Governor John Kasich signed HB 543, also known as the “Jason Flatt Act,” into law on December 20, 2012. The bill, originally sponsored by the mother of a suicide victim, requires school districts to provide in service training in youth suicide awareness and prevention to all teachers, nurses, counselors, school psychologists and administrators. Districts may […]
Education Law Blog
Changes to Student Growth Measures in HB 555
We have recently reported on House Bill 555 which was signed into law by Governor Kasich on December 20, 2012. Certain provisions of the Bill modify the method in which the value-added progress dimension or student academic growth measure must be used to evaluate teachers. Under continuing law, the State Board must adopt a framework […]
New Ohio Law Aims to Protect Student Athletes from Head Injuries
Over the past several years increased attention has been paid to head injuries and concussions in sports. The NFL seems to capture most of the headlines in this area; however, head injuries can occur in any sport and at any level. Last week, Governor John Kasich signed House Bill 143, which is designed to protect […]
Governor Signs New School District Grading System Into Law
Yesterday Governor John Kasich signed into law House Bill 555, which replaces the current academic performance rating system for school districts and individual buildings of districts. The new rating system will assign letter grades of “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “F” for overall academic performance, a change from the current ratings of “excellent,” “effective,” “continuous […]
Organizational Meeting Tips
It’s the time of year when boards of education begin preparing for their annual organizational meetings. City, local, exempted village and JVS districts must hold their organizational meetings by January 15th. Educational Service Centers have until January 31st. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you prepare for your organizational meeting. An […]
Pension Reform Legislation Makes Significant Changes to SERS and STRS
On September 26, the Ohio General Assembly enacted sweeping public pension reform legislation. The legislation consisted of a package of five bills, including Senate bills 341 and 342, affecting the School Employees Retirement System (SERS) and the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS). Both bills will become effective on January 7, 2013. The most significant changes […]
ODE Begins Accepting Applications for Third Grade Reading Guarantee Grants
On October 29, the Ohio Department of Education began accepting applications for the Early Literacy and Reading Readiness competitive grant program. As part of the framework known as the Third Grade Reading Guarantee, $13 million in grants is available to schools to help early elementary students gain the necessary reading fundamentals by the end of […]
Appeals Court Upholds Discipline of Online Student Speech
The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the suspension of two students at a Missouri school for creating and maintaining a racist and sexist blog. The issue involved whether the district had violated the students’ First Amendment free speech rights by disciplining them for off-campus speech. The blog had been created off school property and […]