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Connecticut Education Law Blog

2009 Legislative Session Closes with Seventeen Education Related Bills Passed; New Legislation Requires Boards to Take on More Responsibilities for Student Health, Safety and Environmental Related Issues in Schools

The 2009 Connecticut General Assembly has adjourned leaving in its wake seventeen new legislative acts pertaining to education. The 2009 legislation passed by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor focuses largely on health, safety and environmental related issues among other areas and ranges from an act requiring the use of green cleaning products […]

Strip Search by School Officials Was Unconstitutional

Last week, the Supreme Court decided Safford Unified School District #1 et. al. v. Redding, the “strip-search” case. The Supreme Court followed the precedent it created in New Jersey v. T.L.O., which set forth the reasonable suspicion standard for school searches, ultimately holding that the strip-search of the student in this case was unreasonable and violated the Fourth Amendment. Under T.L.O.’s reasonable suspicion […]

Much Ado About Nothing

The Supreme Court ruling in the Forest Grove School District v. T.A. case was released this week.  Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t see this ruling as changing much of anything in the world of special education disputes, at least as far as Connecticut is concerned.  Essentially, the Supreme Court ruled that 20 U.S.C. 1415(i)(2)(C)(iii) continues […]

Free Cyberbullying Curriculum Available from NSBA

A free curriculum is available from the National School Boards Association (NSBA) to address cyberbullying issues at NSBA.  NSBA partnered with a group called CyberSmart to produce this curriculum (reported to be “research-based” for those concerned about those things), and it is described on the NSBA website as addressing all of the major issues:  In developing these lessons, […]

Free Webinar Series on Food Allergies Hosted by USDA

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 […]

Special Education Law: Attorneys Representing Parents and School Boards

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 […]

Sad Reminder of Why We Have Anti-Bullying Laws

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 […]

Of Resource Officers, Recycling, and Random Data Collection

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 […]

U.S. Department of Education Issues Revised FAQ on Section 504

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 […]

SDOE Issues Memo on School Bullying Requirements

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 […]