SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA UNIVERSITY

Department of Educational Leadership and Technology

EDL 721: School Law

TEXTS:

Essex, Nathan L. School Law and the Public Schools: A Practical Guide for Educational Leaders. (2^nd ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2002.

Fischer, L., Schimmel, D. & Stellman, L. Teachers and the Law. (6th ed.). New York: Allyn and Bacon, 2003.

School Law Student Handbook, 5^th ed. (to be purchased at SLU Bookstore)

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

3 hours credit. Prerequisite: Advanced standing in the graduate program. The course shall encompass an examination of the constitutional and legal bases of public education in the United States and Louisiana.

GENERAL GOALS OF THE COURSE:

After completion of the course, the student will have an understanding of the basic legal requirements of managing the public schools, its programs, teachers and students. Priority focus will be given to landmark Supreme Court decisions in the areas of finance, religion, student rights, rights of the disabled, employee rights, and discrimination. This course will also address major current legal issues in education.

COEHD CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK: In order to successfully plan, develop, and implement curricula to meet the needs of diverse learners in today’s world and to prepare students for the future, the College of Education and Human Development (COEHD) has identified four critical components of The Effective Educator: standards-based instruction (SBI), knowledge of the learner (KL), best pedagogical practices (PP), and content knowledge (CK).

COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon course completion, students will be able to:

1. Describe key legal issues and decisions in landmark Supreme Court cases related to education (CK).

2. List strategies for avoiding litigation in a school setting (CK, PP).

3. Identify key legal issues/questions in given scenarios related to education (CK, SBI, PP).

4. Explain the legal rights of various groups relative to ethnicity, gender, age, disability, and socioeconomic status

(CK, SBI, PP).

5. List the requirements of due process (CK, PP).

6. List the criteria for determining negligence (CK, PP).

7. Explain what types of questions are inappropriate for employment interviews (CK, PP).

8. Define various legal terms relative to education law (CK).

9. List legitimate criteria for dismissing a teacher (CK, PP).

10. Use the Internet to access court cases; state law; articles on school law (CK, SBI, PP).

KNOWLEDGE BASE

Alexander, K. & Alexander, M.D. (1998). American Public School Law (4^th ed.). New York:

West/Wadsworth Publishing Co.

Alley, R. (1999). The Constitution and Religion. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books

Aquila, F. D. & Petzke, J. J. (1995). Education Law. Santa Monica, CA: Casenotes Publishing Co.

Dunklee, D.R. & Shoop, R.J. (2002). The Principal’s Quick-Reference Guide to School Law.

Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin Press.

Essex, N. (1999). School Law and the Public Schools. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Feinman, J.M. (2000). Law 101: Everything You Need to Know About the American Legal System.

New York: Oxford University Press.

Fraser, J.W. (1999). Between Church and State: Religion and Public Education in a Multicultural America. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Hall, K.L. (1999). The Oxford Guide to United States Supreme Court Decisions. New York: Oxford

University Press.

Hartmeister, F. (1995). Surviving as a Teacher: The Legal Dimension. Chicago: Precept Press.

Imber, M. & Van Geel, T. (2000). Education Law (2^nd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum and Assoc., Inc.

Irons, P. (1999). A People’s History of the Supreme Court. New York: Penguin Books.

Kluger, R. (1975). Simple Justice. New York: Random House.

Lazarus, E. (1998). Closed Chambers. New York: Random House.

Rothstein, L. (2000). Special Education Law (3^rd ed.). New York: Longman Publishing Co.

Shoop, R.J. & Dunklee, D. R. (1992). School Law for the Principal. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Streshly, W.A., Walsh, J., & Frase, L.E. (2002). Avoiding Legal Hassles: What School Administrators Really Need to Know (2^nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin Press.

Thomas, G.J., Sperry, D.J., & Wasden, F.D. (1991). The Law and Teacher Employment.

New York: West Publishing Co.

Valente, W. & Valente, C. (2000). Law in the Schools (5^th ed.). New York: Prentice-Hall.