While the great majority of schools will not be requiring their students or staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 this coming school year, that’s not necessarily true for schools in the Northeast and on the West Coast....more
9/7/2022
/ Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Distance Learning ,
Educational Institutions ,
Masks ,
Private Schools ,
Professors ,
Public Schools ,
Religious Schools ,
Remote Learning ,
School Districts ,
School Policies ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Universities ,
Vaccinations
As the COVID-19 pandemic persists and a new academic year is upon us, private and independent schools are understandably exhausted by the additional obligations imposed upon them over the last two years. Many are resistant to...more
7/26/2022
/ Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
School Policies ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Universities ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
We recently provided our predictions for what education employers could expect to see in the area of workplace law over the next year as part of our FP Forecast series – but we had too many insights to fit into that edition....more
4/29/2022
/ Child Abuse ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Gender Identity ,
Name and Likeness ,
Private Schools ,
Public Schools ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Religious Schools ,
School Districts ,
School Policies ,
Student Athletes ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Transgender ,
Wage and Hour
Educational institutions across the country are facing an upcoming compliance deadline as the mandate-or-test workplace vaccine emergency rule will soon take effect (pending the outcome of ongoing litigation). The rule will...more
11/10/2021
/ Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Covered Employer ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employment Policies ,
OSHA ,
Professors ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Religious Accommodation ,
Remote Working ,
School Districts ,
School Policies ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Universities ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just substantially relaxed its pandemic guidance for K-12 schools. While certain restrictions remain and the guidance may continue to evolve in the coming months,...more
7/13/2021
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Health and Safety ,
Masks ,
New Guidance ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
School Districts ,
School Policies ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Vaccinations
After unanimous approval by both Florida’s Senate and House, Governor Ron DeSantis signed the Educator Conduct Act on June 21, amending several sections of the state’s K-20 Education Code and imposing new statutory...more
6/24/2021
/ Background Checks ,
Charter Schools ,
Confidentiality Agreements ,
Department of Education ,
Disqualification ,
Employee Training ,
Ethical Standards ,
Hiring & Firing ,
New Legislation ,
Posting Requirements ,
Private Schools ,
Public Schools ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Scholarships ,
School Districts ,
School Policies ,
Students ,
Teachers
Our firm just published a “Silver Linings Playbook” gleaned from our various practice groups and industry teams highlighting the various ways that businesses can emerge for the better after the pandemic. While educational...more
5/3/2021
/ Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Information Technology ,
Interviews ,
Job Applicants ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Professors ,
Remote Learning ,
Remote Working ,
School Districts ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Universities ,
Videoconference
There is no doubt that 2020 brought huge challenges for schools. As we near the end of the first semester and plan for the rest of the 2020-2021 school year and beyond, there are some lessons we can learn, some processes to...more
11/30/2020
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employment Contract ,
Gender Identity ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
School Districts ,
School Policies ,
Social Justice Issues ,
Student Enrollment ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Universities ,
Wage and Hour
By a 7-to-2 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an important and expansive ruling for religious institutions yesterday, holding that the “ministerial exception” primarily requires an inquiry into whether an employee carries...more
7/9/2020
/ Age Discrimination ,
Appeals ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Employment Discrimination ,
First Amendment ,
Freedom of Religion ,
Ministerial Exception ,
Our Lady of Guadalupe School v Morrissey-Berru ,
Religious Schools ,
Reversal ,
SCOTUS ,
Teachers
As the country begins to re-emerge amid the COVID-19 pandemic, whether and when any particular school will be ready to return for the upcoming school year and at what level will depend on the individual school, its location,...more
5/22/2020
/ Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Health and Safety ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Professors ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Return-to-Work Agreements ,
School Districts ,
School Policies ,
Social Distancing ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Tuition ,
Universities ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
Recent events at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida have caused many in the education community to think about their own campuses and the safety and security measures they have employed over the years....more
3/15/2018
/ Colleges ,
Emergency Response ,
Private Schools ,
Public Schools ,
Risk Assessment ,
Safety Precautions ,
Safety Training ,
School Safety ,
School Shootings ,
Security Breach ,
Security Systems ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Universities
The long awaited changes to the federal wage and hour regulations were finally released by the Department of Labor (USDOL) on May 18, 2016. The changes, which generally relate to the salary basis amount required for the white...more
As indicated in the companion article written by Candice Pinares-Baez, January begins the hiring season for most schools. Job fairs, conferences, and recruiting are in full force. It is also the time to take a look at your...more