Hello everyone!
We are back again with more information on educational laws. Hopefully, after the last post about the California Education Code you all are a bit more interested in what laws impact our roles as school counselors. Once again, we know this is not everyone’s favorite topic to read about, but that does not make it any less important.
We were recently thinking about all the new educational laws that are implemented every year, and how overwhelming it can be. Then we got to thinking how tedious it can be for school counselors to scan through all the new laws to determine which ones will impact them the most.
That is where we come in! We were able to look through all the new education laws from 2018 and selected all the ones that we felt were the most considerable for school counselors.
Below is a list of fairly new laws and bills (2018) that effect K-12 school counselors in California, and once again we have reworded the laws to make them more readable.
Students have the right to wear religious, ceremonial, or cultural embellishments at school graduation ceremonies.
Allows school districts to give educational lessons regarding the repercussions and risks of sharing sexually explicit materials through phones, social networks, websites, and other social media avenues. This would be part of the full sexual health education for students.
All charter schools are required to provide free and reduced priced nutritious meals to students that qualify.
Transcripts and/or diplomas cannot be withheld from students for unpaid debts from student meals and bill collectors reporting parents’ unpaid payments to credit agencies.
All charter schools, starting in the 2019-2020 school year, must be in adherence with the California Healthy Youth Act.
Schools that serve grades 7 through 12 must review their policy on student suicide prevention at least every five years, along with update it if necessary. Additionally, high-risk groups need to be addressed specifically.
Physical/ mechanical restraint, and seclusion will be limited with students with disabilities; it should only be used when there is clear and present danger of serious physical harm to the student or others or when another less restrictive option cannot prevent danger.
Middle school and high school students who are identified as English learners are no longer barred from being in a school’s standard instructional program. This encompasses courses needed for graduation and college admission.
This law discusses that if a school uses the state’s school facility bond program money to update the school, locks that lock from the inside need to be included.
Creation or renewal of charter schools that are run by a for-profit corporation, a for-profit educational management organization, or a for-profit charter management organization are forbidden.
Schools that serve students from 7th through 12thgrade, and provide student identification cards, need to include the national suicide Prevention Lifeline phone number on the front or back of their identification cards. This includes institutions of higher education.
On its website, the California Department of Education, needs to have a list of resources and instructional materials accessible about media literacy, along with professional development programs for teachers.
- Counselor’s Circle
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