Legal+Issues+in+Teaching+-+Post+Questions+Here

Legal Issues in Teaching - Review "Legal Issues" Readings on Angel and Post 2 Questions Here (or submit paper copy to Charisse)

Christine Witcher: 1. In section 4.3 School Safety, how is a "dangerous weapon" defined and how does this impact use and transportation by students of shop/art/science tools within the school? 2. What are the legal implications and recent history of lawsuits regarding section 4.10 Morality and Citizenship?

Kei Higaki: 1. In section 4.12 Classes Shall be Taught in English, how does this impact world language courses and dual language immersion programs such as the John Stafford School and others in the Seattle Public Schools? How do such programs 'get around' this law? 2. What are a teacher’s legal rights and responsibilities regarding reporting inappropriate interactions (such as sexual contact, etc.) between a fellow school staff member and a student or parent?

Jeff Jacobsen 1. What actions are taken by the police, if any, when a student breaks the law in school? Ex: A student caught possessing drugs in school. 2. Are there any requirements by law of a school to do the "Pledge of Allegiance," or is it up to individual schools and teachers to decide whether or not to do it?

Ben Lidgus

1. If violence occurs or is threatened, what are the rights and responsibilities of the teacher? Is it ever legal to physically intervene to separate individuals?

2. What are the limits for sharing personal information with students?

Stacy Schierholz 1. Section 4.10.RCW28AA05.040 states, "A person whose certificate or diploma authorizing him or her to teach in the state has been revoked for failure to endeavor to impress on the minds of his or her students the principles of patriotism, or to train them up to the true comprehension of the rights, duty and dignity of American citizenship, shall not be permitted to teach in any other public school in this state." What does "failure to impress on the minds the principles of patriotism" look like? Can you teach students to be critical thinkers and analyze the notion of patriotism? 2. Do schools often consider the use of tobacco (by students under 18) to be punishable in the same way as the use of other drugs and alcohol?

Branden Watts

1. What, if any limit, is there to an employer asking for/requiring access to your facebook during an interview or during employment? 2. Does answering yes to the application questions that relate to being a felon or past crimes automatically fail you during the job application?

Elisha Allred

1. Does the 30 minutes before, 30 minutes after school rule apply to part-time employees? Would a .8 or .6 teacher still be required by law to be at school at those times if s/he didn't have a class until later in the day, or if s/he finished before the school day ended? 2. FERPA...what the heck? What is this law in layman's terms, please?

Alex Winninghoff

1. I am interested in providing after school homework help to students but I am concerned about liability issues, especially if and when I am one of the few adults in the building. Aside from leaving the door open, what sort of after school hour policies can I institute to cover my bases legally?

2. As a Language Arts teacher I will be exposed to a lot of student reflections and personal narratives. I understand that we as mandated reporters are expected to report suspected abuse or students threats to hurt themselves or others. If a teacher misses such a threat in a student's writing, what are the possible consequences to the teacher if the student follows through with a threat?

Steve McCord 1. From a liability standpoint is it a bad idea to encourage students to use their own personal smart phones for a project? For instance using their phone’s camera to make a video or using it as a stopwatch, etc. 2. I have seen some schools ask for lab fees or other small fees for classes and activities. Where is the legal line on fees in a free public school?

Ian Duncan 1. What are the rationales behind the laws regarding gang membership and activity? How did this specific language come about? 2. Under the Morality clause there is a requirement to teach patriotism to students. What is the rationale behind the wording of this section?

Santosh Zachariah 1. In an independent school setting, what/which responsibilities does a person with a Teaching Certificate have? 2. wrt Uniforms, Special Discipline, etc, "School districts may establish schools or programs __which parents may choose for their children to attend__ in which students are required to ...." Does this mean that special requirements are only allowed in opt-in schools, and can not be required in 'general' schools?

Chris Calvin
 * 1) If I hear that an under-aged student is having sex with someone over the age of 18, am I required to report the incident?
 * 2) What is the teacher's responsibility during the required flag time at the start of each school day?

Nadia Miranda
 * 1) The most prevalent perception about foreign-born faculty is that linguistic problems interfere with effective teaching. While this might not be very prevalent in a foreign language classroom and I will take steps to build bridges to foster effective communication with students, do they, parents or administrators have legal ground to question the teacher's competencies based on this?
 * 2) What are the most common legal problems that teachers face? In middle school and high school.

Michael Connelly 1. Have teachers in Washington been disciplined due to violation of the duties presented in 4.10 MORALITY AND CITIZENSHIP? What did they do? What do I need to do (or not do) in order to not get in trouble? 2. In regards to 4.15 DRUGS AND ALCOHOL - USE OF AS CAUSE FOR DISMISSAL, what drugs fall under the umbrella of "habit-forming drugs"? This would seem to to include illegal drugs as well as some legal drugs (caffeine, nicotine, etc.). If a teacher is alleged to have been seen under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol outside of any school-related context, would that constitute grounds for dismissal?

Shannon Dowdy 1. What are the legal bounds of home visits, and help that you can offer students? i.e. A student asked me if I would be able to go with them to obtain an abortion. It became a non-issue because they kept the baby, but it made me wonder what the legal bounds were. I would have suggested a community worker to go with them, but is that even appropriate?

2. What are the real legal obligations around patriotism and citizenship ideologies that you are supposed to instill in your students?

Bridget Wilhelm: 1. What are the most common issues that result in lawsuits against teachers? 2. What responsibility does the district/school have in representing teachers legally in the event of a potential or actual lawsuit?