Evaluating Probationary Teachers to Facilitate Professional Growth and Effectiveness
Individualized Development Plan The Teachers’ Tenure Act requires that all probationary teachers receive an Individualized Development Plan (“IDP”) developed by an “appropriate” administrator in consultation with the teacher. An IDP includes specific performance goals to assist the teacher with improving effectiveness, and with designated training to help the teacher meet those goals. The IDP must include a timeline during which the teacher must meet IDP goals that may not exceed 180 days.…
Michigan High School PBA: What Principals and Athletic Directors Need to Know
As of January 2026, the Michigan High School Athletic Association (“MHSAA”) permits Michigan high school student-athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness through what it calls Personal Brand Activities (“PBAs”). While that change creates valuable opportunities for student athletes, it also introduces immediate compliance considerations for school leaders. PBAs and Limitations The MHSAA broadly defines a PBA as an arrangement in which a student-athlete promotes or endorses a product or…
Put that Phone Down: Wireless Device Changes for the 2026-2027 School Year
Your district may have already imposed a cell phone ban on students but if not, one is coming for the 2026-2027 school year. On February 10, 2026, Governor Whitmer signed Public Act 2 of 2026, which restricts students’ use of wireless communications devices, including cell phones, during instructional time. School districts must have a wireless communications device policy that meets the new law’s requirements in place by the beginning of the 2026-2027…
Mandated Reporters Reminder: Reporting of Suspected Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Explained
Michigan law requires certain school personnel to immediately report suspected abuse or neglect of a child or vulnerable adult. Mandated reporters should be aware of their reporting responsibilities to avoid civil or criminal liability for failing to report suspected abuse or neglect. Child Protection Law The Michigan Child Protection Law, MCL 722.621 et seq., requires certain persons (commonly referred to as “mandated reporters”) to report sus¬pected child abuse or neglect. Although many…
LegalEase April 2026 | Digital Accessibility Compliance Obligations for Public School Districts Under the ADA’s New Title II Rule
In light of the U.S. Department of Justice’s (“DOJ”) issuance of its final rule on web and mobile accessibility—effective June 24, 2024—public school districts, as state and local governmental entities, are now subject to comprehensive and legally enforceable technical standards governing their digital content. The rule, promulgated under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), adopts the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (“WCAG”) 2.1 Level AA as the operative accessibility benchmark…
LegalEase March 2026 | Student Walkouts – When Students Choose to Speak With Their Feet
The world is showing no sign of providing fewer topics for students to get riled up about. And while student civic engagement is typically something to be celebrated, when that engagement manifests itself as protests and walkouts during the school day it presents school districts with a host of things to consider. Free Speech The US Supreme Court in Tinker v. Des Moines made clear that neither “students or teachers shed their…
LegalEase February 2026 | Compliance Requirements Under Section 164k of the State School Aid Act
On October 7, 2025, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the State School Aid Act (Public Act 15 of 2025) for the 2026 fiscal year, which includes Section 164k (MCL 388.1764k). On December 11, 2025, the Michigan Department of Education ("MDE”) released a memorandum providing additional clarification. Section 164k introduces several compliance obligations for school districts and intermediate school districts (“ISDs”) with significant consequences for failing to comply. If a violation is reported and confirmed by…
December 2025 LegalEase | Equal Access Act Compliance – Take Care When Dealing with Student-Run Groups
The Equal Access Act guarantees and protects the rights of public-school students. “Under the EAA, if a public school which receives federal financial assistance has created a limited open forum, it is unlawful for that school to deny equal access to, or a fair opportunity to, or to discriminate against, any students who wish to conduct a meeting within such limited open forum on the basis of the religious, political, philosophical, or other…
Understanding Michigan’s Rules on Emergency Seclusion and Restraint
Michigan schools have seen a notable increase in parental complaints and disputes regarding the emergency use of seclusion and restraint in recent years. For the 2025–26 school year, administrators report that these issues are becoming overwhelming. It is critical for secondary school leaders to refresh their understanding of the law and best practices to avoid significant legal liability. Under the Michigan Revised School Code, sections 1307 to 1307h (MCL 380.1307–380.1307h), the legislature’s…
LegalEase October 2025 | Facility Dogs– They’re Not Service Dogs, But They Still Provide A Service
With the temperature dropping and the sunlight waning, there is perhaps no better time than the present to consider the addition of four legged friends in the educational environment. While it seems everyone has experience with service animals, more and more school districts are welcoming a different type of trained dog—facility dogs—to their campuses. Service Animals The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides that a service animal is a dog or miniature…