Educational Law Course

Lesson 1 • Legal Terminology for Educators

Introduces essential legal vocabulary used in education law. Accurate terminology enables precise reading of statutes, policies, and court opinions.

Lesson 2 • Sources and Structure of Education Law

Examines constitutional, statutory, regulatory, and case-law sources that shape education. Establishes the legal hierarchy students will apply throughout the course.

Lesson 3 • Key Actors in Educational Governance

Identifies governing bodies, administrators, educators, students, and families as legal actors. Clarifies each party's rights, duties, and accountability within the system.

Lesson 1 • Religion and Public Education

Examines the establishment and free exercise clauses as applied to school programs. Guides practitioners in maintaining constitutional neutrality on religious matters.

Lesson 2 • Free Speech and Expression Rights

Covers student and educator speech protections and their limits on school grounds. Connects constitutional doctrine to real disciplinary and curricular decisions.

Lesson 3 • Privacy Rights of Students and Staff

Addresses Fourth Amendment search-and-seizure standards and statutory privacy protections. Students learn to balance institutional safety needs against individual privacy rights.

Lesson 4 • Equal Protection and Non-Discrimination

Analyzes equal protection doctrine as it applies to race, sex, and other classifications in schools. Builds capacity to identify and remedy discriminatory policies.

Lesson 1 • Suspension and Expulsion Procedures

Details procedural requirements for short- and long-term removals from school. Ensures practitioners apply correct due process steps at each disciplinary stage.

Lesson 2 • Student Conduct Codes and Policies

Reviews legal requirements for drafting enforceable student conduct codes. Connects policy language to constitutional and statutory compliance obligations.

Lesson 3 • Bullying, Harassment, and Cyberbullying

Covers legal duties to prevent and respond to peer harassment in and out of school. Links anti-harassment obligations to civil rights statutes and tort liability.

Lesson 4 • Zero-Tolerance Policies and Legal Limits

Evaluates the legal defensibility and equity concerns of zero-tolerance approaches. Students assess when mandatory penalties conflict with due process or discrimination law.

Lesson 1 • Section 504 and Disability Accommodations

Distinguishes Section 504 plans from IEPs and identifies when each applies. Practitioners learn to provide legally sufficient accommodations for students not qualifying for special education.

Lesson 2 • Individualized Education Program Development

Covers required IEP components, team composition, and procedural safeguards. Connects each IEP element to its legal mandate and practical implementation.

Lesson 3 • Dispute Resolution in Special Education

Explains mediation, due process hearings, and complaint procedures for special education disputes. Students gain skills to represent institutional positions and protect student rights.

Lesson 4 • Eligibility Evaluation and Classification

Details legally required evaluation procedures for determining disability eligibility. Students learn timelines, consent requirements, and non-discriminatory assessment standards.

Lesson 1 • Tenure, Dismissal, and Due Process

Analyzes tenure rights, grounds for dismissal, and required procedural protections. Equips administrators to conduct legally defensible termination proceedings.

Lesson 2 • Employee Privacy and Free Speech

Addresses constitutional and statutory privacy protections for school employees. Balances institutional monitoring rights against employee speech and privacy interests.

Lesson 3 • Workplace Discrimination and Harassment

Covers anti-discrimination statutes protecting educators from bias and hostile work environments. Practitioners learn investigation, documentation, and remediation obligations.

Lesson 4 • Educator Certification and Hiring

Reviews legal requirements for educator licensure, background checks, and hiring practices. Connects certification standards to institutional liability for negligent hiring.

Lesson 1 • School Violence and Threat Assessment

Examines legal duties to prevent and respond to violence, threats, and weapons on campus. Students learn threat assessment frameworks that satisfy legal and safety standards.

Lesson 2 • Duty of Care and Negligence

Establishes the legal standard of care schools owe and the elements of educational negligence. Students apply negligence analysis to common school injury scenarios.

Lesson 3 • Supervision and Safe Environment Obligations

Details legal requirements for adequate supervision of students in various settings. Connects supervision failures to institutional and individual liability outcomes.

Lesson 4 • Governmental Immunity and Insurance

Analyzes sovereign immunity doctrines and their exceptions in school liability cases. Practitioners understand how immunity and insurance shape litigation strategy.

Lesson 1 • Employee Records and Privacy

Covers legal standards for maintaining, accessing, and disclosing personnel records. Balances transparency obligations against employee privacy rights in public employment.

Lesson 2 • Exceptions to Records Confidentiality

Identifies lawful disclosures without consent, including safety and law enforcement exceptions. Students learn to apply each exception accurately to avoid unlawful disclosure.

Lesson 3 • Open Meetings and Public Records Law

Examines legal requirements for school board transparency, open meetings, and public records. Practitioners learn to conduct compliant meetings and respond to public information requests.

Lesson 4 • Student Education Records Law

Covers the federal framework governing access, disclosure, and correction of student records. Establishes the foundational rules for all subsequent records management practice.

Lesson 1 • Working Effectively with Legal Counsel

Develops skills for productive collaboration between administrators and attorneys. Students learn when to seek counsel, how to communicate legal needs, and how to implement legal advice.

Lesson 2 • Emerging Legal Issues in Education

Surveys evolving legal challenges including artificial intelligence, gender identity, and school choice. Students anticipate legal trends and adapt institutional practices proactively.

Lesson 3 • Compliance Audits and Risk Assessment

Introduces audit methodologies for identifying legal compliance gaps in school operations. Connects audit findings to prioritized corrective action planning.

Lesson 4 • Policy Development and Legal Review

Guides systematic creation and legal vetting of school policies across all compliance areas. Students apply a structured review process to identify and correct legal vulnerabilities.