Published by MoASBO, March 2011 As most school administrators have heard by now, the Missouri Supreme Court recently released its opinion in Turner v. Clayton, a case which could affect many Missouri school districts. To quickly summarize the facts in Turner, the...
Blinded by the Light: The Potential Future of the Missouri Sunshine Law – By: Scott Kimble
Published by MARE, October 2010 Recently, there has been a renewed interest in the Missouri Sunshine Law.[1] In fact, four bills were introduced in the Missouri Legislature this past General Session which concerned the Act. Two of those four bills sought to add...
A Review of U.S. Department of Education Family Policy Compliance Office Guidelines – By: Betsey A. Helfrich
Published by MOASBO, October 2010 Release of Personally Identifiable Student Information in the Face of an Emergency The chance of a man-made or natural emergency occurring at your school is slight. However, it is imperative to take steps now to be prepared to respond...
Legislature Expands School District Employees’ Protection from Civil Liability – By: Sarah A. Wight
Published by MOASBO, July 2010 Sixteen newly enacted statutory sections relating to elementary and secondary education will be effective August 28, 2010. These sections are the product of a recent house bill that revised fourteen current statutory sections and created...
This Sounds Pretty Bad, But is it Immoral? – By: Betsey A. Helfrich
Published by MARE, June 2010 An Examination of Immoral Conduct under the Missouri Teacher Tenure Act It’s Monday morning. You hear through the rumor mill that one of your best high school teachers was arrested over the weekend for driving while intoxicated. To make...
Arming Your District Against OCR – By: Alefia E. Mithaiwala
Published by MARE, April 2010 Proactive Measures Your District Can Take Now On February 1, 2010, Mickes Goldman O’Toole celebrated its two year anniversary. And in the past two years alone, the firm’s special education department has handled approximately sixty OCR...
Arming Your District Against OCR: Proactive Measures Your District Can Take Now – By: Alefia E. Mithaiwala & Thomas A. Mickes
Published by MOASBO, March/April 2010 On February 1, 2010, Mickes Goldman O’Toole celebrated its two year anniversary. And in the past two years alone, our special education department has handled approximately sixty OCR complaints against districts across the state...
Protecting Your District In Trying Times: How to Properly Conduct Reductions in Force – By: Joseph M. Wientge, Jr.
Published by MOASBO, March/April 2010 Introduction As Missouri public school districts are all too painfully aware, districts state-wide are facing budgetary problems, the likes of which have not been seen in some time. Districts are left with the...
Recent Eighth Circuit Case Law: A Lesson in What Not to Do in Disciplining Disabled Students – By: Alefia Mithaiwala
Published by MARE, January 2010 Consider this: a high school principal suspends a disabled student on September 8 for fighting and bringing a pocket knife to school. He tells the student and his parent that the suspension is “until a hearing before the school board...
An Update on Private School Reimbursement Under the IDEA: Some Good News for School Districts – By: Alefia Mithaiwala
Published by MOASBO, January/February 2010 On June 22, 2009, the U.S. Supreme Court held that under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, parents may seek private school tuition reimbursement, even if their child has never before received special education...