On the heels of a movement fueled by the Illinois teachers unions, the Illinois House and Senate passed a bill, Senate Bill 1814, which includes a House Amendment that will repeal the current 3% salary cap for Teachers Retirement System (TRS) reportable earnings. If […]
Category: K-12 Education
The Illinois House and Senate passed a bill, Senate Bill 1814, which includes a House Amendment that will repeal the current 3% salary cap for State Universities Retirement System (SURS) reportable earnings. If Governor Pritzker signs the bill into law, educational employers that are […]
The flurry of activity surrounding the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) and Open Meetings Act (“OMA”) continues. An Illinois Appellate Court once again reviewed whether grand jury records may be disclosed under FOIA and held that, at least in […]
Do I Smell a Problem? Considerations When Implementing Randomized Drug Dog Searches in Schools
May 31, 2019
One of our favorite sources for Franczek email alerts is our readers, and we recently received a question from a Twitter follower about the legal considerations related to randomized dog searched in public schools. We all know from Law & Order™ that […]
No ripped jeans. No sagging pants. No satin caps or bonnets. These are a few of the new dress code rules for parents set forth by a principal at a Texas High School. Although school dress codes for students are […]
Illinois Supreme Court: IFT Lobbyist Entitled to TRS Pension for One Day of Substitute Teaching
April 22, 2019
In a split decision issued earlier this month, a majority of the Illinois Supreme Court held that a career lobbyist for the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) union who worked one day as a substitute teacher could receive a state […]
More Changes to the Length of the Instructional Day May Be Coming for Illinois Schools
March 22, 2019
As we reported in December 2018, changes to the length of the instructional day for students in Illinois brought confusion and concern. Public Act 100—0465, or the Evidence-Based Funding for Student Success Act, removed Section 18-8.05 of the Illinois School Code, which […]
Illinois Appellate Court Sheds Light on When Records Are Not “Reasonably Accessible” On A Public Body’s Website Under FOIA
March 21, 2019
The Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was amended in December, 2014 to provide that a public body is not required to copy a public record that is published on the public body’s website. 5 ILCS 140/8.5. The exception requires […]