OCR

It’s March, meaning we are in one of the peak times for sports. It’s tournament time for basketball, including the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Tournaments. The OHSAA Boys State Basketball Tournament is underway as of the time of this writing, with the OHSAA Girls State Basketball Tournament wrapping up just a few days ago. We all enjoy these traditions, and for many students who play any sport, these are core and formative experiences in their education.

Earlier today, the U.S.

On Nov. 20, the U.S.

The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced today it is launching a new “technical assistance initiative” to assist schools, districts, state education agencies, libraries, colleges and universities in making their websites and online programs accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Earlier this week, a U.S. District Court judge for the Northern District of Texas, issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Education from taking action to enforce their guidance letter on the rights of transgender students under Title IX.

ODE news:  Every Student Succeeds Act webinars and stakeholder meetings and comment period for revisions to learning standards ending

As part of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) is required to create a Student Success Plan.  The plan will describe how local, state and federal programs are aligned.  ODE is inviting school board members, district employees, teachers, parents and any other interested parties to attend one of ten stakeholder meetings to share ideas for the development of the Student Success Plan.   

The Fourth Circuit court of appeals recently ruled in G.G. v. Gloucester Cty. School Bd., that courts must give deference to the U.S. Department of Education’s recent guidance that public schools must treat a transgender student in conformity with the student’s gender identity.