The 2016-2017 school year is well underway! Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and soon we will be wrapping up the first semester. But before we get there, make sure your Model Policy Subscription is up to date so you have access to the most recent updates.

This week TCSA Legal added a new policy and updated three others in Module 400. After the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) issued new rules for the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) in mid-August, TCSA Legal drafted a new policy, Section 400.050 Parent and Community Involvement. The new policy addresses the use of automated phone messages, along with website accessibility, and electronic signatures. To learn more about the TCPA rules, you can also watch a twenty-minute webinar through the TCSA Training Portal. Finally, in order to better align the policies, we removed the Parent Involvement Policy from Section 400.160 and moved it to Section 400.050. 

In September, Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a response to Commissioner Morath’s Request for Opinion regarding the video cameras in special education classrooms. Based on the AG’s opinion and TEA’s rules, we added legal authority and policies to Section 400.100 IDEA. Our policy addresses all requirements including how to respond to requests, notification to parents, and investigating complaints.

Finally, TCSA Legal updated Section 400.110 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act by adding a sample policy to address the needs of students with diabetes. Under Section 504, charter schools are required to provide services to students with diabetes to ensure they receive a free appropriate public education.

These new Model Policies are meant to be a resource for charter school boards as they develop operating policies for each school. Our Model Policies may need to be adapted to meet the needs of your specific school. We encourage you to speak with your legal counsel if you have any questions about the application of specific policies to your school.

If you have questions about the Model Policies, please contact Christine Nishimura, Director of Legal and Policy Services at 512-584-8272 ext. 306.