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#1 Professional Perspective/Audience Topic  

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#1 Professional Perspective/Audience Topic  

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Professional Prospective:
For this exercise I will be assuming the role of a Program Coordinator in TRIO Federally funded programs in the office of Student Support Services at Texas A&M University- Kingsville.
Audience:
The target audience for my legal guide are higher education professionals working in student support service programs. Professionals in secondary school working with programs for minors.
Topic:
Programs for Minors / Requirements for Working with Minors. I chose this topic because this is a topic that I familiar with and wish to pursue post degree completion.

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For this professional interview I spoke with Chelsea Fernandez who is currently a College and Career Readiness Specialist at the Institute for Public School Initiatives (IPSI) at The University of Texas at Austin. https://ipsi.utexas.edu

Summary of the interview:

Legal Guides are important when working in programs for minors because they can act as as reminders and keep professionals up to date with new laws and policies. When working with minors it is important that professionals are mindful and up to date. Working with minors also includes working with parents and guardians. It is important to know students and parents rights as well as personal rights when working with a number of people.

Three best practices highlighted from the interview include:

1. Always communicate, when working with minors it is important to communicate often with parents/guardians so that everyone is in the loop and has an idea of what is going on.

2. Never be afraid to ask for clarification or help. If you are not sure of a policy or whether an action is allowable, reach out to a higher up for clarification. It is better to be through and correct than un sure risk law or policy violation.

3. Safety! When working with programs for minors always keep a record of parent/guardian contact numbers as well as any medical/allergy information in the case of emergency.

An emerging issue that is developing in our field is the impact of COVID-19 on student development and learning. Recently the Texas Legislature passed H.B. 4545, 87d Leg., R.S. (2021) that enacts accelerated instruction for students based on results from Spring 2021. This will be an issue to watch closely to see if students are gaining anything from accelerated instruction or is there another kind of intervention needed.

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The professional Association that I have chosen is NCCEP (National Council for Community and Education Partnerships). NCCEP works to build capacity for underserved student populations and communities. NCCEP is an important resource in programs for minors because of the network built amongst professionals in education. NCCEP provides numerous networking and outreach opportunities as well as learning  online through their Learning Labs platform (Programs Overview, n.d.)

Programs Overview. (n.d.). National Council for Community and Education Partnerships. Retrieved July 19, 2021, from https://www.edpartnerships.org/programs-overview

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Regarding COVID-19 aid for students and colleges (McGee, 2021) writes about Governor Greg Abott allocating $94.6 million in relief for students and colleges. These funds will be used in a number of different ways. To help students new programs will be established that will assist in the areas of advising, tutoring and financial aid. As well as helping students who have college hours completed finish their degree. Additional programs include starting high demand programs where people are needed in. areas of industry or expand already existing programs. Funds will also be used to assist colleges and universities bring students back as enrollment during the COVID-19 decreased.

McGee, K. (2021, June 28). Governor allocates $94.6M in federal pandemic relief funds to help students and colleges. San Antonio Report. https://sanantonioreport.org/coronavirus-relief-funds-texas-colleges-students/

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The past year has been dificult for everyone dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Espically students as they have ha dot make a drastic shift from in person learning to online learning then back to in person learning in some cases. (Walker, 2020) writes about the importance SEL in the time of a pandemic. The author writes about a teacher in Wilmington Delaware who emphasizes SEL lessons and practices in her classroom. There is growing frustration amongst people in education that during a pandemic the emphasis is on academics while others feel SEL should be a priority. As educators we should always keep in mind to take care of ourselves and take care of our students physically and mentally.

Walker, T. (2020, April 15). Social-Emotional Learning Should Be Priority During COVID-19 Crisis | NEA. National Education Association. https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/social-emotional-learning-should-be-priority-during-covid-19

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The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. § 1232g (1974)

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?rgn=div5&node=34:1.1.1.1.33

Under this law students have. the right to know of the content and whereabouts of their own personal records.

Consent to access personal information must be given by the student.

Students have the right to file a complaint against an institution for un approved access to personal information.

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#7 Original Source of Law: Constitutional

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#7 Original Source of Law: Constitutional

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Tinker v. Des Moines. 393 U.S. 503. U.S. Supreme Court, 1969.

https://casetext.com/case/tinker-v-des-moines-independent-community-school-district

Three students were suspended for wearing black armbands to protest the war in Vietnam.

After being suspended the parents sued fro violation of First Amendment rights. After losing initial cases in the U.S. District court and the U.S. court of appeals they took their argument to the U.S. Supreme Court

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the students ruling that 1st amendment rights do not end at school.

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1. Stay up to date with local policies and code.

2. Establish rules and boundaries, (Office Hours), office or classroom rules and expectations.

3. Communicate with parents often.

4. SEL learning is important! Establish SEL practices and wellness checks to ensure everyone is ready to participate.

5. Equity, make sure to make activities and lessons equitable for all learners.

6. Confidentiality, let students know that what is said in private can be in private unless the information endangers the student or someone else, then a report needs to be made.

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(NEA, 2020) 6. Shall not on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, national origin, marital status, political or religious beliefs, family, social or cultural background, or sexual orientation, unfairly--

1.  Exclude any student from participation in any program

2.  Deny benefits to any student

3.  Grant any advantage to any student

This principal was selected because I believe that as educators all learners should be treated equally and fairly. Everyone should be treated equally and I believe that in education and in society.

NEA. (2020, September 14). Code of Ethics for Educators | NEA. National Education Association. https://www.nea.org/resource-library/code-ethics-educators

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Religious or Moral Beliefs.

https://www.eisd.net/UserFiles/Servers/Server_12151994/File/Students/Student%20Handbook&CodeOfConduct.2020_2021.8.5.2020.pdf

Students or parents may opt out of an exercise or activity, if it conflicts with a religious or moral belief.

Students can not extend this to skip testing.

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#9 Original Source of Law: Administrative

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#9 Original Source of Law: Administrative

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2 Tex. Educ. Code §33.252. (2005) Expanded Learning Opportunities

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.33.htm

Expanded learning opportunities may be offered to students.

Opportunities may happen through extended day or year.

Opportunities include, tutoring, mentoring, physical support and, academic support.

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Tex. v. United States, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 133112

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/16/politics/daca-ruling-071621/index.html

In an ongoing legal battle, a U.S District Court judge recently ruled that DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) was against the law.

The judge has ordered that The United States can accept new DACA applications but can not approve any new applications to move forward.

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I connect with the legal and ethical standards by appreciating the rules that they establish in life and society. The laws and ethics outlined have meaning and establish order. I may not agree with every law ever made but law and ethics are made in order to keep a balance.