While on location at the California School Boards Association’s (CSBA) 2019 Annual Education Conference, host Sloan Simmons talks with CSBA General Counsel, Kathryn Meola, and one of Lozano Smith’s founding partners, Mike Smith, about critical legal issues impacting educational and other public agencies heading in 2020 and beyond. Show Notes & References 2:45  W. v. …

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Host Sloan Simmons talks with Lozano Smith partners Michelle Cannon and Gabriela Flowers, co-chairs of the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice Group, about important new labor and employment laws passed in 2019 and how they will impact public agency employers in the new year.  Topics covered include employment classifications, probationary periods for classified public school …

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Lozano Smith partners Mary Lerner and Anne Collins, co-chairs of the firm’s Governance Practice Group, talk about the basics that every newly elected member of a local agency governing body should know when assuming office.  This podcast isn’t just for newly electeds – it’s full of information for public officials, local agency staff, and members …

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Sloan Simmons sits down with Lozano Smith Special Education Practice Group Leaders Marcy Gutierrez and Aly Bivins, along with special education, 504, and student attorney Kyle Raney, to discuss this year’s legislative activity in the area of special education, as well to get their views on what school officials should be thinking about in the …

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Lozano Smith attorneys Daniel Maruccia and Harold Freiman discuss what AB 48 could mean for school facilities funding if approved by the voters in March 2020. Show Notes & References 2:52  3-legged stool 4:49  Prop 47 (2002) 5:09  Prop 55 (2004) 5:30  Prop 1D (2006) 6:24  Prop 51 (2016) 10:42  AB 48 (2019) (Client News …

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Sloan Simmons talks with Lozano Smith Student Practice Group Leaders Ruth Mendyk and Aimee Perry regarding this year’s legislative enactments impacting students and tips for school districts in preparing for compliance with these new laws. Show Notes & References 2:29 Senate Bill (SB) 543 (Sexual harassment complaint procedure poster) (Client News Brief 71: November 2019) …

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Following months of discussion regarding the impact that charter schools have had on traditional public schools, the Legislature has passed, and Governor Newsom has signed, two bills that will have wide-ranging impacts on California charter schools and their authorizers. Joining host Devon Lincoln to discuss these new laws, and what charter school authorizers need to …

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In Part 2 of our discussion on school avoidance, Sloan Simmons continues the discussion with Jennifer Baldassari and Susan Bishop about case examples, myths, and best practices. Show Notes & References 3:15  Confirmation Bias 7:10  General Education Interventions (Ed. Code 56303) 8:45  ERMHS Assessments 10:30  Orinda Union School District v. Student  (2017) OAH Case No. …

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In Part 1 of our discussion on school avoidance, Sloan Simmons talks with Jennifer Baldassari and Susan Bishop about the challenges districts face in school avoidance issues from both a legal and practical perspective, highlighting the top myths associated with school avoidance along the way. Show Notes & References 6:46  Lucia Mar Unified School District …

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Host Sloan Simmons talks to Lozano Smith’s Special Education Practice Group Leader Marcy Gutierrez and special education litigator Kristy Boyes about the challenges schools face in providing the least restrictive environment (LRE) to students with special needs, and what guidance we can glean from federal law as enunciated by the Ninth Circuit, including in the …

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