2023 MCSA School Law Fall Conference

8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. November 9, MASB ALC

The 2023-2024 school year guarantees to offer unique challenges for school board members and school administrators. Be prepared for your next legal challenge by attending the Michigan Council of School Attorneys’ Fall Conference, where leaders in education law will share valuable information on crucial issues important to school officials. The 2023 edition of the Fall Conference includes two three-hour preconference sessions for MASB’s Annual Leadership Conference that focus on the following school law topics:

• Banning Books: Separating Fact from Fiction. The issue of removing books from school district curriculums or libraries continues to be a hot topic for school officials. If it hasn’t come up in one of your recent board meetings, then you’ve likely read about it in media reports. This presentation will discuss the legal precedent set by courts on book challenges, so you’ll be able to distinguish fact from fiction when addressing this issue.
  

• School Employees Retirement Law: Recent Changes and New Interpretations. What’s the latest rule on rehiring retired school employees? Are pay increases for superintendents still subject to a “normal salary increase” schedule?  What constitutes a “bona fide termination” under the retirement law? Was there a recent court ruling on determining what is “compensation” for retirement calculation purposes? These questions and other important retirement law issues will be discussed, giving school officials the most up to date guidance on complying with the ever-changing retirement rules.  

• Title IX Update: Sexual Harassment & Gender Discrimination. As school districts wait for the final versions of the Title IX regulations addressing sexual harassment, discrimination against LGBTQI+ students, and students’ eligibility for athletic teams, federal courts continue to issue decisions interpreting Title IX’s prohibition on sex discrimination. Guidance from these rulings will be shared along with an overview of the soon to be legal requirements of the new Title IX regulations.  
  

• Preparing for the Legal Issues Presented by Artificial Intelligence. At some point, Artificial Intelligence will impact your school district. When that time arrives, school board members and administrators need to be prepared to face unprecedented policy and legal issues. Learn today what these Artificial Intelligence issues of tomorrow will likely be.
  

• What Every School Official Needs to Know About Recent Employment Law Changes. The 2023 amendments of the Public Employment Relations Act will become effective during the upcoming bargaining season. Now is the time to prepare for how the changes will impact your negotiations. This presentation will offer a head start on your negotiation preparations by discussing strategies to address the repealed prohibited subjects of bargaining, new placement and layoff requirements, and the “unfreezing” of compensation increases at the expiration of a collective bargaining agreement.
  

• Legal Issues Involving the Actions of Individual School Board Members. While a school board has multiple responsibilities in governing a school district, the governance role of an individual school board member is generally limited to preparing for and attending meetings held in compliance with Michigan’s Open Meetings Act, and then voting on motions to transact business and carryout the board’s governance duties. This presentation will explore the legal issues associated with individual board members going beyond the scope of their role and legal authority.   
  

Who should attend?  This conference is designed for school board members, superintendents, administrators, attorneys, and others involved in the legal aspects of education. Registration is $198 for attending both the morning and afternoon sessions (includes lunch).  Register at www.masb.org/alc. Please reach out to Brad with questions.