2024 ACSA Personnel & Negotiations Symposium

Technology is evolving much faster than laws, making it difficult to ensure policies and training keep pace with devices, software and apps. These experienced education attorneys will provide insight for guiding and informing staff, students and families on a topic that is in the news and on parents’ minds.

Complaints or allegations of misconduct can happen to any district. Proper preparation and training can make a huge difference in the outcome. Learn how to gather facts, observe timelines and provide proper notifications to protect the rights of all parties. These experienced education attorneys will help you learn what to do and say and how to best use legal counsel in your investigation.

On Friday, April 19, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education released the highly anticipated Final Title IX Regulations. These Final Title IX Regulations come after the Department released the proposed regulations in July 2022. The new regulations went into effect on August 1, 2024, and apply to complaints of sex discrimination regarding alleged conduct that occurs on or after that date. Please join us as for this informative complimentary session as we discuss what this means and how it will impact your agency.

Public school employees have the protected right under the Educational Employment Relations Act (“EERA”) to engage in union activity, which includes but is not limited to, speaking out about contract negotiations and/or a labor dispute, and criticizing the employer and its administration regarding matters related to working conditions. The Public Employment Relations Board (“PERB”) has, and continues to, provide employees with wide latitude to engage in such protected speech, including some leeway for impulsive, intemperate, abusive and inaccurate conduct and statements. Employers have to carefully balance the employee’s right to engage in protected conduct with the employer’s right to maintain a professional and respectful workplace. During this presentation, DWK attorneys Candace Bandoian and Ellen Wu will discuss, through actual case scenarios, the parameters of protected and unprotected activity and the potential consequences for taking adverse action against an employee deemed to have engaged in protected activity.

By now, workplace violence prevention plans have been implemented. However, disruptions and workplace misconduct continue in various settings within a school district. This workshop goes beyond the plan to address proper handlining and documenting workplace misconduct from a legal and practical standpoint. Representative topics include TROs, abusive conduct, and employee bullying.

Learn about the latest from the State Capitol as the Governor wraps up action on hundreds of bills while voters consider statewide ballot measures with impacts to school communities. Plus, hear what changes may be coming to the state’s education policy leadership pending the November election outcomes.

Moving into Human Resources is unlike other adminsitrative roles at the district level. It is so multifacted, daunting and full of legal compliance that can make or break a situation. Join this engaging presentation, geared for new HR administrators where you will get tangible take aways on how to successfully enter the HR role.

Before negotiations begin, there are key steps to take. With years of experience at negotiating tables in circumstances both good and bad, these presenters provide keys to more promising bargaining interactions and outcomes. They will describe the necessary steps to take and even provide a checklist!