The COVID-19 paid leave law has raised both legal and practical questions for school administrators. To further assist with following the mandates of the law, we have prepared a model form that schools can use when receiving...more
Schools and districts throughout the State – and country – are beginning this school week on the heels of a flurry of announcements made last Friday by the CDC, the Illinois Supreme Court, Governor Pritzker and ISBE,...more
2/28/2022
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Health and Safety ,
Illinois ,
Infectious Diseases ,
ISBE ,
Masks ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Schools ,
School Districts ,
Students ,
TRO ,
Workplace Safety
On Thursday night, October 28, 2021, the Illinois General Assembly passed House Floor Amendment 3 to Senate Bill 1169, which amends the Health Care Right to Conscience Act (HCRCA) to allow employers the right to “take any...more
Late Friday, Governor Pritzker issued Executive Order 2021-24 requiring schools to exclude students and school personnel for COVID-19 diagnosis, exposure, or symptoms. School districts, not the local health department, are...more
9/21/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Executive Orders ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Quarantine ,
Sick Employees ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Workplace Safety
Last week, ISBE published Emergency Rules regarding Mandatory Vaccinations for School Personnel. The Emergency Regulations clarify the requirements under Governor Pritzker’s Executive Order 2021-22. ...more
9/20/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Essential Workers ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Teachers ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
Section 50.100 of the ISBE teacher evaluation regulations requires that teachers who are to be evaluated during the upcoming school term be notified that they will be evaluated and provided with certain information regarding...more
The Illinois Supreme Court ruled in Dynak v. Board of Education of Wooddale School District 7 that a teacher’s use of paid sick leave for the birth of a child must be taken during the six-week period immediately following the...more
The Illinois Supreme Court recently heard oral argument in a case addressing restrictions on school district employee sick leave for the birth of a child under Section 24-6 of the Illinois School Code. ...more
A recent Illinois State Board of Education hearing officer decision upheld the dismissal of a tenured teacher who engaged in off-topic rants in the classroom, stored pornographic images on a district laptop, and refused to...more
2/6/2020
/ Educational Institutions ,
Employee Misconduct ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Fitness for Duty Exams ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Mental Health ,
Professional Disciplinary Actions ,
Required Documentation ,
Risk Management ,
Teachers ,
Tenure
In a recent decision, the Appellate Court of Illinois rejected a school board’s decision to terminate a tenured teacher for misconduct despite a hearing officer’s finding that there was insufficient evidence of cause for...more
1/22/2020
/ Adverse Employment Action ,
Appeals ,
Board of Education ,
Defense Strategies ,
Disciplinary Proceedings ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Insubordination Policy ,
Public Schools ,
School Boards ,
Teachers ,
Tenure ,
Wrongful Termination
If you haven’t already done so, make sure to report “grandfathered” CBA and employment contract/policy information to TRS by March 29, 2019 to safeguard application of the 6% excess salary cap....more