2022-2023 Principal Webinar Series (Pre-Recorded)
11 Monthly Webinars that Address The Legal Issues That Every Principal Should Know
These sessions are all pre-recorded so are offered at a significant discount. They also can all be accessed by participants on demand. Cost is $600 per school district for the entire series
Student Discipline Nitty-Gritty
Early impressions of a new principal are often driven by how you respond to student discipline issues at the beginning of the year. And yet we see even veteran principals struggle with the basics of imposing discipline in compliance with the Nebraska Student Discipline Act. This session will cover the basic necessities that every principal needs to know about your options in disciplining students. The KSB attorneys will cover:
Detention, In-school suspension and other “minor” disciplinary actions
Short-term suspension, long-term suspension and expulsion
Emergency exclusion
Attendees will receive sample flowcharts and checklists.
Probie Evaluations
We firmly believe that instructional leadership is the most important job you have as a principal. That is why about half of our sessions are focused on teacher evaluation and how to lead staff through the improvement process. And although we are not experts in instructional methods and pedagogical practice, we have strong opinions about how administrators need to communicate their expectations to teachers and the legal implications of doing it well versus poorly.
The first personnel session will focus specifically on probationary teachers. The KSB attorneys will cover:
What it means to be a probationary teacher in Nebraska and counting toward tenure
The legal requirements for a probationary evaluation
Suggestions for how to clearly communicate expectations for classroom management, instructional practice and personal/professional characteristics
Special Education Primer
Although all educators will have some experience with special education students, the legal requirements change once you become a principal. This session will provide an overview of the specific special education that principals must know, including:
The role of “LEA representative” in an IEP meeting
Discipline of students with disabilities
Section 504 (the sneaky extra disability protection statute that can trip principals up)
Improvement Plans
The second personnel session will focus specifically on how to craft an improvement plan that is actually designed to help a teacher improve. The KSB attorneys will cover:
Legal requirements for improvement plans
Resources to offer teachers in the improvement process that have actually helped teachers improve
How to hold both the teacher and the principal accountable in the improvement process
Timelines for plans
Dealing with P*ssed off parents/patrons
When KSB lawyers read posts on social media about “mamma bears” and “pappa wolves” we invariably say to each other “that poor school principal.” It seems that schools have become the outlet for parents to discharge their anxiety about their children and frustration with their families. More family law matters are litigated in principals’ offices than district courts. No matter how good your communication skills are, you will benefit from an understanding of the law and the strategies and tactics that we will discuss in this session. Topics will include:
Dealing with child custody orders and divorce decrees
How to protect your staff from high maintenance parents
When and how to use “stay away letters” and “communication diets”
Tenured Evaluations
Even if you are an experienced principal, evaluating tenured teachers can be a little intimidating. And the different ways districts structure tenured evaluation can also pose unique challenges for tenured evaluations. This session will cover:
What it means to be a tenured teacher in Nebraska
Legal requirements for tenured staff professional growth hours
Legal requirements for a tenured evaluation
Suggestions for how to offer constructive praise to experienced staff as well as how to communicate clearly about areas for improvement
Termination and Nonrenewal
In a perfect world, all of the work principals do in evaluation and remediation of staff would make it unnecessary for you to ever have to recommend the nonrenewal or termination of a teacher contract. However, the reality is that at some time in your career as a principal, you will need to consider discharging a certificated employee. This session will cover:
The timelines for nonrenewal and termination
The legal standards for nonrenewal, termination, and cancellation
How contract cancellation differs from nonrenewal and termination
An overview of the process so you can know what to expect when facing nonrenewal/termination proceedings
First Amendment (staff and student)
No one in America more regularly deals with constitutional law than school principals. Chief among your responsibilities is educating and disciplining students when it comes to free speech and its limitations, like engaging in threats, bullying, harassment, and many other areas. And let’s not forget things like use of school facilities, edgy staff Instagram posts, and Gideon Bible distribution days! This session will cover:
The top 5-10 First Amendment issues principals handle and the law in those areas
Limitations on your ability to regulate student speech
Limitations on your ability to regulate staff speech
Recommendations for investigation and documentation
Copyright
Ah, copyright, one of the clearest yet least understood and most frequently violated areas of federal law out there. As a principal, you’re dealing with copyright issues every day--you just may not know it--textbook contracts, running copies of sheet music, “free” online lesson plans, student websites, dance routines, class slideshows, and basketball pre-game warmup songs. Copyright violations are easier to commit and easier to find than ever before. This presentation will cover:
Copyright basics every principal must know
Most common copyright violations you can avoid
Implementing and enforcing copyright policies
Attendees will receive federal copyright office guidance documents.
Policies and Handbooks
Now that you’ve gotten the students and staff out of the building, it is time for one last big project. This session will identify the policies that every principal should review and possibly discuss with the superintendent and board at the June board meeting. We will also talk about the process for reviewing and revising student, staff and extracurricular handbooks.
Self Reflection and Setting Personal PD Goals - Kati Settles, John Hakonson and Kelly Coash-Johnson
It is all too easy to fall prey to the treadmill model of school administration: just keep running. This session is our humble attempt to help you break that cycle. This will be an opportunity for you to reflect on what went well during the 2021-22 school year and what can be improved. We will have educational experts share their thoughts on writing personal professional development goals and provide the opportunity to receive feedback on the goals you are setting for yourself for next year.
Checklist for starting the school year
All too often KSB attorneys say something like, “this is one of those things you cover at your back-to-school inservice, right?” This session will get you a jump on the school year, by discussing all of the things you should be sure to do as school starts in August. Topics that will be addressed include:
Required notices which must be posted or delivered
Required training for staff, administrators and students
Topics you should cover with staff at the start of the year
Topics you should cover with students at the start of the year
Attendees will receive a checklist with all the items that KSB attorneys recommend principals cover at the beginning of each school year and related documents.