Paul Blume's Columns

General Counsel Paul Blume has written columns for Arkansas School Boards Association publications for many years. Paul's wisdom, laced with a heavy dose of wit, has aided many school board members in dealing with, or avoiding, serious issues.

Inciting new riots: Immunity vs. state lines (May 2009)

Keep constituents’ agendas off yours (February 2009)

Insurance: Your friend (November 2008)

Lettings others use your building (August 2008)

Court rulings are clear (May 2008)

Hey, Prez: No vote is a 'nay' vote (February 2008)

Executive session: Mays, shalls and shall nots (November 2007)

"Private" e-mails on school computers? No such thing (September 2007)

Background checks more than we bargained for (June 2007)

Of conferences and hearings (Winter 2007)

Student discipline for all of you who missed the last conference or dozed off (December 2006)

Dealing with the semi-complicated student drug situation (Winter 2006)

Employee references, coming and going ( Late Fall 2005)

Making accommodations for disabled employees - and not (Fall 2005)

Child abuse investigators: "Let 'em in." (Summer 2005)

Personnel stuff for the coming season (Winter 2005)

Sexual harassment: A refresher course (Late Fall 2004)

Once again to the subject of grievances (Fall 2004)

Special ed hearings: protracted, expensive and not fun (Summer 2004)

Do we have dual standards special students? (Spring 2004)

Recipe for a grievance hearing in nine easy steps (December 2003)

More excellent laws to help the schools (November 2003)

Grievances and other gripes (October 2003)

What can school personnel search and seize? (September 2003)