Tyler Eldridge

Edu 210 3001

April 11, 2016
Ch. 9 Points to Ponder
1. Teachers in many districts maintain many legal rights related to how they transferred or
demoted. In this situation related to being terminated from his coaching duties, he may be
protected by due process rights as related to demotions. Depending on statutory law,
factors considered in determining whether a reassignment is a demotion may include
reduction in salary, responsibility, and stature of position. (Textbook) Additional
protections exist in contracts. When a school board negotiates a contract with teachers,
they specify salary, the time period of employment, and the teachers duties and
responsibilities. In many states, coaches are covered under supplemental contracts due
to the extracurricular nature of sports. Depending on the jurisdiction, the coaching job
may be terminated at any time (this is in most cases) or included as part of a teaching job
(therefore being protected by applicable laws and contracts).
a. One point to consider is that school boards, in certain circumstances, may offer
employment where coaching and teaching are indivisible. If this was the nature of
the teachers contract, then he could argue his coaching job was terminated
illegally. Based on the nature of the offer, I would assume this is how the contract
would have been agreed upon. He could also argue that termination based on
failure to achieve a certain result is arbitrary.
b. If he DID NOT get an indivisible teaching/coaching position, he may have little
recourse because in one situation, the Ninth Circuit affirmed a California School
Boards right to terminate extracurricular activities.
5. Child abuse statutes vary by jurisdiction but generally professionals like doctors, nurses,
and teachers are required to report abuse immediately to the proper authorities. Some
states require teachers to report abuse to their principals or school social workers along
with the authorities BUT some states may excuse one from the requirement to report to
authorities if he or she knows that a report will be filed by someone else. Teachers are
protected from any liability related to the report of suspected abuse.
a. I believe, no matter the laws as stated above, a teacher has a moral obligation to
report child abuse to the relevant state authorities. Most likely, that teacher will
have a legal obligation because simply telling your superior is not considered the
full extent of a persons legal obligation.