1. LINDENWOOD UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL LAW
EDA 525
Sean Stryhal BSEd, MA
COURSE SYLLABUS AND OVERVIEW
Instructor: Sean Stryhal
Phone: 636-207-2622 (227) Office/ 636-677-5225 Home
e-mail: sjpr1@rockwood.k12.mo.us
Purpose
This course will provide students with knowledge and understanding of the effects of the
legal system on education. We will address:
• The constitutional framework of Public Education and individual rights.
• A survey of Federal and State Laws and regulations.
• Case law as well as tort contract and district liability.
• The practical impact of current and past law on school administration.
Topics reviewed will include:
1. Student Rights
2. Search and Seizure
3. Student Attendance
4. Education of Persons with Disabilities
5. School Curriculum
6. Church and State
7. Equal Opportunity-Deseg & Gender
8. School Finance
9. Teachers Rights
Text: Imber, Michael and Van Geel, Tyll (2000), Education Law, 2nd
Ed.
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Mahwah, NJ
Student Learnings:
1. Understand the relationship between Federal, State and Local educational
governance (1,6,8).
2. Understand and be knowledgeable of court decisions with emphasis on US
Supreme Court decisions and their implications for public school
administrators.
3. Become familiar with State of Missouri School Law structure, organization
and appendices/index (4 & 12).
4. Understand basic student, staff and parent rights (2, 9, 11).
5. Knowledgeable about curriculum and its relationship to law and protected
rights (4, 7, 10).
6. Relate above to: Role of a school administrator (3, 5, 11, 12).

2. Conceptual Framework – Educational Leadership
ISLLC Standard 3
A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students
by ensuring management of the organization, operations, and resources for a safe,
efficient, and effective learning environment.
ISLCC Standard 5
A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students
by acting with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner.
ISLCC Standard 6
A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students
by understanding, responding to, and influencing the larger political, social, economic,
legal, and cultural contest.
Student Assignments
1. You will work in teams of two or three to complete a group assignment.
A. Each team has the responsibility to research and prepare a written and oral
class presentation on an assigned topic. The class presentation will serve as
your artifact for meeting the DESE requirement.
B. Each oral and written presentation shall cover:
1. the theme of the presentation.
2. the name of the major cases.
3. review of the facts.
4. restatement of the claims and arguments of both sides.
5. review of the procedural history of the case.
6. statement of the issue.
7. ruling on each issue.
8. justification for each ruling
9. disposition
10. a statement of what implication this ruling has for school
administrators.
At the conclusion of each oral presentation the presenting team will provide the
instructor and each member of the class with a quality typewritten report covering
the above 10 sections.
2. Each class member will develop five “what if’ questions or scenarios to be asked
of the presenting team. These questions will be due at the beginning of each oral
presentation, to be reviewed by the instructor and selectively asked of the
presenting team at the end of their oral presentation. The questions should be a
realistic scenario involving the night’s theme.
3. Five, brief, one paragraph reviews of current legal issues related to education.

3. Student Evaluation
a) Class Presentation and written report 300 points
b) Attendance and Participation 150 Points
c) Law Articles 100 Points
d) What IF Questions 50 Points
e) Final Exam 150 Points
Total Points = 750
Grading Scale:
A 630 – 750
B 560 – 629
C 490 – 559

4. Class Activities
June 10, 2003 – Class Introduction and Course Objectives, Pre-Test.
June 12, 2003 – Groups assigned, Projects Discussed. Education Law and Compulsory
Education……/…School Finance ……. Groups and Projects Assigned
* Chapter 1 and 2/ 8
June 17, 2003 – GROUP WORK/RESEARCH
June 19, 2003 – GROUP WORK/RESEARCH
June 24, 2003 – GROUP WORK/RESEARCH
June 26, 2003 - Torts
* Chapter 12
July 1, 2003 -- Torts
* Chapter 12
July 3, 2003 – Student Rights
* Chapter 4
July 8, 2003 – Student Rights
* Chapter 5
July 10, 2003 – Curriculum
* Chapter 3
July 15, 2003 – Special Education Law
* Chapter 7
July 17, 2003 -- Special Education Law
* Chapter 7
July 22, 2003 – Teacher Employment/Collective Bargaining
* Chapter 9/10
July 24, 2003 – Teacher Employment/Collective Bargaining
* Chapter 11
July 28, 2003 -- Race/Gender Issues
* Chapter 6
July 29, 2003 – Review/Discussion
July 31, 2003 – Final Exam
* This schedule may change based on guest speakers schedules, special activities or
other needs.