PSBA presents Web conferences: ‘Open Records: The End of
Right-to-Know as We Know It’
(2/27/2008) - In light of the recent signing into law of changes to the
state’s open records law by Gov. Edward Rendell, school districts have a host
of questions, which PSBA hopes to answer in many forms, including an upcoming
three-part series of Web conferences.
What will the changes mean for school
entities? How will it affect daily operation? What records now are considered
public? What costs will be associated with the changes in the law? All are on
the minds of school administrators, board members and solicitors, and all will
be answered in the series starting in March.
PSBA Deputy Chief Counsel Emily Leader
and Director of Legislative Services Beth Winters have been closely
involved as the amendments to the law made their way through the legislative
process. Leader and Winters will join with other
experts to present the Web conferences in a lively and informative manner.
The first Web conference will offer members an overview of the new law and what changes will most affect
school entities. The second will focus on what policy and procedural changes
school entities may need to implement to fulfill the requirements of the law.
The third conference will review the exceptions and definition changes that
will affect public education most.
Available connections to the Web conferences
will be limited. For member convenience, these sessions will be offered at
various times as morning, afternoon and evening Web conferences on the
following dates:
Overview of New Right-to-Know Law
Presented by Beth
Winters, PSBA director of Legislative Services, and Emily Leader, PSBA deputy
chief counsel: Learn about where we were, where we are, where we’ll be and who
should care.
March 12: 6-7:15 p.m.
March 13: 8-9:15 a.m.
March 14: 12-1:15 p.m.
The Nuts and Bolts of Right-to-Know 2008
Presented by Sharon
Fissel, PSBA director of Policy Services, and Emily Leader. Discuss what the
school district or local agency needs to know about adopting policies and
procedures and how to handle requests, from designating an open-records officer
to setting fees and providing local agency responses to requests.
April 2: 6-7:15 p.m.
April 3: 8-9:15 a.m.
April 4: 12-1:15 p.m.
What's Public, What's Not and What We Don't
Know About the 2008 Right-to-Know Law
Presented by Teri Henning, general counsel,
Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, and Emily Leader. Discover the definitions,
exceptions and ambiguities of the law.
April 9 6-7:15 p.m.
April 10 8-9:15 a.m.
April 11 12-1:15 p.m.
Web conference participants will be required
to have a high-speed