Eckes named Education Law Association President
Professor Suzanne Eckes (Educational Leadership and Policy Studies) has been named President of the Education Law Association (ELA)
Suzanne Eckes, a professor in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Department, has been named President of the Education Law Association (ELA).
ELA's mission is to bring together scholars and practitioners to inform educational policy to positively affect the lives of students, faculty and administrators. One of Eckes’s goals during her year-long term as president is to expand the important work ELA does to groups that could benefit from knowledge of education law.
“For example, if teachers had a basic understanding of legal issues, it is my belief that sometimes lengthy and expensive litigation could be avoided. More importantly, when teachers are equipped with a better understanding of state, federal and constitutional law they will be able to better advocate for themselves and their students,” Eckes said.”
“Likewise, coaches, social workers, guidance counselors, school psychologists, and those working in student affairs within higher education would benefit from expanding their legal knowledge base on issues that impact schools and universities,” she added.
Janet Decker, an assistant professor in ELPS, is also involved in ELA: she was elected to the organization’s board of directors. Together, Eckes said they are committed to working nationally and locally to increase legal literacy for school personnel. They have also created more opportunities for students to learn about education law through a Certificate in Educational Law, an M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership, and partnerships with the Maurer School of Law and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
