Participants will hear from legal experts regarding many of the pressing topics they may face during the 2023–2024 school year.
This session is tailored to meet the needs of
The event will offer a general session as well as job-specific breakout sessions.
Welcome10:00 a.m.–10:10 a.m.
Presenters: Dr. Rodney Watson, Region 4 ESC John Hopkins, Partner, Thompson & Horton, LLP
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General Session10:10 a.m.–11:45 a.m. |
School Finance and Legislative Update
Location: The Connection Center Room
Presenter: |
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Arguing in Cyberspace: An Update on School Official and Employee Speech on Social Media Platforms
Presenter:
This session will discuss whether and to what extent school employees and school board members can talk about public issues on social media platforms, focusing on the two big cases that will be heard by the Supreme Court this fall (Lindke v. Freed, and Garnier v. O’Connor-Ratcliff) about whether government officials can delete comments and block users on social media.
Presentation: Arguing in Cyberspace |
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Grab-and-Go Lunch11:45 a.m.–12:00 p.m. |
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Breakout Sessions12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m. |
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Top 10 Special Education Questions You Asked Your Lawyer in 2022-2023—Special Education
Presenters: This session will touch on hot topics of the 2022–2023 school year, share the top 10 special education questions Thompson & Horton received in 2022–2023, and discuss how districts should approach these issues going into the new year school year.
Presentation: Top 10 Special Education Questions Top 10 Special Education Questions (notes pages)
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Student and Parent Rights and Issues Update: HB 1605, the READER and CROWN Acts, and More!
Location: Room 1140
Presenter:
Presentation: Student and Parent Rights and issues Update |
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Personnel Issues: What Every Campus Needs to Know About the New Workplace Accommodation Standards and Other Legislative Updates
Location: Room 1430
Presenter: Stephanie Hamm, Partner, Thompson & Horton LLP
Join this breakout to discuss the new legal standard for accommodating employees’ religious beliefs, the new legal protections for pregnant and nursing mothers under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and the PUMP Act, and recent employment-related updates from the Texas Legislature.
Presentation: What Every Campus Needs to Know About the New Workplace Accommodation Standards and Other Legislative Updates |
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School Safety and Operations Update—Review of HB 3 and Other Safety and Operations Legislation—Safety/Business
Location: Room 1420
Presenters:
Presentation: School Security Update
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What Charters Should Know for the 2023–2044 School Year and Beyond
Location: Connection Center Room
Presenter: Celena Vinson, Counsel, Thompson & Horton LLP
In this breakout, you will learn about critical bills passed during the legislative session that impact charter schools as well as recent court decisions that could expose charters to civil rights claims. You will also hear about new state and federal regulations that protect employees and require employers to take certain actions. We will discuss what these new regulations and decisions mean for you and how you can be prepared for this school year and beyond
Presentation: What Charters Should Know for the 2023–2044 School Year and Beyond |
Critical Legal Issues 2023
For more information, email Kristi Hernandez.