the conducting of board of education meetings utilizing Robert’s Rules. The webinar provided a framework … Read more

State Department of Education Addresses Immigration Executive Order

By Linda L. Yoder and Benjamin FrazziniKendrick on February 2, 2017 Posted in Board of Education, Generally, Board Organization, Authority and Responsibilities, Federal and State Role in Education, Liability, Public Schools, Residency and School Attendance, Responsibilities, Rights of Students, Students, Superintendents

On January 30, 2017, the Connecticut State Department of Education (“CSDE”) released a memorandum titled, “Guidance for Districts Regarding Refugee Students,” in response to an Executive Order signed on January 27, 2017, restricting immigration into the United States. … Read more

Oral Argument Presented in Supreme Court Case Addressing the Level of Educational Benefit that must be Provided under IDEA

By Benjamin FrazziniKendrick and Peter J. Maher on January 20, 2017 Posted in Board of Education, Generally, Board Organization, Authority and Responsibilities, Federal and State Role in Education, Finances, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Public Schools, Responsibilities, Rights of Students, Special Education, Students

On January 11, 2017, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in the case of Endrew F. ex rel. Joseph F. v. Douglas County School District RE 1, Docket No. 15-187, to address the level of benefit a school … Read more

Last Chance to Register! Board Meets World: A Board Member’s Guide to Working With Stakeholders

By Richard A. Mills, Rebecca R. Santiago and Benjamin FrazziniKendrick on December 9, 2016 Posted in Board of Education, Generally, Board Organization, Authority and Responsibilities, Freedom of Information, Public Schools, Responsibilities, Seminars and Events

There’s still time to register for this complimentary seminar offered to board of education members.

School Law attorneys Richard A. Mills, Rebecca Rudnick Santiago and Benjamin P. FrazziniKendrick will provide board members with best practices and guidance regarding effective … Read more

Register Now for Board Meets World: A Board Member’s Guide to Working With Stakeholders

By Leander A. Dolphin, Richard A. Mills, Rebecca R. Santiago, Melika S. Forbes, Benjamin FrazziniKendrick and Christopher A. Tracey on November 21, 2016 Posted in Board of Education, Generally, Board Organization, Authority and Responsibilities, Freedom of Information, Public Schools, Responsibilities, Seminars and Events

This workshop will provide board of education members with best practices and guidance regarding effective board operation with respect to internal governance, administration, school staff, students and the public (including parents and constituents).

Workshop topics will include:

Fostering positive and