School Law and Fiscal Management

This course integrates the study of the legal and financial frameworks of public schools as each framework interacts with political processes and policy-making, including philosophical influences and political jurisdictions affecting educational policies and practices, influence of legal aspects to educational control, political and sociological aspects to educational control, political and sociological forces directly and indirectly affecting school practices, and theory of individual and group dynamics in achieving compromise, consensus, and coalitions to achieve educational goals.

This course introduces students to federal and state laws and court cases that regulate public education operations and financing in California. The course focuses on current issues facing educators including the interaction between law, politics, and public education. In addition, this course explores the organization and management of financial and business operations, funding sources and problems affecting financing at State and local levels, business office operations, budget preparation, financial management strategies and control, and facility construction projects.