Pool Counsel Quarterly Lookback: See what you missed!
A roundup of topics covered recently as part of the firm’s subscriber-based service.
Sweet, Stevens, Katz & Williams LLP is proud to offer a unique subscription-based service entitled "Pool Counsel" to school entities.
With this service, members are pooled on the email distribution of on-demand answers to various operational questions from subscribers in the areas of Special Education and Technology. Here are some topics covered recently:
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PSBA Policy 251 Revision?
A district shares a copy of the Pennsylvania School Board Association policy on students experiencing homelessness, foster care and other educational instability...and it contains a whopper of a statement.
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PDE Swings and Misses with its New Reevaluation Form
Some observations on the forms released recently by the PA Department of Education for use in the reevaluation process.
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Students Whose Education is Disrupted or Destabilized
Some thoughts - and a decision-making flow chart - for when students face disruption in their learning.
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Procedure for Students Using Ride Share Services When Released for Medical Reasons
As parents increasingly use ride share services when a student must leave school due to illness, is there a recommended procedure or process that is appropriate to follow to ensure the safety of the child?
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All Eyes on Title IX - Again
What do the most recent developments in B.P.J. v. West Virginia mean for schools in Pennsylvania?
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Reevaluation Waivers
When is the use of waivers for reevaluation the most practical and sensible?
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Special Education Services for Homeschooled Students through the Lens of Act 55
A school district considering revision of homeschool policies and procedures in light of the expansion of Act 55 has a number of questions on how to interpret and implement those changes.
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Access to Electronic Library Records
With the background of national media coverage about book challenges and parental rights, a subscriber asks about parent access to electronic data about library circulation records.
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The Supreme Court Rules ... and Public Education Takes Another Hit
The United States Supreme Court has issued a ruling in Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools...and overturned years of IDEA precedent.
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Threat Assessment Forms: Use and Storage
Direction on the use and storage of threat assessment forms, as well as the rights of potential victims.
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Seizure of Personal Property, including Cell Phones
Can public school staff seize a student's personal belongings, such as a cell phone?
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504 Plans and School Nurses
A district seeks clarification on the ability of school nurses to develop and manage Section 504 plans.
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Model Policy for Act 151
With Act 151 set to take effect May 1, 2023, Pool Counsel shares an updated model Data Security Policy for educational entities who store data on behalf of the commonwealth.
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AI in Schools
Pool Counsel shares some legal issues that educational institutions may want to keep on the radar related to the introduction and rapid growth of publicly available artificial intelligence applications.
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Cyber Security in Board Documents
What information must school districts and IUs publicly disclose for security-related board motions?
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What is a PRRI, and Why Should You be Afraid of Them? Lessons Learned in Litigation…
The firm shares some thoughts, risks, and considerations for serving students in private residential rehabilitative institutions.
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History is Made: William Penn School District, et al. v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, et al.
The firm offers an interpretation of this newly released decision.
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Timing of Diplomas
Should a diploma be held until all compensatory services are delivered?
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Evaluating a Homeschooled Student for SLD
How are specific learning disabilities ruled out (or in) for students that are homeschooled, then enrolled in public school?
Benefits of the Pool Counsel service include not only the ability to ask questions 24/7, but also an electronic “Resource Room,” where members can log in to access the full library of all past Pool Counsel answers, searchable by topic and archived by year
To learn more, contact Andy Faust (Special Education) or Mark Cheramie Walz (Technology) or call 215-345-9111.