Can a father have his new girlfriend pick up his child over the mother’s objection? Can a grandmother sign a field trip permission slip for a student? Who has to, or is even allowed to, come to an IEP meeting or parent conference? How should staff respond if a parent asks them to testify against the other parent in a custody hearing? Separation, divorce, adoption, and remarriage raise these, and numerous other legal and practical concerns that impact schools across the State. This presentation will discuss the legal rights of parents, stepparents, guardians, adoptive parents, and grandparents. The presenter will explore how those rights impact the school setting and provide guidance for responding to common situations created by intra-family disputes.
– Margaret A. Skelton and Emma L. Oakley
