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Article of Interest

Educating Educators
By:  Laura W. Docker

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

                                                                                    ~Nelson Mandela

TYLA is jumping right into the new bar year with projects designed to educate the public on law-related issues.  The Law Focused Education Committee is especially proud to unveil Educating Educators, which will be available later this month on the TYLA website.  Educating Educators is a resource guide designed to educate teachers and administrators about their rights, responsibilities and legal obligations.  The field of education is fraught with expectations, obligations, responsibilities and regulations.  These rights and responsibilities are found in a myriad of federal and state statutes, administrative regulations, court cases, attorney general decisions, and local policies.  School law is a field that even an experienced attorney can find daunting without guidance, and it can be especially difficult for non-lawyers, such as teachers and parents, to understand the application of these laws to life in the classroom.  Educating Educators will help teachers, educators, and parents have a better understanding of these issues. 

Educating Educators will help educators understand and cultivate proper legal relationships with students, parents, and administrators.  These include issues related to physical contact with students, relationships with students on social media websites, and dealing with disruptive or divorced parents.  Educating Educators also offers guidance to teachers having problems with their principal or administrator, as well as an explanation of teaching employment contracts and their rights to due process prior to termination. 

Educating Educators addresses a variety of other common legal concerns for teachers.  These include issues regarding student privacy and prayer in schools.  The guide provides information on the reporting obligations for child abuse and neglect and information regarding human trafficking.  It also includes guidance on dealing with CPS and law enforcement in schools. 

The completed product will be a booklet that can be distributed and used at teacher in-services and training throughout the school year.  The project will also include video resources, available on the TYLA website, which provide brief video clips from experienced school attorneys addressing the specific topics contained in the guide.  If you are interested in obtaining more information about this project, including having this project presented to a group of teachers or obtaining copies of the packet, please contact Michelle Palacios.

Laura Docker is a shareholder with Brackett & Ellis, P.C. in Fort Worth, Texas.  Laura has significant experience representing individuals, medical professionals, schools and other entities in a broad range of litigation matters in both state and federal courts throughout Texas.   She practices in the area of employment law, professional liability defense, school law, and personal injury defense.