Student Teaching and the Law

Student teaching is the key phase in the preparation of the professional instructional personnel of the nation's schools. Yet, the burgeoning literature of education law lacks a comprehensive and current source specific to student teaching. This volume fills that gap. The first part of this volume consists of a legal primer designed to provide the basic building blocks that serve as the foundation for the aforementioned common core. The second and central part includes an illustrative synthesis of the various state laws specific to student teaching and canvasses the available court decisions specifically concerning student teachers and student teaching. The final part consists of a variety of useful materials in the form of appendices, including charts of relevant statutes and case law; selected case scenarios for the purpose of review and discussion; a glossary of acronyms, abbreviations, and legal terms; and a sampler list of relevant resources.

About the Author :
Perry A. Zirkel is university professor of education and law at Lehigh University. Past president of the Education Law Association, he has written more than 1,200 publications, primarily on legal issues concerning K–12 schooling. Zorka Karanxha is assistant professor of educational leadership and policy studies at the University of South Florida. Her research interests include charter schools and education law.

Review :
Student Teaching and the Law is a concise, understandable analysis of case law specific to student teachers. Written primarily for an audience with limited legal background and experience, the book begins with a legal primer and ends with a list of valuable resources. Meshed between these sections are summaries of state statutes and selected cases. Zirkel and Karanxha have effectively merged their legal and educational experiences into a must-have resource for a variety of audiences, including student teachers and their supervisors, P-12 cooperating teachers and administrators, and higher education professors. During the past decade there has been a significant increase associated with legal issues regarding student teachers. A must-read for any individual associated with the oversight of student teaching programs. Like hundreds of professors across the country, I have supervised student teachers and conducted student teaching seminars. As a part of these experiences, I have had to deal with aspects of school law, often in a superficial manner. Now Professors Zirkel and Karanxha have provided us with a tool with which to handle the law as it applies to student teachers and student teaching. Their thorough coverage of the law, well-organized information, and thought-provoking case scenarios provide the grounding that student teachers and supervisors need. This book will be a much heralded and welcomed addition to the field. When it comes to the law, student teachers fall into a grey area for practitioners that can be confusing. Perry Zirkel and Zorka Karanxha's current and comprehensive treatment of the legal aspects of this key role in teacher education is a must read for everyone who has responsibility for student teachers' training and supervision. Their book is informative, well organized and a ready resource for busy administrators and professors who have a duty to supervise and prepare our future teachers while keeping school environments safe and legal. The book "Student Teaching and The Law," is a useful and timely primer of legal literacy regarding student teaching for school superintendents, human resources administrators, school principals and cooperating teachers. Relevant topics include first amendment expression, search and seizure, procedural due process, equal protection and pertinent federal legislation. I highly recommend this book for its practical application to all of us who are responsible for the education and safety of students! It is a reminder of the incredible responsibility we have related to student teachers who work in our schools. I also recommend this book for those involved with teacher education at the college and university level. This is the only current and comprehensive treatment of the legal aspects of student teaching that I have found! We are living in an ever increasing litigious society. Perry Zirkel and Zorka Karanxhia have provided us with a valuable addition to the professional literature regarding legal entities and student teaching. The multifocused audience of teacher educators, student teachers, school teachers and administrators, plus those in the public sector concerned with education will profit from this salient legal primer. As a secondary school principal, I have found that candidates for teaching positions who ultimately become first-year teachers are misinformed or under-informed about school law topics. This primer is an excellent resource to bridge that gap, informing and preparing new teachers to avoid legal challenges by parents and other stakeholders. In addition, this primer could be used as a professional development resource to update seasoned professionals who have not had the time to remain current on legal issues that impact their role as classroom teachers. A must-read for student teacher supervisors, teacher educators, and students of educational law! Zirkel and Karanxha offer a comprehensive, authoritative review of legislation and litigation relative to the rights and responsibilities of student teachers. A useful glossary, resource list, and case scenarios are provided to assist teacher educators in preparing student teachers to deal with legal issues. Perry Zirkel and Zorka Karanxha have provided school leaders with a valuable resource to utilize when considering the student teaching experience. For too long, student teachers, their supervisors, classroom teachers and principals have operated in a vacuum with respect to their legal rights, obligations and specific roles. This book provides an important framework for the student teaching experience and the issues that schools and student teachers should consider before and during the experience. This slim volume provides a comprehensive overview of legal issues related to the completion of student teaching by teacher education students....Recommended. Perhaps the most important book I have read this year...I will be introducing this book to its intended audience, pre-service teachers, and student teachers....Zirkel and Karanhxa offered an illuminating and challenging guide to the movement into the profession of teaching, thereby giving students, faculty, mentors, and advisers alike the opportunity to delve into challenging areas of student teaching performance that warrant deep discussion.