1. EDLD 5344 School Law
Week 5: Reflection
Reflection
Throughout this course we have discussed a number of legal issues facing today’s public-
school educators. For your final assignment, you will select three legal issues that you feel will
be most relevant to you as a school administrator. One of these issues will focus on student
management; a second on personnel management. The third can relate to any topic we’ve
covered in the course. By giving your responses to the questions that follow, you will 1) record
what you have learned in this course, 2) reflect on its significance in your professional life, and
3) develop a plan to further increase your knowledge and skills.
Follow These Steps
1. Reflect upon what you have learned about law and public education.
2. Use the guiding questions in each section to stimulate your thinking as you write three
150-word essays. The questions are meant to guide you, but you may not necessarily
provide specific answers to all of them.
3. Write reflectively instead of in “question and answer” style, and feel free to add any
related thoughts that go beyond the scope of the writing guidelines.
4. Use formal writing style and cite Essential Readings and court decisions that support
your ideas.
5. Submit your three completed essays by the end of Week 5.
2009 Lamar University Page 1 of 5

2. EDLD 5344 School Law
Rubric
Use this rubric to guide your work.
Week 5: Reflection Accomplished Proficient
Needs
Improvement
Unacceptable
Reflection Completes all 3
essays of the
reflection
assignment using
the minimum 150-
words requirement
(8 points)
Completes 2 essays
of the reflection
assignment
(5 points)
Completes 1 essay
of the reflection
assignment
(3 points)
Did not submit
reflection assignment
(0 points)
Mechanics No mechanical
writing errors
(2 points)
One to four
mechanical writing
errors
(1 point)
More than five
mechanical writing
errors
(0 points)
2009 Lamar University Page 2 of 5

3. EDLD 5344 School Law
Essay 1: Student Management
Respond to the questions in the red box. Your essay should:
• Use citations from the research when applicable.
• Use professional writing protocols.
• Use professional language.
• Which of the student-management issues discussed in this course is most relevant to you
as a school administrator?
• How have your views changed about the proper policies and procedures to employ
regarding student management?
• How will the knowledge gained on this topic help you become an effective school leader?
• How will it help your staff and your students?
Type your essay in the space below.
This course was helpful to me by giving a lot of information about the rights of students. This course also
gave solid information on how, as an administrator, I can make sure I guarantee those rights to my
students in order to take the appropriate actions to discipline the student. The Fourteenth Amendment
prohibits the government from infringing on the life, liberty, and property of its people. Hopson (2011),
explains that the right to a free and public education is considered the property of the student. I believe
that the number one concern for schools currently is the issue of developing responsible internet citizens.
Students have immediate access to the internet and they are very savvy with their knowledge of how to
manipulate the internet and the information that can be accessed. Public education is in a position that we
must use technology and expose students to the latest technology in order for the students to keep up in
the market place. Many students in public education have not been educated on what is appropriate for
communicating online and are unaware of the potential consequences of their actions. Opportunities at the
lower levels are rare for the students to learn about the risk involved unless they are in a specific course
that addressed internet safety. “If we are going to provide students with computers, Internet access, cell
phones, and the like, we have an obligation to teach them how to use these tools ethically”. (Bissonette,
2009). This course has alerted me to fact there has to be more time and effort to educate teachers, parents,
and students on the rights of students, internet safety and the consequences that come with abusing those
rights.
Hopson, M (2011). Student Rights and School Discipline. [Video]. Lamar University: Department of
Eduation Leadership. Retrieved from https://lamar.epiclms.net/Learn/Player.aspx?enrollment, Nov. 6,
2011
Bissonetter, Aimee M. (2009). Cyber law: maximizing safety and minimizing risk in classrooms.
Thousand Oaks, CA. p.81
2009 Lamar University Page 3 of 5

4. EDLD 5344 School Law
Essay 2: Personnel Management
Respond to the questions in the red box. Your essay should:
• Use citations from the research when applicable.
• Use professional writing protocols.
• Use professional language.
• What have you learned about teacher evaluation and remediation that you did not know
before taking this class?
• How will the information presented in this course help you become a better manager of
your school employees?
• What aspect of school personnel management do you feel you need to learn more about?
• How do you plan to gain this knowledge?
Type your essay in the space below.
During week 3 of this course we discussed teacher contracts in regards to a teachers property rights. Dr.
Hopson (2011) explained that there are three different types of teacher contracts; probationary, term and
continuing. Dr. Hopson advised, If you have a teacher who is low performing but is not doing something
that would endanger or harm students, it is much better to let their contract expire and non-renew than it
is to terminate the employees contract in the middle of the contract term. Another point I reviewed was
the fact that a teacher can be on a probationary contract for a maximum of three years. At the end of three
year probation contract for a teacher, the district must either offer the teacher a term contract of dismiss
the employee. I have served as an Athletic Director for the past eleven years and I had knowledge of these
two points but it was helpful for me to review the points and look at the different cases and reflect on how
I have handled these situations in the coaching world as compared to how they could be handle d in the
teaching world.
Allowing a low performing teacher to run their contract out is somewhat of moral dilemma for me.
Allowing a teacher to stay another year will cheat the students that teacher is responsible for. This course
made me think about this and reflect on what my plan of action would be if I encounter this situation.
When it comes to coaches, you usually can use other coaches to cover the lack of performance by one
coach. As I reflected on how I have handled low performing coaches, I think it’s important to find a way
to cover the students and not allow this teacher to teach students without support. I would obviously put
the teacher on a growth plan and work diligently to help them improve before the new year began. If
resources allowed I would move the teacher to place that took them out of the classroom or in a position
that did not require the teacher to teach alone.
Hopson, M. (2011), Personnel Documentation. (Video). Lamar University: Department of
Education Leadership. retrieved from https://lamar.epiclms.net/Learn/Player.aspx?
enrollmentid=2271175. Nov. 5, 2011
2009 Lamar University Page 4 of 5

5. EDLD 5344 School Law
Essay 3: Improving Professional Practice
Respond to the questions in the red box. Your essay should:
• Use citations from the research when applicable.
• Use professional writing protocols.
• Use professional language.
• Select another legal topic covered in this course that you feel affects you as a school
leader.
• What have you learned about this topic, and how will this new knowledge affect your
decision-making as an administrator?
• What professional development opportunities can you spearhead in your school to
inform teachers about this issue?
Type your essay in the space below.
Along with the studies in this course and prior situations I have witnessed, I believe the two most
important issues in Public Education are the policies, procedures, and safety of Special Education and
Technology. Since I have already discussed my points on Technology I will look at Special Education
which consumes the current school where I teach.
I am currently teaching a core class and I have not taught in the classroom for 19 years. So, not only was
the information on Special Education, IDEA, 504 and RTI interesting, it was needed. I have also learned a
great deal from my wife who is a Special Education Teacher. Through this course studies on the
legalities of all of these areas, I gained a better understanding why it is not always appropriate to
immediately refer a child for Special Education screening. “The RTI philosophy centers on prevention at
the first sign of academic or behavioral risk, before it is too late and too costly or difficult to remediate”
(Martinez, Nellis, & Prendergast, 2006, p.3). It is extremely important as educators; we document and
research why the student is not being successful and then find possible solutions to best support the child.
When finding solutions, we need to ensure we look at the least restrictive environment as well. As an
administrator, I will need to ensure my staff is fully trained on the RTI process. Currently my wife
struggles with the fact the staff at her school building have not been trained properly. She gives me many
examples of how they are not following proper policies and laws because of the lack of training and
understanding of these laws. Naturally, the best way to provide training is through professional
development about RTI. I would also need to model how RTI documentation should look, and provide
teachers an opportunity to discuss any documentation with me in a non-judgmental environment. If you
provide the proper training the teachers will have the confidence to help students learn and put the
students in the best position to learn.
Martinez, R. S., Nellis, L. M., & Prendergast, K. A., (2006). Closing the achievement gap series, part II:
Response to intervention (RTI) – Basic elements, practical application, and policy recommendations.
Education Policy Brief, 4(8), Center for Evaluation and Education Policy, Indiana University. (ERIC
Document Reproducvtion Services No. ED 495749).
2009 Lamar University Page 5 of 5

6. EDLD 5344 School Law
Essay 3: Improving Professional Practice
Respond to the questions in the red box. Your essay should:
• Use citations from the research when applicable.
• Use professional writing protocols.
• Use professional language.
• Select another legal topic covered in this course that you feel affects you as a school
leader.
• What have you learned about this topic, and how will this new knowledge affect your
decision-making as an administrator?
• What professional development opportunities can you spearhead in your school to
inform teachers about this issue?
Type your essay in the space below.
Along with the studies in this course and prior situations I have witnessed, I believe the two most
important issues in Public Education are the policies, procedures, and safety of Special Education and
Technology. Since I have already discussed my points on Technology I will look at Special Education
which consumes the current school where I teach.
I am currently teaching a core class and I have not taught in the classroom for 19 years. So, not only was
the information on Special Education, IDEA, 504 and RTI interesting, it was needed. I have also learned a
great deal from my wife who is a Special Education Teacher. Through this course studies on the
legalities of all of these areas, I gained a better understanding why it is not always appropriate to
immediately refer a child for Special Education screening. “The RTI philosophy centers on prevention at
the first sign of academic or behavioral risk, before it is too late and too costly or difficult to remediate”
(Martinez, Nellis, & Prendergast, 2006, p.3). It is extremely important as educators; we document and
research why the student is not being successful and then find possible solutions to best support the child.
When finding solutions, we need to ensure we look at the least restrictive environment as well. As an
administrator, I will need to ensure my staff is fully trained on the RTI process. Currently my wife
struggles with the fact the staff at her school building have not been trained properly. She gives me many
examples of how they are not following proper policies and laws because of the lack of training and
understanding of these laws. Naturally, the best way to provide training is through professional
development about RTI. I would also need to model how RTI documentation should look, and provide
teachers an opportunity to discuss any documentation with me in a non-judgmental environment. If you
provide the proper training the teachers will have the confidence to help students learn and put the
students in the best position to learn.
Martinez, R. S., Nellis, L. M., & Prendergast, K. A., (2006). Closing the achievement gap series, part II:
Response to intervention (RTI) – Basic elements, practical application, and policy recommendations.
Education Policy Brief, 4(8), Center for Evaluation and Education Policy, Indiana University. (ERIC
Document Reproducvtion Services No. ED 495749).
2009 Lamar University Page 5 of 5