Fall Welcomes New Changes As most schools are back in person for the fall, this year will bring continued and additional changes for many of our clients. Parker & Covert welcomes many changes this fall as well. Attorney Stacy L. Toledo has been promoted to partner. Stacy will continu...
Assembly Bill 841 authorized the California Energy Commission to design, administer, and implement the California Schools Healthy Air, Plumbing, and Efficiency Program (CalSHAPE). The CalSHAPE Plumbing Program provides grants to local educational agencies to replace noncompliant plumbing fixtures...
On August 24, 2021, the United States Department of Education's (“Department”) Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (“OSERS”) issued a letter acknowledging that children with disabilities and their families have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic compared to the...
As schools and colleges prepare to open their campuses for the coming school and academic year, mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies are being implemented with increasing frequency. These policies are prompted not only by an increase in COVID-19 cases across California, specifically due to the...
The United States Education Department's Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) issued a Notice of Interpretation on June 16, 2021 to make clear that the Department interprets Title IX to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Title IX prohibits discrimination on the...
Because of the breadth of records that can be requested and the right of the public to inspect records, PRA requests can be challenging to respond to in an organized and efficient manner. Included in this post are three tips to make the process more straightforward, organized, and efficient, producing a better result for both the requester and the public entity.
The summer before the fourth grade, I went on a family trip and became very sick. This required me to miss the first three months of the fourth grade. My parents were very concerned about my health. I, on the other hand, cared more about the possibility of repeating the fourth grade. Thankfully, ...
I did not speak a word of English when I arrived in the United States from Cuba in November 1980. I was eight years old, in the fourth grade, and completely frustrated by my inability to communicate. School had always been very important to me and something I really loved, but no longer. Thing...
The U.S. Department of Education announced a new funding opportunity for Community Colleges. The Supplemental Assistance to Institutions of Higher Education (SAIHE) program supports institutions of higher education (IHEs) with unmet needs related to recovery from disruptions in the finances, da...
We look forward to seeing you this week at California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO) Annual Conference, to be held online from April 7 to 8, 2021. Attorneys from Parker & Covert LLP will be available to meet with you live on Zoom during the Group 3 School Business Expo on Wedne...
On Saturday, March 20, 2021, the California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) adopted the federal guidelines of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) regarding physical distancing in K-12 schools. Students in California classrooms can sit 3 feet apart instead of 6 under ne...
On Friday, March 19, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) announced updated guidance regarding physical distancing requirements in K-12 school districts. The CDC now recommends a minimum of 3 feet physical distancing in classroom settings for all elementary school stude...
On Friday, March 19, 2021, Governor Newsom signed into law Senate Bill 95 (“SB 95”), which provides up to 80 hours of paid sick leave to employees who are unable to work for reasons related to COVID-19. SB 95 will become effective on March 30, 2021 and will apply retroactively from January 1...
On November 30, 2020, the California Court of Appeal in Shirvanyan vs. Los Angeles Community College District (2020) 59 Cal. App. 5th 82 [Shirvanyan] held that to succeed on a claim for failure to engage in an interactive process under the Fair Employment and Housing Ac ("FEHA"), an employee is r...
Registration is now open for this year's California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO) Annual Conference, to be held online from April 7 to 8, 2021. Don't forget to check out the School Business Expo during the Conference and visit Parker & Covert's virtual booth! More details on ...
California Public Contract Code sections 20919.20 through 20919.33 provide that certain school districts may utilize job order contracts (“JOC”), an alternative and optional project delivery method, to carry out their public works projects. Only school districts that have entered into a project ...
On March 8, 2021, President Biden issued two Executive Orders to coincide with International Women's Day. In a statement, President Biden said: “In our nation, as in all nations, women have fought for justice, shattered barriers, built and sustained economies, carried communities through tim...
The California Legislature is considering reinstating and extending the Federal COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave policies that expired on December 31, 2020. Last year the Federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) created two leave policies specific to COVID-19 related absenc...
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 85 into law on February 23, 2021, providing emergency financial assistance to community college students, funding for student recruitment and retention, and support for increasing enrollment in the state's CalFresh program. “As millions of Californians are strug...
Health and Wellness Tips, Part 2 When we become stressed, anxious, or frustrated, our bodies tend to clench up and become static. For moments like this, stress balls are a useful mechanism and outlet. The act of squeezing stress balls repeatedly allows our bodies to release tensi...
AB 992 (Stats. 2020, Ch. 89) recently amended Government Code section 54952.2 of the Ralph M. Brown Act to permit public officials to communicate on social media platforms to answer questions, provide information to the public, or to solicit information from the public regarding a matter within ...
Teachers and school district employees are often left with little to no affordable housing selection in the school districts where they teach, and as a result they often commute from long distance or live with several other district employees to afford rent. In 2016, the Teacher Housing Act (the...
Stress is perhaps the most common wellness issue, but it's different for everyone. It may be caused by demanding work or school schedules, finances, family life, or long-term health problems. Regardless of cause, the impact is real. Excessive stress may cause headaches, lower energy, sweating, d...
On December 18, 2020, the California Department of Education announced the annual adjustment to the bid threshold for competitive contracts awarded by school districts. Public Contract Code section 20111(a) requires school districts to competitively bid contracts involving an expenditure of more...
Due to the Covid-19 stay at home periods throughout the year the state legislature considered and passed fewer laws this year in comparison to previous years. Nonetheless, there are still several new laws to keep in mind as 2021 begins in just a few weeks. Below is a list of several important law...
Parker and Covert LLP, through its Northern and Southern California offices, provides comprehensive legal representation to school districts, community colleges, and other educational clients in communities throughout the state of California.