Prerequisites to School Suspension- Are Alternatives To Suspension Required?

By Michelle Ball, California Education Attorney for Students since 1995School suspensions are issued for almost anything nowadays.  Wearing a costume, talking back, getting a drink of water when not authorized- all items for which I have seen suspensions...

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Private School Contracts: Do You Have To Keep Paying If Your Child Leaves or is Kicked Out?

By Michelle Ball, California Education Attorney for Students since 1995When a student leaves a private school midyear, due to moving, a change of heart, or a discipline exclusion, parents may be surprised to know that depending on their private school...

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School Expulsion/Discipline For Knife Offenses: What IS a Knife Under the California Education Code?

By Michelle Ball, California Education Attorney for Students since 1995Many students are suspended or placed up for expulsion for possession of a "knife," pursuant to California Education Code 48900(b).  Although what a "knife" is, seems somewhat...

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Parents Rights in Public Schools- Sixteen Rights (And Counting) Which Parents May Not Know They Have

By Michelle Ball, California Education Attorney for Students since 1995California Education Code 51101 has a handy list of public school parents' rights neatly packaged for use when push comes to shove in California schools.  Some of these rights...

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