Governor Baker Extends School Closures Until May 4; Calls For Expanded Remote Learning
Massachusetts School Closures Extended Until May 4
U.S. DOE Issues Supplemental Fact Re: Students with Disabilities
US DOE issues supplemental guidance regarding distance learning and providing FAPE to students with disabilities
Governor Baker Orders State’s Public and Private Schools Closed
Massachusetts Governor order's state's public and private schools closed for three weeks.
U.S. Department of Education Updates Guidance For Schools and School Personnel
U.S. Department of Education guidance for school districts responding to COVID-19
Governor Baker Issues Executive Order Suspending Parts Of Open Meeting Law
Governor Issues Executive Order Regarding Open Meeting Law
Governor Baker Declares A State of Emergency
Massachusetts declares state of emergency in response to COVID-19
Joint Statement Issued Regarding Pre-Employment Transition Services
On January 2, the DESE and the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) issued a joint advisory regarding Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) offered by MRC. The advisory describes the services, who is eligible and how to refer students. MRC offers Pre-ETS to students with disabilities ages 14-21. Additional information about referrals to MRC can be found on [...]
CERB Rules Dedham Teacher Strike Illegal
On October 25, 2019, Dedham teachers went on a one-day strike—the first strike in Massachusetts in over a decade—in violation of state law which prohibits public employees from striking. M.G.L. c. 150E § 9(a). (“No public employee or employee organization shall engage in a strike, and no public employee or employee organization shall induce, encourage [...]
Ethics: Faculty Cannot Accept Rewards From Tour Companies
The State Ethics Commission (“Commission”) found that a South Hadley school employee violated the conflict of interest law by accepting travel and stipends, a form of compensation, from a tour company while performing her duties as a Trip Advisor. Beginning in 2007 through 2017, the employee organized school trips as the group leader. During this [...]
Melissa Murray Selected For 2019 Rising Star List
NMP is pleased to announce that Melissa Murray has been named on the 2019 Rising Star List in the field of Schools and Education Law by Super Lawyers, a national rating service that identifies lawyers who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Only 2.5% of lawyers in each state are selected [...]