OM 548 - Educational Leadership and the Law

In this course aspiring principals focus on the role of the school leader as the person who is most responsible for establishing a sense of order, discipline, and predictability as well as an environment of caring and nurturing in the school building. Aspiring principals investigate the federal and state laws and policies that support an effective learning environment in the
school. Using case materials related to student and staff incidents, they review school handbooks to identify the elements that support or inhibit the new evaluation system, standards based instruction, new findings regarding effective student learning, and policies related to out-of-school suspension. Assignments include the drafting of revisions or improvement for specific handbook sections and the design of a new, user-friendly handbook for the teaching staff or student body. Aspiring principals learn the importance of resources such as adult and peer mediators, School Resource Officers, and advisory periods that provide a trusted adult for each student as they create policy and plans that ensure school safety and conflict management.

(Cr: 3