Running head: PROGRESS VIA PRACTICAL POLICIES 1

Progress via Practical Policies

Daniel Ramos

Grand Canyon University

EAD 505: Education Law

Dr. Mark Eley

Relationship Between Law and School Assignment

December 2nd, 2020

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Progress via Practical Policies

In a school setting, there are various levels of bureaucracy that are perceived to be in

place, but not always explicitly seen. As a teacher in the Mesa Unified School District, I was

aware of the legalities in place due to state and federal laws and guidelines, but there is so much

more into place than I ever knew. This holds true when you become an administrator of the

school system. Not only are you charged with following the laws in place, but you are now how

the school district is able to enforce these laws and policies, and if not done so with fidelity to the

district vision and mission, will cause certain legal consequences to take place.

Enforcement

Enforcement of policy starts at the very head of the school district, being the

superintendent. They then delegate certain responsibilities to associate superintendents and

assistant superintendents. Policy is voted upon and enacted by the school board that has been

elected from the public. As an elected governing body, they collaborate with the superintendent

to make key decisions and changes to the policy manual. This group is a legal board and, as

such, has many legal regulations to follow as they proceed with governing board meetings. As

policy becomes enacted, to follows the chain of command in the school district and becomes

delegated down to the principals of schools. According to the Mesa Public Schools Policy

Manual, it states that principals, “… have the same responsibilities. They act for the

Superintendent under the respective Assistant Superintendents, by putting into practice within

each school the policies of the District and, in addition, exercise a managerial function with

respect to the operation of a particular school. The authority and responsibility delegated to

members of this group is broad in scope, but limited to the school a principal is assigned” (Mesa

Public Schools Policy Manual, 2020). Principals become the acting district authority on their
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respective campuses and seek to implement the plans, policies, and practices set forth by the

school board and the superintendency and as such, is held accountable to the legal parameters

that entail with each policy.

Legal Consequences

As an administrator, all legalities in place at the school level involve your action and

discretion. As stated in the Mesa Public Schools Policy Manual, “ the function of the

Administrative Staff shall be to organize, plan, control, coordinate, supervise, and direct the

entire District as a unified enterprise in accordance with the philosophy, purposes, policies,

plans, procedures, and programs authorized by the Governing Board” (Mesa Public Schools

Policy Manual, 2020). Everything enacted by the school board become a legally binding action

with consequences if it is not enforced. This same rule applies to state and federal laws. For

example, in talking about reporting child abuse, the 2020-21 Employee Manual states that

“Employees who need information about their child abuse reporting obligations or who suspect

that a student may be a child abuse victim should consult with the principal, their supervisor, or

the MPS Director of School Safety and Security.” (2020-21 Employee Handbook, 2020).

Although the responsibility of reporting the abuse to DCS falls upon the teachers, principals are

the go-to resource as they are considered the governing person on campus to ensure that, by law,

the reporting takes place. If a report is not made, then a lawsuit may fall upon the teacher and the

principal for not reporting the suspected abuse. Not only can administrators face lawsuits due to

public suites, but also face consequences from not following policy from the superintendent and

school board as those policies are legal documents to be enforced. As administrators, it is up to

us to acquire knowledge of policies and laws to enforce as negligence in enacting them with

fidelity can and will result in legal action by the community as well as the governing body.
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Fidelity

The first step to enact policy-based decisions in accordance with the school vision is to

know the school district mission and vision and ensure that your school vision aligns to that of

the whole district. By allowing the visions to have a common goal, then principals will be able to

enact policy-based decisions that will not be a change to the nature of the school but an

enhancement. Another step is for the school principal to be fluent with all school policy

documents and district guidelines and handbooks as they do periodically change and may create

inconsistencies in how they are enforced. If a principal is confronted with a situation that is

uncharted territory, then it is their responsibility to refer to their superior superintendents for

further guidance as well as make decisions based on all the documents the district has enacted.

The bureaucracy of a school district is such that it creates a system of accountability and

stewardship that has been delegated to principals.

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Bibliography

2020-21 Elementary Students Information and Guidelines. (2020).

https://www.mpsaz.org/parents/infoguidelines/files/elementary_guidelines_eng_2021_edi

ted.pdf. 

2020-21 Employee Handbook. (2020). http://www.mpsaz.org/hr/resources/staff-

resources/documents/files/1-employee_handbook_20-21_corrected.pdf. 

Mesa Public Schools Policy Manual. (2020)

https://go.boarddocs.com/az/mpsaz/Board.nsf/Public?open.