Here is a compendium of current issues that affect Ohio’s public entities, plus McGown & Markling news of note.
Qualified candidates may apply for a substitute pupil services license from the Ohio Department of Education at the request of an employing public school starting March 25, 2019. A substitute pupil services license is required for any individual substituting for a school counselor, school psychologist, school nurse, or other assistive position. For details on the […]
School districts derive substantial revenue from property taxes. As a result, McGown & Markling recommends that all school districts actively take steps to protect their property valuation – especially when property owners are seeking to reduce property values. McGown & Markling has experience representing school districts in a variety of property tax valuation disputes, and […]
Under Senate Bill 216, all classroom teachers providing instruction in core subject areas must be properly certified or licensed beginning July 1, 2019. The Ohio Department of Education Office of Educator Licensure has prepared guidance to help teachers and school boards meet this requirement. The Ohio Department of Education has also divided the state into […]
In the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) decision of SuperShuttle DFW, Inc., 367 NLRB No. 75 (2019), the NLRB returned to the traditional common-law test for determining whether a worker is an independent contractor – a departure from recent NLRB decisions. The traditional common-law “inquiry involves application of the nonexhaustive common-law factors enumerated in the […]
The parties in Smith v. AFSCME Council 8, S.D. Ohio Case No. 2:18-CV-1226, entered into a settlement agreement requiring the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (“AFSCME”) to cease implementing its “window policy” – i.e., a policy that allowed employees to opt-out of mandatory union dues but only within a small window of time […]
On January 17, 2019, the United States Department of Education announced the launch of a new program designed to curb the inappropriate use of restraint and seclusion on children with disabilities within the nation’s school systems. The program has three components: (1) free appropriate public education compliance reviews for children with disabilities, (2) improved quality […]
On January 14, 2019, Governor Mike DeWine began his first day in office by issuing Executive Order 2019-05D, maintaining the anti-gender identity and expression discrimination position taken by Governor John Kasich less than a month earlier (which we blogged about here). This executive order may have come as a surprise to some as Governor DeWine […]
House Bill 66 creates mandatory notification procedures when a student is absent from a public school. The Act requires all public schools to make at least one attempt to notify the parents, guardians, or caretakers of a student who is absent from school without a legitimate excuse within the first 120 minutes of the start […]