A Teacher's Pocket Guide to School Law (3e)

For educators and policymakers at all levels

For courses in School Law (Educational Administration and Leadership)

An essential resource for all educators and school policy makers, this guide provides vital information on historical and contemporary legal issues affecting the organisation and administration of schools in the United States. Virtually every topic of concern to today’s educators is covered in a practical, easy-to-read organisation and style that’s accessible even to those with little or no knowledge of the legal issues affecting public schools.

Revised chapters in this edition include recent rulings on religion in public schools, social media, Facebook and Twitter challenges, virtual charter schools, administrators’ authority at bus stops, legal aspects of teachers and administrators’ evaluation, teacher performance and misconduct, 504 Rehabilitation plans, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Act, violence and tragedy in U.S. schools, procedures for evaluating and responding to threats, natural disasters and school safety, proposed changes to No Child Left Behind by the White House, use of chaperones for field trips, and new application exercises at the end of each chapter.

• CHAPTER 1 Control of Public Schools
• CHAPTER 2 Instruction and Curriculum Standard
• CHAPTER 3 Religion and Public Schools
• CHAPTER 4 Students, the Law, and Public Schools 
• CHAPTER 5  Due Process and Student Safety
• CHAPTER 6 Liability and Student Records
• CHAPTER 7 Individuals with Disabilities
• CHAPTER 8 The Teacher and School Liability
• CHAPTER 9  Discrimination in Employment
• CHAPTER 10 Teacher Freedoms
• CHAPTER 11 Tenure, Dismissal, and Collective Negotiations
• APPENDIX A Constitution of the United States
• APPENDIX B Summary of Relevant Federal Statutes
• Glossary of Relevant Legal Terms
• Index

NEW! Up-to-date coverage of the latest topics of critical importance in today’s schools:

• NEW! Review of local school district policies—the connections between local policies, statutory, and case law (Ch. 1).
• NEW! Meditation in schools as a mental health exercise versus meditation for religious purposes (Ch. 2).
• NEW! How community norms impact religious conflicts in schools (Ch, 2)
• NEW! Social media, Facebook, and Twitter—the limits within which school personnel should operate as professionals (Ch. 3).
• NEW! Child abuse reporting—greater guidance and clarity on teachers’ obligations to report suspected cases of child abuse (Ch. 3).
• NEW! Updated information on school safety based on recent tragedies in public schools—providing safer schools that foster effective teaching and learning (Ch. 4).
• NEW! Handling disasters and protecting student safety (Ch. 4).
• NEW! Rehabilitation Act Plans—guidance for school personnel in developing legally defensible plans for students covered under the Act (Ch. 5).
• NEW! Administrative control and bus stops—personnel authority and student safety when waiting to board school buses (Ch. 6).
• NEW! Digitalization and integration of student records—confidentiality and electronic transfer of student data within the legal framework of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (Ch. 7).

• Accessible to all educators and policy makers regardless of their familiarity with the legal issues:
  • Compact, practical, and easy-to-use
  • Administrative Guides provide concrete information to help school leaders respond to a myriad of legal challenges they face in their leadership positions.
  • Tables and figures connect chapter content and reinforce and amplify concepts throughout the text.
• Integrates relevant case law rulings, charts, and tables throughout.
  • Readers get concrete knowledge for operating within the boundaries of constitutional, statutory, and case law.
  • Right-to-work states are discussed, providing a context for understanding the complexities surrounding the topic.
  • Expansion of the Charter School movement is discussed, with added information regarding regulatory exemptions, funding provisions, privatisation, facilities, program standards, personnel, and technology.
  • School Desegregation issues and challenges are discussed.
  • Legal issues impacting school funding and the courts’ response to school funding are presented in the Finance chapter.
• Application exercises and case studies:
  • Students see how to apply specific legal knowledge to school issues they’re likely to encounter.
  • Practical guides and in-basket exercises at the end of each chapter help reinforce the concepts.
• Up-to-date coverage of the latest topics of critical importance in today’s schools:
  • Included are discussions on the landmark Supreme Court decision on Title IX Retaliation; a historical discussion of the U.S. Constitution, Federalism, the Separation of Powers, and the Bill of Rights; theories related to breathalysers and when they can be used to test for alcohol consumption; and the conditions under which counselors may maintain confidentiality regarding their professional interactions with students.
  • NEW! Review of local school district policies—the connections between local policies, statutory, and case law
  • NEW! Meditation in schools as a mental health exercise versus meditation for religious purposes
  • NEW! How community norms impact religious conflicts in schools
  • NEW! Social media, Facebook, and Twitter—the limits within which school personnel should operate as professionals
  • NEW! Child abuse reporting—greater guidance and clarity on teachers’ obligations to report suspected cases of child abuse
  • NEW! Updated information on school safety based on recent tragedies in public schools—providing safer schools that foster effective teaching and learning
  • NEW! Handling disasters and protecting student safety
  • NEW! Rehabilitation Act Plans—guidance for school personnel in developing legally defensible plans for students covered under the Act
  • NEW! Administrative control and bus stops—personnel authority and student safety when waiting to board school buses
  • NEW! Digitalisation and integration of student records—confidentiality and electronic transfer of student data within the legal framework of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

Nathan L. Essex is professor of Educational Law and Leadership at the University of Memphis and President of Southwest Tennessee Community College. He received the B.S. degree in English at Alabama A&M University, the M.S. degree in Educational Administration at Jacksonville State University and the Ph.D. degree in Administration and Planning at The University of Alabama.

He has held public school teaching and administrative positions prior to completing the doctorate.  Essex’s interests include law, educational policy and personnel administration.  He has served as consultant for more than 100 school districts and numerous educational agencies.  He served as a policy consultant with the Alabama State Department of Education for twelve years and received numerous awards in recognition of his contributions in the field of education.  He is the recipient of the Truman M. Pierce Award for Educational Leadership and outstanding contributions which advanced the direction of education in the state of Alabama, the Academic Excellence Award in recognition of professional achievement and academic excellence in the research, service, and teaching of education, Capstone College of Education Society, The University of Alabama; Teaching Excellence Award; Distinguished Service Award—Who’s Who in the State of Tennessee, The University of Memphis Distinguished Administrator of the Year 1995-96, “Educator on the Move,” The University of Memphis; Phi Delta Kappa, the President’s award for leadership and service to the community, Youth Services, Inc.; Who’s Who in Corporate Memphis, Grace Magazine; and, President Bush’s Community Service Award, just to name a few.  Essex has published numerous articles, book chapters and newsletters on legal issues.  Many of his works appear in The Administrator’s Notebook, The Horizon, ERS Spectrum, Principal Journal, Compensation Review, The Clearinghouse, The American School Board Journal, American Management Association, Community College Review, Education and Law, and many other professional journals.  Essex has authored a law textbook entitled 200 Legal Questions for Educators which was published by Corwin.  Essex has also published a textbook for public school teachers entitled, Pocket Guide to School Law and a booklet on No Child Left Behind which was published by Allyn & Bacon.  He is highly sought by educators at all levels to share his knowledge and expertise regarding legal and policy issues that impact educational organizations.