WHAT I DO FOR MY CLIENTS
I represent administrators, teachers, and other employees of Illinois public schools. Most of my work for employment clients consists of: negotiating new employment contracts, including multi-year administrators’ contracts; helping clients determine whether to accept contracts that have been offered; negotiating for clients who are threatened with discipline and discharge; advising on actions to be taken by employees; explaining the legal options available to employees; representing clients who have been harmed by unlawful discrimination; and other school employment matters.In my work for school employees, I try to find the most positive, efficacious, and constructive solutions. Whether negotiating new contracts or working to resolve work place conflicts, I keep in mind the practicalities of the situation, including such things as the need for new superintendents to maintain positive relationships with their boards and the serious damages to careers that can result from administrators’ adverse terminations.
I commonly am able to use my constructive relationships and positive reputation with many administrators, school board members and school attorneys to resolve problems at the lowest possible levels and with no, or a minimum amount of, conflict. The quality of my work is reflected in the fact that former clients, school administrators, school board members and school district attorneys have referred nearly all of my clients.MY SCHOOL EMPLOYMENT AND SCHOOL LAW EXPERTISE
I worked in schools as a regular and special education teacher, graduate school instructor, and administrator for over thirty years and earned Master’s Degrees in English education and in special education, a Doctorate in Educational Administration, and a Law Degree. Prior to entering private practice and representing employees, I served as in-house legal counsel for a large suburban school district and I served of counsel with a well-respected school law firm. During over twenty years as the chief human resources officer for that school district, I was responsible for all aspects of the school human resource functions. I acquired expertise in practical and legal operations, including: contract writing; lawful employment practices; evaluation, remediation and termination procedures; the Illinois Teachers’ Retirement System and the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund; health, dental, life and disability insurance; collective bargaining; relationships with communities and boards of education; and many, many other school matters. My expertise is widely recognized, and I am frequently asked to speak to groups of educators, school board members, and parents.
