News & Publications
NEWS
April 24, 2006
DOUGLAS L. GUYNN ADDRESSES FREDERICK-WINCHESTER CONSOLIDATION PUBLIC SCHOOL SUBCOMMITTEE ON APRIL 21, 2006
Douglas L. Guynn made a presentation about the legal ramifications of county-city consolidation to the Frederick-Winchester Consolidation Public School Subcommittee on April 21. A fundamental question addressed was whether or not public education would best be served by consolidating the school districts. By offering a variety of frameworks for consolidation, Mr. Guynn provided the subcommittee members with a greater understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the numerous consolidation options.
Mr. Guynn shared with the subcommittee members the types of challenges that could be faced in the process of city-county consolidation. A decision to consolidate would affect school-related factors such as how many board members would be included in the new school board, how the county and city would be represented and how the board members would be selected. In an article published by The Winchester Star, one member stated that Mr. Guynn's presentation stressed "a new level of depth and complexity" to their decision of whether or not to pursue consolidation. For more information, see
http://www.winchesterstar.com/TheWinchesterStar/060422/Area_pitfalls.asp.
January 12, 2006
DOUGLAS L. GUYNN TO PRESENT TO UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA SCHOOL-UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIP ON FEBRUARY 7, 2006
Douglas L. Guynn has accepted an invitation to present to the administrative leadership of more than 25 school divisions on the topic of "The Limits of Governing Body Authority Over Education Decisions." The topic is especially timely as some school boards and their management teams encounter initiatives by governing bodies - boards of supervisors and city councils - to consolidate various functions and offices of the school division into the locality's operations. Mr. Guynn is a veteran lawyer on state and national education law issues and served as primary author of the Virginia School Board Association's several editions of its budget legal manual for school board members. He also brings to the presentation his balanced and informed experience and perspective in actually representing a Virginia locality's governing body. For more information, contact may be made to Dr. Andrew Stamp with the University of Virginia's Curry School of Education via http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/centers/partnership.
November 6, 2005
G. RODNEY YOUNG, II, PRESENTS AT JMU SCHOOL VIOLENCE CONFERENCE
Rodney Young presented a session on "The Legal Response to School Safety Concerns: Too Much or Not Enough?" at James Madison University's School Violence: A Safe Schools Initiative Conference on November 5. The purpose of this conference was to address the complex issues associated with school violence and to generate ways in which educators and other professionals related to education can ensure our schools are safe for all children.
Presented to school administrators, classroom teachers, professors, as well as graduate and undergraduate students, Mr. Young addressed the increased safety challenges currently faced by schools. Many of those challenges are evolutionary and are a reflection of safety and security threats confronted by today's society at large. The legal response to the increasingly broad and serious safety concerns of schools will be discussed. For more information, see http://coe.jmu.edu/esc/schv/index.shtml.
October 20, 2005
TWO EDUCATION LAW GROUP ATTORNEYS SELECTED TO SPEAK AT VIRGINIA EDUCATION LAW CONFERENCE
Two attorneys of The Education Law Group of Timberlake Smith Thomas & Moses, PC have been selected to present seminars at the 4th Annual Virginia Education Law Conference sponsored by the Commonwealth Educational Policy Institute, School of Education, Virginia Commonwealth University.
This year, the nationally-recognized conference has attracted presenters representing 20 states, offering seminars and workshops that address current educational legal issues. The conference will be held in Charlottesville, March 27-29. The Education Law Group’s session description is listed below.
Douglas L. Guynn and Mandi M. Smith will co-present When Schools 'Get' Religion. Establishment Clause issues continue to be resurrected in the public schools and in litigation. Three decisions by parents and students – whether to pledge allegiance, whether to instruct students on evolution, creationism or "intelligent design," and whether to use release time for religious instruction – illustrate that God just won't go away from the public school arena without a choice – and that there are choices to be made by school districts. Educational leaders will continue to be embroiled in extremely controversial, emotional and politically sensitive debates when the issue of religion in public schools is a perennial topic. Drawing on the holdings of several recent federal court cases and the experiences of school divisions recently involved in the controversy, this session will provide legal and pragmatic guidance to help education leaders attempt to inform and bridge what can be a deep community divide.
For more information about the conference, see www.cepionline.org.
June 10, 2005
G. RODNEY YOUNG, II, ELECTED CHAIR OF VIRGINIA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION COUNCIL OF SCHOOL ATTORNEYS (COSA)
Rodney Young has been elected Chair of the Virginia School Boards Association Council of School Attorneys (COSA). The Council works to improve legal representation to Virginia’s public schools and to assist school board members and public school administrators manage legal risks. The council serves as a clearinghouse for its members and encourages the ongoing professional development of school attorneys and VSBA members by providing continuing education tailored to member needs. COSA is affiliated with the National School Boards Association’s Council of School Attorneys.
Rodney Young chairs The Education Law Group of Timberlake Smith Thomas & Moses, PC and serves as general and special counsel to school boards throughout Virginia. He is a frequent lecturer at regional and state conferences on school law. He received his B.A. from Clemson University, and his law degree from the College of William and Mary.
May 3, 2005
DOUGLAS L. GUYNN ELECTED TO THE FELLOWS OF THE AMERICAN BAR FOUNDATION
Attorney Douglas L. Guynn has been elected to The Fellows of the American Bar Foundation. The Fellows is an honorary organization of attorneys, judges, and law professors whose professional, public, and private careers have demonstrated outstanding dedication to the welfare of their communities and to the highest principles of the legal profession. Established in 1955, The Fellows encourage and support the research work of the American Bar Foundation concerning the law, the administration of justice, the legal profession, and improvement of the legal system. Lawyers are nominated and elected by colleagues from the American Bar Association membership with the number of Fellows limited to one-third of one percent of the lawyers in each state.
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