The Legal Rights and Responsibilities of Teachers

Issues of Employment and Instruction

Most teacher education programs offer little, if any, instruction on Education Law. Consequently, teachers (in general) are not well-versed in the intricacies of the law as it applies to their own employment and their responsibilities as instructors. In light of this dearth of information about law by most teachers, this book is designed as an easy-to-read, practical manual that addresses the key legal issues that teachers confront on a daily basis. While many books on the market are aimed at school administrators, few are designed primarily for teachers. Those that are, tend to be overly broad in scope. This book, then, intends to help fill that gap by providing a concise, practical guide that specifically targets the areas of the law that are of most concern to teachers.

In the employment context, the book intends to present information about teacher certification, employment, tenure, evaluation, and dismissal along with issues related to collective bargaining and teacher contracts. The book will also review the constitutional rights of teachers, including freedom of speech and religion. In addition, the book plans to provide information on how teachers can avoid liability when dealing with discrimination and harassment based on race, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, or disability, regardless of whether it is at the hands of supervisors, peers, or students.

In the instructional domain the book is designed to explore the rights and responsibilities teachers have in the instructional process. This will include topics such as what can and cannot be taught, academic freedom, methodology, grading policies, student records, and copyright law. Information will be provided about tort liability and the teacher's responsibilities regarding the safety and well-being of his or her students as well as his or her own protections from defamation and rights of self-defense.