CAS Annual Conference 2025

Among many other responsibilities, building leaders often are tasked with addressing a variety of special education issues for their students and related questions from parents and staff. This presentation will discuss important special education legal issues that many school leaders routinely face.  The discussion will be led through scenarios and a frequently-asked-questions format, and participants will discuss and learn about child find obligations, preparation versus predetermination; addressing thorny issues that arise during a PPT meeting; ensuring implementation of IEPs and services; and having difficult conversations with parents and staff. An emphasis will be placed on preventative issue-spotting and practical considerations.

School administrators struggle each day with their obligations to make mandated reports of suspected child abuse and neglect to DCF, as there are natural interests/instincts in protecting students while avoiding legal jeopardy.  Recent legislative changes may complicate this issue.  This workshop will 1) go over the legal mandates, including changes from 2024 legislation, 2) provide practical advice, 3) reinforce best practices, and 4) help administrators feel more at ease when called upon to make these difficult decisions.        

The obligations of school administrators with regard to religion in public schools have long been a challenge.  In 2022, however, the United States Supreme Court complicated matters further in ruling that a football coach had the right to pray publicly on the football field immediately after games.  Kennedy v. Bremerton School District (2022).  In this session, we will discuss how this decision changed the rules and offer our best advice on how to handle such issues going forward.

Changes in technology have fundamentally changed the responsibilities of administrators.  In this session, we will review the related legal issues, including electronic monitoring, surveillance, copyright, the legal status of text and email communications, and student rights, including cell phone use and posts on the Internet.  Through this session, administrators will learn what they can do to fulfill their responsibilities and how they can avoid legal claims arising from the use of technology.

As mandated reporters, school administrators have significant responsibilities. In the last legislative session, the General Assembly amended the applicable statutes in several important respects. In this session, we will review those changes, which include a new opportunity to conduct a "preliminary inquiry" before reporting to DCF, training requirements, and new provisions for immunity. Through the session, administrators will learn about these new provisions to assure that they fulfill this important duty in compliance with the law.