2026 ACSA Personnel Institute

Staying Legal is fast-paced DWK-attorney led professional development focused on human resources and labor relations legal issues. Dannis, Pearl and Nakamura are 100% focused on practical lessons about education, labor and employment law to help you manage and maintain high-functioning human resources (HR) and labor relations departments for your district or county office. We don’t lecture or bore you with slides about legal esoterica. Together we learn, strategize, problem solve, laugh, and interact. We use curated HR and labor relations materials (summarizing court decisions, PERB decisions, laws, regulations, policies, and recent developments) to impart real-world lessons and pertinent knowledge about legal requirements and best practices for HR and labor relations professionals. Who knew the law could be so much fun?

Key Takeaways:
• Receive practical lessons, strategies and insights on often-complex legal issues to make your HR/labor relations department function at a higher level
• Learn, strategize, problem solve and interact with fellow human resources practitioners and leading attorneys
• Get up to date on the latest and greatest labor and employment court decisions, PERB decisions, laws and best practices

As complaints about employees continue to rise in schools and workplaces, district leaders face increasing pressure to respond promptly, fairly, and consistently while minimizing legal and operational risk. This session will explore practical strategies for managing complaints involving employee misconduct, workplace conflict, professionalism, harassment, discrimination, and performance concerns. Attendees will learn how to establish effective intake and documentation practices, conduct appropriate preliminary assessments, determine when investigations are necessary, and communicate throughout the process. The presentation will also address common pitfalls that can escalate complaints and provide proactive approaches to improving workplace culture, accountability, and employee relations. Participants will leave with actionable tools to help their districts respond to complaints confidently, consistently, and lawfully.

Between chronic absenteeism, expanding leave laws, staffing shortages, substitute vacancies, and evolving employee expectations, Human Resources professionals are asking themselves a very real question: does anyone actually come to work anymore? This engaging and relatable session takes a practical—and honest—look at the growing complexities of employee leave administration in public education. Participants will explore the ever-changing maze of FMLA, CFRA, pregnancy disability and parental leave, workers’ compensation, paid sick leave, catastrophic leave, and negotiated leave provisions, as well as the increasingly blurred lines between contractual rights, legal obligations, and operational realities. Through real-world scenarios, interactive discussion, and shared “you can’t make this up” moments, attendees will unpack common leave challenges and staffing impacts facing districts today.

Navigating employee leaves can be complex—especially in the education sector, where multiple leave entitlements intersect. This session will provide HR professionals with a clear overview of the most commonly used types of leave—sick, industrial accident, differential or extended, bereavement, association business-- and recent changes in the law related to these leaves. Participants will gain practical strategies for documenting leave accurately and ensuring compliance with federal and state laws. Attendees will leave with actionable tips and tools to support effective leave administration and sound decision-making in their districts.