Last fall, in response to serious concerns raised about the use of isolated time out and physical restraint in schools, ISBE issued emergency rules to limit the use of those behavior management techniques. ...more
Schools and higher education institutions across the country are working tirelessly to implement remote learning programs during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis. Despite the commendable success...more
While Illinois schools—and schools across the country—remain closed due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19, keep in mind that schools currently are not relieved from their obligations under Title IX or other civil...more
In the wake of Governor Pritzker’s recent order requiring all Illinois schools to close between March 17 and March 30, many schools and school districts have been left guessing how to best serve students with disabilities and...more
3/17/2020
/ Attendance ,
China ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Crisis Management ,
Department of Education ,
Distance Learning ,
Educational Institutions ,
Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) ,
IDEA ,
Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) ,
Infectious Diseases ,
ISBE ,
Public Health ,
School Closures ,
School Districts ,
Special Education ,
State and Local Government ,
Students
In Illinois, the School Safety Drill Act requires K-12 public and private educational facilities to conduct several types of safety drills, including law enforcement drills, to address potential evacuation or lock-down...more
3/11/2020
/ Educational Institutions ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Emergency Response ,
Mass Shootings ,
Private Schools ,
Public Safety ,
Public Schools ,
Risk Management ,
Safety Management Systems ,
Safety Precautions ,
Safety Training ,
School Districts ,
School Safety ,
School Shootings ,
Students
Cyberbullying is nothing new. A majority of teens have experienced the phenomenon and college campuses certainly are not immune. Just because something is common does not make it simple to deal with, however. And this is...more
3/3/2020
/ #MeToo ,
Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Cyberbullying ,
Disciplinary Proceedings ,
Due Process ,
Educational Institutions ,
First Amendment ,
Gender-Based Violence ,
Harassment ,
Internet Privacy ,
OCR ,
Online Platforms ,
Online Safety for Children ,
Risk Management ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Social Media ,
Social Networks ,
Students ,
Title IX
With the end of the school year slowly approaching, remember that any recommendations to non-renew a probationary teacher’s employment for the next school year must likely be acted upon at the board’s March or April meeting. ...more
After receiving and reviewing questions and concerns from stakeholders regarding the practical implications of its emergency rules on the use of time out and physical restraint, the Illinois State Board of Education (“ISBE”)...more
1/10/2020
/ Child Abuse ,
Disciplinary Proceedings ,
Education Reform ,
Educational Institutions ,
Emergency Rule ,
ISBE ,
New Guidance ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Restraints ,
Risk Management ,
Rulemaking Process ,
State and Local Government ,
State Bans ,
Students
Within the last few weeks, there have been significant changes to the Illinois State Board of Education (“ISBE”) rules regarding time out and physical restraint. First, ISBE issued emergency rules, then it...more
1/10/2020
/ Child Abuse ,
Disciplinary Proceedings ,
Education Reform ,
Educational Institutions ,
Emergency Rule ,
ISBE ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Restraints ,
Risk Management ,
Rulemaking Process ,
State and Local Government ,
State Bans ,
Students ,
Training Requirements
The Title IX world is abuzz with expectation about the release of regulations from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. The general consensus is that even if the Department makes some changes based on...more
12/10/2019
/ Clery Act ,
Colleges ,
Department of Education ,
Disciplinary Proceedings ,
Educational Institutions ,
Failure to Comply ,
Gender-Based Violence ,
Proposed Rules ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Sexual Assault ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sexual Violence Policies ,
Statutory Violations ,
Students ,
Title IX ,
Universities ,
VAWA
With the start of the school year well underway and the many things to remember and think about that come with it, it can be easy to forget some of the most essential elements of Title IX compliance. For example, when is the...more
You know from our previous post regarding recent legislation in Illinois, we have had our eye on House Bill 3586, which has been awaiting the Governor’s signature since June. Well, the time has come; Governor Pritzker signed...more
On June 1, 2019, the Illinois House voted to pass House Bill 2627, which would amend the Illinois School Code to require schools to notify parents and take reasonable steps to include parents or school mental health...more
One of our favorite sources for Franczek email alerts is our readers, and we recently received a question from a Twitter follower about the legal considerations related to randomized dog searched in public schools. ...more