The CARES Act creates a $30.75 billion Education Stabilization Fund (the “ESF”) to be administered in part by the United States Department of Education and
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Executive Order Extends Funding, Employment And Preservation of Services for Schools
Introduction
On March 31, 2020, Governor Lamont issued Executive Order No. 7R (“Order 7R”) to address, among other issues, continued funding for boards of education,
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Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA): Practical Implications for Schools as Employers
On March 18, 2020, President Trump signed House Bill 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”), into law. The FFCRA amends portions of the
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CHRO Releases Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Program
Recently, the Legislature passed and the Governor signed two Public Acts that made significant changes to the statutes addressing sexual harassment in the workplace. These
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Insufficient Investigation Allows Lawsuit to Proceed
In recent years male students who were removed from school following a Title IX investigation have sued, claiming that the school’s investigation was unfair and
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Sixth Circuit: Title VII Prohibits Discrimination Based on Transgender and/or Transitioning Status
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 decision finding that the antidiscrimination statute prohibits discrimination against transgender or transitioning individuals even where an employer’s religious exercise may be substantially burdened.
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Statutory Changes to Athletic Trainer Laws: What’s New?
Earlier this summer, the Connecticut General Assembly passed Public Act No. 17-195, An Act Concerning Athletic Trainers (the “Act”), which amended the statute governing the
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High School Sleuths Expose Questionable Credentials of New Principal
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 support from the district school board, but some of the students at the Pittsburg high school were not equally convinced. The student journalists decided to look into the legitimacy of Robertson’s qualifications. As the students investigated Robertson’s educational credentials, what they discovered was quite suspicious and raised red flags about the new principal’s background.
First, the students learned that her university degree came from Corllins University, which operated as a diploma factory of sorts where enrollees could buy the degree of their choice. Later, the Kansas City Star reached out to the U.S. Department of Education and learned that the federal agency had no evidence of Corllins’ operation or closure. Subsequently, the student journalists learned that Robertson had served as Principal at the American Scientific School in Dubai, a school receiving multiple ratings of “unsatisfactory” by Dubai’s education authority, which ultimately closed down in 2013. Armed with revealing information about Robertson’s education and career, the student journalists wrote a news story in their school paper. Days after the release of that story, Robertson resigned.
What lesson can schools take from these Pittsburg students? When considering applicants, especially for positions that require extensive scholarship and experience, schools must do more than check off credentials. An extra search into an applicant’s background can save a school from an embarrassing situation such as that faced in Pittsburg, Kansas.
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Register Now for Teacher Evaluations in Connecticut: Where Are We Now?
It has been nearly five years since the Connecticut General Assembly adopted Public Act 12-116 titled An Act Concerning Educational Reform, and most importantly, made
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Food and Nutrition Service of the USDA Releases New Rule Regarding School Wellness Policies
The Food and Nutrition Service of the United States Department of Agriculture has released its final rule regarding Local School Wellness Policies under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. All local school wellness policies must be compliant with the new rule by June 30, 2017. The new rule requires local educational agencies that participate in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs to update their wellness policies in line with the content requirements outlined in the rule. The new rule also highlights the requirement for local educational agencies to collaborate with community stakeholders in making the required updates to their wellness policies and in implementing the policies. The new rule further provides that local educational agencies must assess the effectiveness of school wellness policies on at least a triennial basis. Finally, under the new rule, each state educational agency will be responsible for evaluating the wellness policies of local educational agencies under its jurisdiction.
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