ION LAW
According to Mackay (1992: 143) “the law has become as much a part of the school environment as the air we breathe.” Even though the onus of liability is on the school board typically, the role the teacher plays can severely impact the degree to which the school board is found liable in many instances. Ignorance of the legal framework that impacts schools and their roles is tantamount to a teacher committing professional suicide in today’s precarious educational legislative world. There are five broad roles for today’s teacher, in part each of them defined by new statutes, federal legislation and lawsuit precedent: the role as parent; the role as educational state agent; the role as state agent for the police; the role of social welfare agent; the role of employee. In effect, all of these roles are impacted to one degree or another because of legislation or concerns regarding legislation and the potential for lawsuits.
The role of parent, or in loco parentis, as already discussed traditionally
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