https://padlet.com/dan_lunsford/enwpxo8mg69l EDG 6305 - Dan Lunsford en-us 2018-06-11 02:11:03 UTC 2018-06-11 04:56:25 UTC hello@padlet.com dan_lunsford https://padlet.com/dan_lunsford/enwpxo8mg69l/wish/266524004 After graduating with a B.S. in Business Administration from Texas A&M - Texarkana, I completed the alternative certification program at Tarleton State becoming a history teacher. I have since taught at Frost High School, and I earned an M.S. in Educational Administration from Tarleton State. By completing administration certification classes at Angelo State, I will become the principal at Frost High School. ]]> 2018-06-11 02:19:13 UTC https://padlet.com/dan_lunsford/enwpxo8mg69l/wish/266524004 dan_lunsford https://padlet.com/dan_lunsford/enwpxo8mg69l/wish/266525912 I interviewed Frost ISD Superintendent Mickie Jackson about current legal and ethical issues impacting herself and subordinate administrators.

#1:  Though she and other Frost administrators stay current on legal and ethical issues from the Texas Education Agency e-mails, e-mails and workshops from the Regional Service Center and other sources including Frost's participation in an area special education cooperative, some issues are learned through experience.  Issues may arise necessitating analyzing the Texas Education Code and seeking legal advice from the district's retained representation.  This year, for example, FHS encountered a gun accidentally left in a vehicle and being brought to campus, a student arrested and charged with a felony for an off-campus crime, and placing a teacher on administrative leave.

#2:  School policy is sometimes changed to prevent ethical and legal issues from arising.  Frost ISD does not allow cell phones to be used by students during the instructional day unless noted in a teacher's lesson for an activity like using a quiz app or using Google translator to assist a non-English speaker.  By doing so Frost hopes to minimize potential legal and ethical issues with inappropriate photographs, cyber-bulling, and interruption of instruction.

#3:  Administrators must routinely monitor compliance to legal requirements.  Graduation plans, curriculum and course offerings, assessment, special populations (Special Education, 504, ESL, GT), and truancy are few that demand attention.  

#4:  Due to the implementation of David's Law this past school year, Frost had assess how it has responded to reports of bulling and where it needed to improve to be legally compliant.  A new system for investigation was implemented.  The school is now also, by law, responsible to  investigate evidence of bullying on social media or electronic devices even if the bullying was not during school hours or away from school property.

#5:  Confidentiality is one the biggest concerns for Mrs. Jackson.  Community members and even teachers often believe that they should know information because of their position or relationship to a person.  Many times gossip spreads, but due to confidentiality laws like Family Equal Right and Privacy Act (FERPA), the district administrators, faculty, and staff must remain silent.  Social media often feeds speculation.  Mrs. Jackson notes "in perfect world people would realize when issues are none of their business."
(M. Jackson, personal communication, June 7, 2018)]]> 2018-06-11 02:39:02 UTC https://padlet.com/dan_lunsford/enwpxo8mg69l/wish/266525912 dan_lunsford https://padlet.com/dan_lunsford/enwpxo8mg69l/wish/266530720 Patte Barth created a blog on the website of the National School Boards Association (NSBA).  As director of the NSBA's Center for Public Education, she questioned how much freedom of speech were students entitled.  She notes students freedom of speech can be curtailed if it is "disruptive, dangerous, or damaging to other students".   She notes that there are no clear boundaries set, nor court cases challenging school responses to student walk-out protest following the Parkland shootings.

]]> 2018-06-11 03:40:31 UTC https://padlet.com/dan_lunsford/enwpxo8mg69l/wish/266530720 dan_lunsford https://padlet.com/dan_lunsford/enwpxo8mg69l/wish/266532601 How do principals find resources to make decisions that are legal? Herberto Hinojosa, a principal at Fabra Elementary in Boerne, Texas, created this blog on the National Association of Secondary Schools (NASSP) website. He advises to refer to local sources like fellow administrators and, if necessary, the school's legal counsel before making a decision. School board policy should be adhered to, and principals should document meetings and conferences. He notes another source is findalaw.com. Here principals can find United States laws regarding education. He closes his blog with eight scenarios a principal may have to deal with and questions what can a principal legally do?]]> 2018-06-11 04:11:15 UTC https://padlet.com/dan_lunsford/enwpxo8mg69l/wish/266532601 dan_lunsford https://padlet.com/dan_lunsford/enwpxo8mg69l/wish/266533267 Barth, Patte. (2018, February 22).  The first amendment and public schools.  Retrieved from www.nsba.org/newsroom/first-amendment-public-schools

Hinojosa, Herberto. (2016, May 3). Legal scenarios in schools: fine tune your decision making. Retrieved from blog.nassp.org/2016/05/03/legal-scenarios-in-school-fine-tune-your-decision-making]]> 2018-06-11 04:22:03 UTC https://padlet.com/dan_lunsford/enwpxo8mg69l/wish/266533267 dan_lunsford https://padlet.com/dan_lunsford/enwpxo8mg69l/wish/266533621 When searching educational professional association websites, the title of Patte Barth's blog sparked my interest. I began to wonder about the legality of student expression like protest, hair, dress, and speech. This is interesting because student expression should not disrupt or interfere with student learning - those expressing themselves or others in the classroom or around campus. I hoped her blog post would provide insight into this matter.]]> 2018-06-11 04:28:13 UTC https://padlet.com/dan_lunsford/enwpxo8mg69l/wish/266533621 dan_lunsford https://padlet.com/dan_lunsford/enwpxo8mg69l/wish/266534321  By: Wood, C. Eric. Texas Journal on Civil Liberties & Civil Rights. Fall2009, Vol. 15 Issue 1, p101-140. 40p. , Database: Texas Reference Center

]]> 2018-06-11 04:39:56 UTC https://padlet.com/dan_lunsford/enwpxo8mg69l/wish/266534321 dan_lunsford https://padlet.com/dan_lunsford/enwpxo8mg69l/wish/266534485 Culver, Kathleen Bartzen.  Let Them March Schools Should Not Censor Students.  Education Week, 2018, June 11.  Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2018/03/09/let-them-march-schools-should-not-censor.html]]> 2018-06-11 04:43:12 UTC https://padlet.com/dan_lunsford/enwpxo8mg69l/wish/266534485 dan_lunsford https://padlet.com/dan_lunsford/enwpxo8mg69l/wish/266534849      The article by Eric Wood in the Texas Journal of Civil Liberties and Civil Rights interested me.  Nevertheless, I did not find the full article but an abstract.  The abstract noted that issues over student expression has involved religious expression including those among Native American students.
  Culver brings up Tinker v. Des Moines for her basis of letting students protests over gun regulation following the Parkland shootings. She believes this type of protest should encouraged to promote civic participation. I disagree with her. Why can't student protest after school so as not to disrupt the instruction? How many students joined in the band-wagon effect? What if the students protested for open-carry of guns - would she still be supportive of the walk-outs?]]> 2018-06-11 04:49:58 UTC https://padlet.com/dan_lunsford/enwpxo8mg69l/wish/266534849