lawprofessors

By Michelle Ball, California Education Attorney for Students since 1995 Over the years, I have heard many terrible stories, but some of the saddest are when a student who is a victim is disciplined, while the bully escapes punishment. Sometimes it is very clear that the victim did nothing but is being lied about by the bully.  Other times, the victim is punished for fighting back and breaking rules in their response to the bully.  Either way, parents and students need to act before a situation turns against them. It may seem logical to assume that a school will act on reports of targeting a student.   Bullying and its dramatic negative impact to students is everywhere and "bullying" itself is the new buzz word in education.  It seems, at least in the media, that once someone alleges they were bullied, magic happens.  In the real world, this is not always the case. Schools are legally obligated to do something when a staff member observes and/or receives a repor...

By Michelle Ball, California Education Attorney for Students since 1995 Attorney or non-attorney advocate?  What is the difference?  Parents faced with a school issue, such as expulsion or a special education problem, often do not know who can help.  Do parents really have to hire an attorney?  What about the lady you heard about who helps parents?  Here is the lowdown on advocate versus attorney and how it relates to your school issues. I am an attorney, licensed to practice law in California.  However, a lot of what I do daily is advocacy .  Advocacy is basically helping a cause (my clients' cause).  Per Merriam-Webster.com  " advocacy " (noun-thing) is "the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal."  To "advocate" (verb) is "to support or argue for (a cause, policy, etc.).  An " advocate"  (noun- person) is "a person who argues for or supports a cause or policy."  So "advocate" can mean different yet s...

By Michelle Ball, California Education Attorney for Students since 1995 Communication is such an important factor in life and can be the reason endeavors succeed or fail.  It is no less important in the school setting.  However, time and again I find myself with a new family in my office which has hit a barrier in communicating with their child's school.  Perhaps the administration has stopped responding to them or does not seem to take action on their complaints.  Maybe they are unable to persuade staff that some issue exists.   Communication in the school setting can be unique.  Yes there are straightforward school staffs who work with parents and life is good, but often this is not the case.  Administrators are nervous about committing to anything, admitting anything, or making firm and final decisions.  They also can be arrogant and treat parents like the children they supervise.   So, when parents communicate to school personnel in the w...