Michigan Middle and Elementary Education Issues
All parents understand that elementary and middle school sets the stage for how students will do in high school and beyond. But when elementary and middle school students face setbacks or challenges, many parents let the school handle the matters, no matter the consequences. For example, if a middle school student is accused of cheating on an exam, they could be prevented from playing sports or participating in other extracurriculars, which could affect their ability to do so in high school.
When your child is accused of an academic or behavioral issue, it can alter the course of their life in more ways than one. This is why it is so important to reach out to an attorney-advisor that is experienced in working with middle and elementary school students to defend them from unnecessary punishments by their school. Call the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686.
Michigan Middle and Elementary School Academic Misconduct Charges
Throughout the country, middle and elementary school students are presented with a student handbook that they are supposed to review with their parents prior to getting further into the school year. The hope is that children and their parents will understand the rules and procedures they must follow in order to stay in good standing at the school and progress to the next year.
The student handbook particulars change from school to school, but they all tend to include rules surrounding academic integrity. For instance, at Spring Lake Middle School, the student handbook describes the different kinds of academic misconduct that students are prohibited from exhibiting, including:
- Copying someone else's work.
- Working with others on a project or other assignment without permission.
- Failing to cite someone when quoting them in an assignment.
- Allowing another student to copy your work on an assignment, exam, or quiz.
- Taking a test for someone else.
- Taking another student's paper.
When a student at Spring Lake is accused of violating this rule, the school will discipline them.
Michigan Middle and Elementary School Behavioral Misconduct Charges
Academic misconduct is just one of the reasons students in Michigan are disciplined by their schools. Another is behavioral misconduct, which the school hopes to prevent students from conducting while on campus or at a school-sponsored event. In Michigan, all students can be expelled or suspended from school for “gross misdemeanor or persistent disobedience.”
For example, in the Troy School District, students are responsible for their own behavior and are required to fully participate in their education. If a student is accused of one of the following behaviors, they will have violated their responsibilities:
- Aggravated assault and battery.
- Arson.
- Breaking and entering.
- Bullying or cyberbullying.
- Making fake bomb threats or tampering with any fire safety devices.
- Making prank calls to 911.
- Possessing or concealing weapons or dangerous instruments.
- Robbery or extortion.
- Stealing, possessing, or transferring someone else's property with a value of $100 or more.
- Using, possessing, selling, distributing, or being under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- Deliberately vandalizing school property or the property of another with a value of over $100.
Michigan Middle and Elementary School Academic Progression Issues
Unfortunately, some middle school and elementary school students will have a hard time with their academics and be prevented from progressing through to the next grade. While most parents understand how hard this is for high schoolers to experience, they fail to realize how difficult it will be for the younger students. Not only can academic progression issues hurt the child's self-esteem and self-worth, but they can cause other students to bully them or poke fun at their situation. This is all the more detrimental to the student when they are held back for things that have nothing to do with their academic abilities, like excessive absences, tardiness, or truancy.
It is important to reach out to an attorney-advisor the moment you learn of your child's academic progression issues. Attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento and his Education Law Team have spent years helping students across the country, from kindergarten to medical school, navigate these proceedings with the intention of having them matriculated with their classmates.
Michigan Middle and Elementary School Disability Issues
According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a federal regulation, all students with disabilities are entitled to a free appropriate public education (FAPE). Michigan has created certain laws and rules to ensure their school districts are providing FAPEs to children with disabilities. One such rule is that Michigan school districts must perform Individualized Education Plan (IEP) evaluations for eligible students and annual meetings to revise the plan.
If your child has a disability, or you believe they do, and would like to have the school evaluate them for an IEP, you must contact the school and request one. The school will schedule an IEP evaluation meeting, and your child's teacher, yourself, and another member of the school's staff that is qualified to conduct an IEP evaluation, will all get together to assess your child.
Once the evaluation is over, you will meet again in an IEP meeting to review the services and accommodations that you and/or the school believe will benefit your child. After agreeing to the services and accommodations, they will be listed in an IEP document - which is legally binding and must be implemented immediately. If the school fails to implement what is in the IEP document, it could be punished by the state or federal government.
Where the Lento Law Firm Can Help
The Lento Law Firm's Education Law Team is able to represent middle and elementary school students around Michigan, including those in the:
- Western Upper Peninsula
- Central Upper Peninsula
- Eastern Upper Peninsula
- Northwest Michigan
- Northeast Michigan
- East Central Michigan
- West Central Michigan
- South East Michigan
- Southwest
Premier Michigan Education Attorney
Attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento and Lento Law Firm's Education Law Team have spent most of their careers helping elementary and middle school students avoid the negative consequences that come with academic and behavioral misconduct. They will work tirelessly to not only help you understand the allegations against your child but also the best way to defend them. Whatever the accusations, your child's future should be protected. Call 888-535-3686 or schedule your consultation online.
