Public schools, as state actors, are bound by the prohibitions of the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated…” When school administrators suspect employees are using or possessing drugs, a typical […]
Legal Matters: March 2024
Legal Matters: February 2024
The concept of a charter school began in the 1970s when an educator suggested that groups of teachers be permitted to experiment with new approaches in public schools. In the 1980s, the idea was further discussed by Albert Shanker, the former president of the American Federation of Teachers. Minnesota passed the nation’s first charter school […]
Fit to Lead: January 2024
School leaders deal with a wide variety of issues every day, but one area they usually aren’t trained in is conducting investigations involving student misconduct. If two students are both looking you straight in the eye and one is saying, “Yes, this happened,” and the other is saying, “No, it didn’t,” how do you decide […]
Principal Leadership: January 2024
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Legal Matters: January 2024
When employees post something controversial on social media, is it legal for school leaders to discipline them? If the posts demean students, criticize school leaders, or complain about work conditions, they could wreak havoc by igniting community outrage and damaging trust. In lawsuits regarding schools’ discipline of employee speech, courts balance public employees’ free speech […]
Pins and Posts: December 2023
Resources to Combat Classroom Censorship The Right to Learn Coalition (R2L) has created a resource hub to help teachers, librarians, and school leaders combat classroom censorship. Educators will find a curated collection of materials and issue-specific resource lists developed by educators for educators. Topics include anti-racism and anti-bias, book challenges, classroom censorship, gender and identity, […]
DiversityEquityinclusion
Legal Matters: November 2023
Today’s school leaders face a tsunami of challenges related to special education. In addition to staffing shortages and chronic problems, leaders worry about school shootings. Some of the recent tragedies including those in Parkland, FL, and Uvalde, TX, were perpetrated by students with disabilities (SWDs) who had previously exhibited seriously disruptive or violent behavior. Because […]
DisciplineEducation PolicyIDEASchool Safetystudents with disabilities
Creating Just Communities
The anthropologist Margaret Mead famously wrote, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” As a school leader, I hold onto these words with fierce conviction. In a world where calls for universal, quality education or the equal rights of […]
diversity equity and inclusionLGBTQ+LGBTQ+ School Leaders Networkschool culture
Syllabus: October 2023
The Instructional Leadership Cycle In The Instructional Leadership Cycle (Harvard Education Press), Daniel Allen offers educators a paradigm shift for school improvement. “Most school leaders know intuitively that improving instructional practice is the holy grail of their leadership practice,” he writes. As the general director at Lincoln School in Costa Rica, Allen knows firsthand that […]
community buildingdiversity equity and inclusioninstructional leadershipstudent motivation
Legal Matters: October 2023
Airplane passengers have attempted to bring peacocks, squirrels, pigs, and kangaroos aboard for emotional support, but would this fly in public schools? The quick answer is no. Nevertheless, school leaders should be prepared to respond to similar requests. Due to growing anxiety and other mental health concerns, students and staff are asking for increased support. […]