Professional Documents
Culture Documents
ArtifactTitle:LegalModuleFinal
Date:Fall2016
ArtifactDescription
AspartoftheEducationAdministrationprogramattheUniversityofWisconsinPlatteville
aspiringadministratorstakeacourseineducationallaw.Aspartofthismodulestudents
studybothhistoricallandmarkcasesaswellasmodernissuesinschoollawandpolitics.As
partofthisIcreatedafinalreflectionontheissueoffreespeechineducation,reflectingon
historicalandmoremoderncasesconcerningtheissueoffreespeechineducation.
WisconsinAdministratorStandardAlignment
Thisartifactmeets
AdministrativeStandard7
whichstates:
Theadministratorisan
educationalleaderwhopromotesthesuccessofallstudentsbyunderstanding,
respondingto,andinfluencingthelargerpolitical,social,economic,legaland
culturalcontext.
Thisartifactbestalignswithstandardsevenbecauseitdemonstratesmyapersonalreflection
onarecurringtopicinschoollawinwhichnewissuesseemtoariseasthepoliticalspectrum
atbothanationalandlocallevelcontinuestochange.Thisreflectiononfreedomofspeech
inschoolsaddressessomewaysthatpolitical,socialandculturalissuescanaffecteducation
andpossiblewaystoaddressissuesthatmayarise.
Thisartifactdemonstratesmyabilitytorecognizelawsrelatedspecificallytoeducationand
schoolingalongwithhowtheselawsaffecteducationalestablishmentsdifferentlythanother
publicbuildings.Itisvitaltoknowandunderstandthelegalandpoliticalissuesandhow
theyaffectstudentsandeducationalestablishmentsdifferentlythanthegeneralpublicin
othersettings.Theselegalissueshelpguideeducators,schoolsandthepeopleworkingand
learningwithintheirboundaries.Understandingtheeffectsofeducationallawandpolitical
climatecanhelpestablishtheleastboundedlearningenvironmentinwhichallstudents
rightsandsafetyisprotectedinordertocreatethemostproductivelearningenvironment
possible.
WhatIlearnedaboutadministrationfromthisexperience:
Whilemosteducatorsarenotlegalexperts,itiscriticaltohaveanunderstandingofschool
lawandhowitaffectsthehappeningswithinaschoolbuildingoratschoolevents.There
aremanyissuesinwhichpastprecedenthasbeenset.Thismakesthedecisionsregarding
theseissuesmucheasiertohandle.Howeverinoureverchangingpoliticalandlegal
climatesomeissueshaveyettobetestedinthelegalsystem.Fortheseissuesitisessential
thatanadministratorperformtheirduediligencetogaininformationpriortomaking
decisions.
WhatIlearnedaboutmyselfasaprospectiveadministratorasaresultofthisexperience/artifact:
Throughoutthelegalcoursetherecurringideathatnoonepersoncanhavealltheanswerscontinueto
comeup.Thiscomestomind,notonlywithlegalissues,butwithpoliticsatbothanationalandlocal
levelaswellaswhatisbestforchildren.Educationalphilosophies,especiallythoseinthepolitical
spectrum,havetendencytochangerapidly.IthinkofCommonCoreStandardsandhowtheybecamea
politicalhottopic.Whileadministratorsmustbeknowledgeableconcerningmanyissuesthataffect
education,onepersoncanonlydosomanytopicsjustice.Ifindthatbuildingasupportnetwork,notonly
concerninglegalissues,butalsointhatofpoliticsisessential.Wemusthavepeoplewecancallonfor
support,andinturngiveoursupportandfeedback,regardinglawandpolitics.Thatsaid,whilemany
mindscanbebetterthanone,theseminds,orratherinput,wontbeofvalueiftheyarenot
knowledgeablesources.WhatImeludingtoisthatwemustnotjusthavepeoplewecallonforopinions
andsupport,butwemustbeselectiveinwhoseopinionsandsupportweaskforinagivensituation.
Reachouttoexpertsandthosewithbackgroundexperienceconcerningtheissueyouhaveathand.