As school starts all over the state, buses will be rolling to transport students to and from class. But what happens if the child has two different homes? In their August 25 decision, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has held that school districts must transport students to and from more than one residence in certain situations. The Facts The divorced parents of the student in this case have a 50/50 … [Read more...] about Pennsylvania Supreme Court Addresses Transportation Obligations for Shared Custody Situations
School Law Bullet
Big Raise For Covered Employees Explained: Department of Labor Releases Proposed Regulations, New FMLA Forms
You may already know that the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) requires a minimum wage and overtime. But did you know that there’s a minimum salary threshold for most salaried employees? Just when some employers are learning that there’s a minimum wage for salaried employees, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) is proposing to increase this salary threshold by almost double. For schools, this change … [Read more...] about Big Raise For Covered Employees Explained: Department of Labor Releases Proposed Regulations, New FMLA Forms
Parents’ Right to Participate in IEP Process Is Not Unlimited, Does Not Include Right to Pick Staff, Methodology, or Engage in Disruptive Conduct
An interesting case out of the Eastern District Court of Pennsylvania determined that while the parents of a student with an IEP have the right to participate in the development and implementation of an IEP, that right does not include the right to select staff or to choose methodologies. In addition, when parents overstep that line and it leads to the non-implementation of the IEP, it may be the … [Read more...] about Parents’ Right to Participate in IEP Process Is Not Unlimited, Does Not Include Right to Pick Staff, Methodology, or Engage in Disruptive Conduct
Big Changes and Bigger Questions: An In-Depth Look at the Most Recent Amendment to Pennsylvania’s Child Protective Services Law
In the heat of the summer, the Pennsylvania legislature quickly and quietly repaired the already recently-revised Child Protective Services Law. Like all such hasty fixes, not all loose ends are resolved. PTAs and parent volunteers horrified by the draconian requirements of the prior law get some relief, but it is still not the same world as when volunteering meant simply showing up. Below, a … [Read more...] about Big Changes and Bigger Questions: An In-Depth Look at the Most Recent Amendment to Pennsylvania’s Child Protective Services Law
Edging Closer to Rules for Addressing Specificity Concerns Under Right to Know Law
On July 14, the Commonwealth Court addressed a request for “all emails” and determined that it was insufficiently specific to require an agency response. A three-part test will now help with Right To Know Law (RTK) requests for “all records.” Here’s What Happened On August 5, 2014, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette submitted a Right to Know request to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), … [Read more...] about Edging Closer to Rules for Addressing Specificity Concerns Under Right to Know Law
PDE Releases Model Policy on Student Suicide
Suicide rates among adolescents have risen sharply in the past several years, and now are the second to third leading cause of death among individuals in that age group. The rise in American teenagers’ internet use, mobile phone accessibility and use, and social networking use correlates with the rise in teenagers’ suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. The most recent national Youth Risk … [Read more...] about PDE Releases Model Policy on Student Suicide
