When the Pennsylvania legislature made medical marijuana legal in the Commonwealth, it provided the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) 18 months to promulgate regulations regarding the use of the same in school by employees and students. It appears that draft regulations will likely be issued in the spring of 2017. However, the use of medical marijuana has become permissible already and, … [Read more...] about PDE Issues New Guidance On the Use of Medical Marijuana in Schools, Making This Issue Even Hazier
KingSpry Blog
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Settles Long-Running Controversy Regarding Home Addresses and Privacy of Public School Employees Under Right To Know Law
On October 18, 2016, the PA Supreme Court settled a seven-year battle over the release of teachers’ home addresses under PA’s Right To Know Law. The Court reached back in history to recall the “fundamental right to be left alone” in holding that the personal right to privacy is infused in the Right To Know Law. There is no automative right to school employees’ personal information under Right To … [Read more...] about Pennsylvania Supreme Court Settles Long-Running Controversy Regarding Home Addresses and Privacy of Public School Employees Under Right To Know Law
Revisiting FAPE, High Court Could Significantly Lower the Standard of Required Educational Benefit
On September 29, 2016 the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the case of Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District RE-1. The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled in favor of the school district that Endrew F.’s Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) was designed to provide the autistic youngster with a free appropriate public education (FAPE), affirming the decisions of the Hearing Officer and … [Read more...] about Revisiting FAPE, High Court Could Significantly Lower the Standard of Required Educational Benefit
House Bill 380 Halves Waiting Period for Divorce on Basis of Irretrievable Breakdown
Last week, the Pennsylvania Senate approved House Bill 380 (which was passed by the House of Representatives on November 9, 2015). This Bill amends the Pennsylvania Divorce Code and reduces the waiting period by which an individual can secure a no-fault divorce on the basis of irretrievable breakdown. Previously, the waiting period was two years. As a result of the Senate’s adoption, it is now … [Read more...] about House Bill 380 Halves Waiting Period for Divorce on Basis of Irretrievable Breakdown
Banning Disruptive People From Public Meetings: A Delicate Balance
School Board members often must make difficult decisions, and the old adage that one cannot please all of the people all of the time certainly applies in these cases. The patience of Board members can sometimes be exhausted by individuals who disrupt meetings with vehement and inappropriate comments, perhaps even personally directed to Board members. Banging a gavel is often not enough to control … [Read more...] about Banning Disruptive People From Public Meetings: A Delicate Balance
Businesses are One Step Closer to A Six-Month Delay on the DOL’s Overtime Rule
Just yesterday, September 28, 2016, the House of Representatives passed a Bill, by a vote of 246 to 177, to provide for a 6-month delay in the effective date of the Final Rule of the Department of Labor (“DOL”) raising the salary threshold for white collar employees. Although the delay would be applicable to all employers, the Bill was introduced in the House as regulatory relief for small … [Read more...] about Businesses are One Step Closer to A Six-Month Delay on the DOL’s Overtime Rule
