As you are all aware, a basic educational requirement in the State of Connecticut is that each school district must make a minimum of 180 days of instruction available to students each school year. ...more
3/17/2020
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Students
With respect to FERPA and its requirements regarding the disclosure of student records and personally identifiable student information, there are different rules in place for “school security” officials that are based upon...more
In this day and age where, sadly, tragedies have struck numerous schools across the country, the question of when schools are allowed to share personally identifiable student information with law enforcement frequently...more
It’s a familiar scenario. A student, perhaps one with behavioral issues, is identified as being in need of special education. The parties get together and draft an individual education plan [“IEP”] for the student. The...more
The United States Department of Education’s Office of the Chief Privacy Officer recently issued a guidance letter to a school district indicating that while surveillance video of a hazing incident that involved numerous...more
We have previously written in these pages about the development of “guidelines” or “standards” by the State Board of Education for the provision of educational opportunities for expelled students. Having had just a (teeny)...more
The Connecticut State Department of Education this morning adopted new standards for expulsions and alternative education. As we discussed back in September, pursuant to Public Act 17-220 the State Department of Education was...more
“And thirdly, the code is more what you’d call “guidelines” than actual rules …” Captain Barbosa in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
On September 5, 2017, the State Board of Education’s Legislative and...more
The Connecticut General Assembly enacted a number of laws during its regular session that will impact Connecticut schools and public-sector employers. Among other things, bills have been enacted that...more
Under state and federal law, a parent generally has the right to access his/her child’s educational records. The question is, who is considered a “parent” in under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”). As...more
What are the parameters for requiring schools to accommodate students’ service animals in the classroom? The United States Supreme Court recently turned prior thinking on this issue on its head, finding that even though a...more
The legislature, this year, put in place significant changes relative to the expulsion of students which will supposedly go into effect on August 15, 2017. Assuming that the legislature leaves intact these changes during the...more