As students return to school this fall, parents find themselves learning new vocabulary terms, such as “remote learning,” “distance learning,” “synchronous or asynchronous instruction,” and “learning pods.” Parents are also learning how to juggle their own work, either from home or onsite, and their children’s instruction. Employers have probably been receiving requests from employees to
Education
Special Bulletin: Second Court Denies Preliminary Injunction Against New Title IX Regulations; the Compliance Deadline Remains August 14, 2020
In a lawsuit involving sixteen states and the District of Columbia, including California, filed against the U.S. Department of Education challenging the new regulations governing how sexual harassment allegations under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 must be adjudicated, U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols denied the States’ request for a delay pending…
The Kristin Smart Campus Safety Act: What It Is, Why It’s Important, and a Missing Student Remembered

This Memorial Day weekend marks the 24th anniversary of the disappearance of Kristin Smart, a student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo who disappeared in the early morning hours of May 25, 1996 while walking to her dormitory following a party. Kristin Smart was reported missing to the…
Is This Being Recorded? Navigating FERPA in the Virtual Classroom
When the COVID-19 outbreak reached California, schools throughout the state converted traditional classes to a distance education model for millions of students seemingly overnight. Distance education programs rely on a combination of websites, programs/applications, and other technologies to deliver content, facilitate communication, administer exams, and more. Video conferencing applications (e.g., Zoom) with screen sharing features…