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ARIZONA SCHOOLBOARDS CONFERENCE TAKES LOOK AT LAW
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 5, 2007
(Phoenix, AZ)
Author: The Arizona Republic
Estimated printed pages: 2
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School-district unification, No Child Left Behind, school safety and free speech
are among the topics to be discussed this week at the 31st Annual Arizona School
Boards Association Law Conference, "Legal Perspectives 2007."
The conference, which focuses on recent legislation and court cases affecting
Arizona public schools, will be held Thursday through Saturday at the Wigwam
Golf Resort and Spa in Litchfield Park. More than 700 school board members,
school administrators and lawyers from across Arizona will attend the
conference.
Discussions will include:
* The current state of student free speech, with focus on the "Bong Hits 4
Jesus" Supreme Court case.
* Financial oversight and the ramifications of overspending, especially timely
in light of overspending by several Arizona districts in spring 2007.
* School safety, an ongoing concern which drew headlines again last April with
the Virginia Tech tragedy.
* Political activity in the school environment, an issue that will take center
stage as the 2008 presidential election draws nearer.
* Legal issues with school-district unification. (Ninety-two school districts
statewide have until Sept. 15 to file responses to the proposals from the School
District Redistricting Commission. Voters will consider proposals in November
2008.)
* The Flores English-language-learner case.
Charles Haynes of the First Amendment Center of Vanderbilt University will
present "Finding Common Ground," an examination of the role of religion in the
public schools.
On Saturday, nationally-known humanities scholar Clay Jenkinson performs "Thomas
Jefferson: Public Education and the Future of a Nation." Jenkinson is the host
of worldwide cultural tours and the nationally syndicated weekly radio program
The Thomas Jefferson Hour, which has been on NPR stations since 1999. He has
performed before U.S. Supreme Court justices and presidents, 18 state
legislatures and countless public audiences, as well as on national TV.
Following the Jefferson performance will be a discussion on the current state of
public education, and what the future holds, featuring Jenkinson, Arizona
Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne and former State Superintendent
Carolyn Warner.
Information: Arizona School Boards Association, www.azsba.org.
Edition: Final Chaser
Section: VALLEY & State
Page: B3
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