The School Nutrition Foundation (SNF) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) are co-hosting a free webinar series beginning April 29, 2009 on management of food allergies in the schools. More information is available at SNF. The series continues on May 27 and June 3, with each webinar startiing at 2:30 p.m. EDT and lasting about […]
Free Seminar – May 4, 2009: 7:00-8:30 pm, Monday. Fairfield Public Library, Memorial Room, Second Floor,1080 Old Post Road, Fairfield, CT 06824. This free seminar will address what every parent should know about their child’s basic special education rights in and outside of school. Hear both sides of the story and learn how attorneys representing […]
Parents sue Ohio school over bullied son’s suicide Associated Press; Fri Apr 3, 11:48 am ET MENTOR, Ohio – An Ohio couple has filed a lawsuit saying school officials failed to stop bullying that they claim led to their 17-year-old son’s suicide. The suit was filed in federal court last week, almost two years to the day when Eric […]
A brief review of pending legislation currently awaiting action in the Connecticut legislature: SB 6489: An Act Concerning a Plan for School Resource Officers. This law would be effective 7/1/09, but would require by 1/1/10 the Department of Education, Department of Children and Families, the Judicial Department, and the Connecticut School Resource Officer Association to […]
On March 27, 2009, the United States Department of Education issued a revised version of its document entitled Frequently Asked Questions About Section 504 and the Education of Children with Disabilities, updating it to include new information about the implications of the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments (ADAA) effective January 1, 2009. In addition to the […]
A long-awaited memorandum from the State Department of Education describes in bullet-points the Department’s interpretation of the recent changes to the anti-bullying legislation found in Title 10 of the Connecticut General Statutes, and also adds a further gloss in the form of “best practices” for school districts to follow to improve school climate. Among the […]
In a vote taken April 1, 2009, all 30 of the committee members of the Joint Committee on Education present and voting voted in favor of SB 1142, An Act Concerning State Mandates on School Districts (two members were absent). However, substitute bill language was adopted by the committee addressing only the issue of the […]
On January 29, 2009, President Obama signed into law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (“Ledbetter Act”) into law. Pub. L. No. 111-2. The new law changes litigation of pay discrimination claims in the following ways: (1) Resets the statute of limitations clock for filing a wage claim each time an employee receives a paycheck, benefits, or “other […]
Educators and other interested parties may wish to contact the Education Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly to express support for SB 1142, An Act Concerning Relief of State Mandates on School Districts. Among other provisions, this bill would finally bring Connecticut in line with other states and with the 2005 United States Supreme Court decision […]
In a move patterned after the proposed Employee Free Choice Act, which would apply to private sector employees, the General Assembly’s Labor and Public Employees Committee recently voted favorably (9-2) on a bill that would allow state and municipal employees to unionize without the use of a secret ballot election. HB-6534 would permit a union of […]
