In its recently adjourned session, the General Assembly passed two major bills regarding special education. Although the Governor has not yet signed these bills, we wanted to provide a brief and non-exhaustive overview of the...more
Alabama rolled out applications for its new school choice program earlier this year, and even the lawmakers behind it were surprised by the volume of submissions from families of K-12 students. That’s why the state nearly...more
At long last, school choice has come to Texas. A new state law will allow participating families in the state to utilize publicly funded education savings accounts to pay for private school tuition and other approved...more
The recent and ongoing measles outbreak in Texas has raised significant concerns among educators, parents, and health officials. As the number of cases continues to rise and spread around the state, including the recent...more
In the hours following his inauguration, President Trump issued executive orders concerning immigration, including the launch of new enforcement policies to address illegal entry, unlawful presence, and removal of...more
Tennessee families will soon be able to use taxpayer dollars to cover the cost of private school tuition under the recently passed Education Freedom Act (EFA). Tennessee lawmakers passed a hotly debated $447 million statewide...more
Imagine that an IEP meeting is scheduled for a couple of weeks from now. The parents have just informed you that they have decided to unilaterally place their child in the private school down the street. You may think your...more
Rolanda Brandon—the mother of sixteen-year-old star quarterback Faizon Brandon, the Greensboro, North Carolina, Grimsley High School football player who has committed to play for the University of Tennessee Volunteers in...more
On June 20, 2024, New York’s highest court confirmed that school districts (outside of New York City) are not required to provide transportation on days their schools are not in session....more
As you recover from another whirlwind of a school year, we hope you can take some time to relax and enjoy your summer break. The next few months will be the perfect time to – at your leisure – catch up on this past year’s...more
A California jury just punished a private school that expelled two students for off-campus activity with a $1 million dollar verdict – an outcome that should compel schools around the country to ensure they are applying due...more
Through our work with independent schools, we have seen numerous schools grapple with a variety of copyright issues including disputes over ownership of work created by teachers, unauthorized use of music or videos, and the...more
In an earlier article, we discussed how a federal district court’s decision that mere 501(c)(3) status can trigger obligations under Title IX created shock waves throughout the private independent school community. A recent...more
After criticism of her testimony before Congress on antisemitism on college campuses, the President of the University of Pennsylvania, Liz Magill, resigned. And, at Pomona College, authorities arrested a professor who...more
With COVID-era travel restrictions in the rearview mirror, school-sponsored student travel is quickly accelerating back to pre-pandemic levels. As an integral part of the curriculum and an engine to provide a vibrant and...more
On Dec. 22, 2020, New York State Technology Law Section 106-b took effect, which prohibited all school districts, including public, private and charter schools, from using any biometric technology (including but not limited...more
As independent schools work to promote equity, understanding, and inclusion of students across the gender spectrum on their campuses, it seems that legislative efforts on the state and federal levels are moving in the...more
More than a dozen states operate school voucher programs, which allow parents to apply state tax dollars to their children’s private school tuition. Many schools that participate in voucher programs are affiliated with...more
The highest priority for any independent school is ensuring the safety and security of the students committed to its care. Central to meeting this responsibility is establishing and enforcing appropriate boundaries between...more
Many independent schools have developed or are in the process of developing policies and procedures regarding students who are transgender or gender non-conforming. Often, the laws that govern these issues are not applicable...more
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
As we turn the page to summer break, it is not too early for independent school leaders to think about the next school year and plan for back-to-school training of faculty and staff. Independent schools would be wise to...more
One of the more challenging issues that schools have faced during the pandemic is the increasingly difficult parent. The relationship between schools and their community has not been without controversy over the past two...more
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
Many students are generally familiar with the First Amendment of the Constitution, but they often overlook that it only confers the right “to petition the Government for a redress of such grievances.” As a result, only...more