The Olive Tree

Inspired by her students, Dianne Hoff, an assistant professor of  Educational Leadership at The University of Maine, authored Legal  Issues for Maine Educators. Educational Leadership graduate students  Marcia Diamond and Mark Hatch assisted Hoff. The book, recently  published by Educators.cc of Omni Publishers in Texas, provides a  synthesis of federal and state constitutional, statutory, and case laws  that apply to Maine's schools. Legal Issues for Maine Educators covers  more than 80 topics as they relate to legal basics, employees,  students, special populations, curriculum, and liability.

Prior to coming to UMaine in 1997, Hoff received an Ed.D in school  administration and school law from the University of Louisville and was  an administrator and a teacher in California, Georgia, and Indiana.

Diamond is an assistant principal at All Saints Catholic School in  Bangor, and Hatch is the assistant principal at Messalonskee High  School in Oakland. Diamond and Hatch are both completing master's  degrees with advanced study in school law.

Hoff points out, "Increasingly, more complex situations are arising  in schools, and the potential for litigation is greater than it was in  the past. We wanted this book to help teachers and administrators know  the law so that they don't make mistakes that could have been easily  avoided. It will also empower them to make confident decisions,"  Additionally, Hoff says, "The Educational Leadership program prepares  our students to be leaders for schools in Maine. There are many aspects  of leadership beyond a knowledge of school law, but the importance of  law cannot be shortchanged. It's just one component of becoming a  complete administrator, but an important component nevertheless."

Hoff, Diamond, and Hatch are currently working on a similar reference  book for special education law. Although Legal Issues for Maine  Educators includes a section on special education, the authors believe  that a more detailed treatment of special education law will be useful  for educators.