Doctors, lawyers, accountants, and financial advisers can be sued for malpractice. Unlike doctors, lawyers, and other service providers, however, individual teachers are hired and monitored by districts, and most decisions about curricula and materials are made at district levels. But why not sue districts, then? The answer is that such suits will probably lose. A recent scan covering the past 40 years found 80 cases alleging education malpractice, only one of which was successful (that it was successful could be traced to particular wording in the Montana state constitution). To learn more, read “Can Schools Commit Malpractice? It Depends” on the EdNext.org blog.

—Education Next