On Friday, February 27th Thrun Law Firm temporarily relocated its East Lansing office to Honolulu, Hawaii in an effort to cope with Michigan's harsh...
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News from Thrun Law
July 16, 2015
The Michigan Court of Appeals recently held that teachers, both tenured and probationary, may bring a claim under Section 1248 of the Revised School Code in circuit court challenging a layoff-related decision based upon the district’s alleged failure to adopt and implement a performance evaluation system in compliance with Section 1249. Summer v Southfield Bd of Ed, Docket No. 320680 (June 2, 2015). This decision illustrates the importance of ensuring that teacher and administrator...
June 25, 2015
The Michigan Department of Education issued a memorandum on May 14, 2015 announcing that all Michigan educators may use District Provided Professional Development (DPPD) to advance a provisional teaching certificate to a professional education certificate or to renew the following MDE issued certificates or licenses:
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May 18, 2015
As the end of the school year approaches, school officials should be finalizing year-end teacher evaluations. To assist our clients with the legal standards for teacher evaluations found in Revised School Code Section 1249, we have created a flow chart (attached) which summarizes the requirements, including classroom observations...
May 11, 2015
The high school graduation ceremony is the culmination of the K-12 experience for graduates and their families. As a defining moment in a student’s life, the graduation ceremony carries both social and emotional significance. The graduation ceremony also presents many challenges for school officials.
School decisions affecting a student’s participation in graduation can result in litigation. Fortunately, court decisions provide some guidance to school officials on navigating this...
May 6, 2015
Prom season is upon us ̶ along with all the accompanying legal issues. Below are tips for navigating common “prom-blems” as well as some “prom-posals” to address them.
Attendance
There is no constitutional “right” to attend the prom. Attending the prom is a privilege, subject to revocation for non-compliance with reasonable conduct standards. Schools may not, however, prohibit a student from attending prom based on a protected classification, e.g., race, religion,...
April 27, 2015
As part of its service to its retainer clients, Thrun Law Firm, P.C., will host its annual client seminar at five locations this spring. Attached to this edition of School Law Notes you will find the registration materials, as well as other details about the events. You may register online at:
Thrun Law Firm will once again be offering State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECH)...
April 20, 2015
School officials should be aware that while school board elections have been moved to the even-year November election date, school districts may also still place millage and bond propositions on the ballot at the four regular election dates each year (in February or March and May, August, and November), as well as certain...
April 13, 2015
In a case handled by Thrun Law Firm, the Court of Appeals held that the State Tenure Commission lacks jurisdiction to hear appeals involving teacher layoff and recall. In 2011, the Michigan Legislature passed a package of bills amending the Teachers’ Tenure Act, the Revised School Code, and the Public Employment Relations Act, making teacher layoff decisions the subject of Section 1248 of the Revised School Code. Following those amendments, the MEA challenged the layoffs of three tenured...
April 6, 2015
As part of its service to its retainer clients, Thrun Law Firm, P.C., will host its annual client seminar at five locations this spring. Attached to this edition of School Law Notes you will find the registration materials, as well as other details about the events. You may register online at:
Thrun Law Firm will once again be offering State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECH)...