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Issue 14 · November 19,
2012
Student
Loan Forgiveness or Cancellation for Hard-to-Find Teachers
To attract qualified teachers to underserved areas or segments of
the teaching profession, the Department of Education is offering
financial incentives in the form of student loan forgiveness and
cancellation. Q&As shed light on teacher eligibility and
related matters.
Teaching
"Soft Skills" for Student Workforce Readiness
A lot of young people enter the workforce without certain
behavioral competencies -- like good diction, enthusiasm, and a
positive attitude. A set of six short videos helps educators,
employers, and others teach the "soft skills" that young
workers will need to succeed.
Expert Online
Briefings for School Leaders
Just Click to
Register!
FMLA
Compliance: Special Rules for Schools
Wednesday,
December 5, 2012, 1 PM Eastern
The Family and Medical Leave Act includes tailored requirements for
teachers and instructional employees, who generally don't work
year-round and whose workdays may include both paid and unpaid
time. Failing to apply the FMLA correctly creates substantial legal
and compliance risks for schools and school districts.
Student
Discipline: Understanding the Many Complicated Constitutional and
Statutory Requirements
Wednesday,
December 12, 2012 @ 1 PM Eastern
Disciplining students, especially those who have disabilities, has
all sorts of constitutional, statutory, and legal ramifications.
You can control your legal risks if you have the basic facts about
due process, the right to a public education, and compliance with
federal and state laws when imposing discipline to manage student
behavior.
Student
Athletics in Secondary Schools: Practical and Legal Issues
Thursday,
January 17, 2013 @ 1 PM Eastern
Aside from their manifest benefits, secondary school athletics
involve risks and liabilities. This webinar will cover athlete
injuries, liability issues, Title IX, sexual abuse, traumatic head
injuries, waivers and informed consent forms, and how to deal with
it all.
School
Bullying: How to Build a Bully-Free Campus and Staff
Thursday,
January 24, 2013 @ 1 PM Eastern
About one-third of students are bullied each year, and even adults
can be bullied in a school setting (remember the school bus monitor
who was brought to tears by her young tormentors). This briefing
will examine the nature of bullying and describe the steps that
visionary schools are taking to become no-bully zones.
Childhood
Immunizations: Strategies for Overcoming Growing Parental
Reluctance and Maintaining Public Health
Thursday,
February 14, 2013 @ 1 PM Eastern
The public health success of childhood vaccination has fostered
complacency in some parents; others believe the risks outweigh the
benefits. School nurses should be empowered to become
"immunization champions," educating parents and helping
maintain high vaccination coverage rates to promote a healthy
school environment for all. This webinar is recommended for both
administrators and school health personnel.
Did You Miss Something?
Webinars Are Now Accessible on CD!
What if you have a time conflict and can't participate
in a webinar of interest on its scheduled date and time? Don't
worry. You can still take advantage of our CD option. Soon after
completion of each webinar, the program will be available on CD. Click
here for the complete listing and future
ordering information.
Book Club Bonus Points
Misappropriated
A middle school teacher has learned a hard lesson about
sharing. The teacher, with more than 20 years of service with the
Lakeside School District in Arkansas, was terminated after a
dispute escalated over who was entitled to the bonus points awarded
for purchases made from the Scholastic Book Club.
The money used for the book purchases came from a
combination of sources: school funds, money from students and other
teachers, and money from the teacher herself. The teacher, in whose
name the account was held, placed the orders and received bonus
points for the purchases, which she redeemed for a variety of goodies
including a DVD player, two 27-inch television sets, and a
microwave oven. The only problem was that the teacher laid personal
claim to the items.
When the first of the items, the DVD player, arrived at
the school, the principal questioned the teacher about its
instructional purpose, to which the teacher replied that the player
and other items were for her personal use because the bonus points
were earned on her account. The principal asked the superintendent
how to handle the matter, who told the principal to inform the
teacher that, because the bonus points were earned from money that
came from the students and the school district, the items did not
belong to her and the order must be cancelled.
The teacher objected, reportedly refusing to cancel the
order and telling the principal that the superintendent was
"full of crap" and that "this school sucks."
The dispute continued, with other parties overhearing heated
exchanges between the teacher and principal. The dispute ended up
before the superintendent, who concluded that, in addition to using
school resources for personal gain, the teacher had been
disrespectful, sarcastic, and untruthful when questioned about the
situation.
The superintendent terminated the teacher for, among
other things, violating the school district's personnel policy
manual, which states that "[s]upplies and materials purchased
with school funds, or for which the teacher is reimbursed with
school funds, are school property, and should remain on school
property."
The teacher appealed her dismissal all the way through
the school district and to the courts. She lost each step of the
way, including when the case was heard by the Arkansas Court of
Appeals. That court concluded that the school district had
satisfied the requirements of the Arkansas Teacher Fair Dismissal
Act. One of the teacher's arguments was that the school district
had no written personnel policies specifically addressing the use
of bonus points. However, the appeals court ruled that,
"Appellant's argument that the school district was required to
include a written policy about such a minor topic as bonus points
in its personnel manual is not persuasive."
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