PODCAST · government
Let’s Talk - Lozano Smith Podcast
by Lozano Smith
Discussing changes in the law and legal decisions that affect public agencies.
Episodes
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E109 Maintenance or Construction? Why the Difference Matters
When it comes to school and community college district projects, correctly classifying work as “maintenance” or “construction” can make or break your bidding and contracting process. In this episode, Lozano Smith attorneys Arne Sandberg and Andrea Olivarez join host Sloan Simmons to unpack the…
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E108 What’s Next For School Districts Under Mirabelli and Mahmoud
In this episode, host Michelle Cannon engages with Lozano Smith Litigation Practice Group Co-Chair Sloan Simmons and Student Practice Group Co-Chair Kyle Raney to discuss the current state of the law in California under Mirabelli v. Bonta and Mahmoud v. Taylor. The discussion reviews developments...
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E107 Public Service and Political Activity: Understanding the Boundaries
Public employees and officials have the right to participate in political activity, but important restrictions apply when personal advocacy intersects with public employment and agency resources. In this episode, host Michelle Cannon connects with Lozano Smith attorneys Scott Cross and Gail Zurek...
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E106 SB 848: New Screening, Reporting, and Training Requirements for Educational Agencies
California’s SB 848 introduces significant new requirements for educational agencies related to ensuring the safety of students. In this episode, host Michelle Cannon connects with Lozano Smith attorneys Carolyn Gemma and Brianna Ramos to discuss the background behind these new requirements and...
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E105 AB 126: A New Era of Charter School Oversight
California’s AB 126 introduces significant changes to charter school oversight and authorizer responsibilities. In this episode, host Sloan Simmons connects with Lozano Smith’s Charter Practice Group Co-Chairs, Ed Sklar and Erin Hamor, to discuss the background behind these reforms and what they...
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E104 Supreme Court Weighs In on States Limiting Transgender Participation in Girls’ School Sports
In this episode, host Sloan Simmons is joined by Lozano Smith’s Title IX Practice Group Co-Chairs, Sarah Fama and Monica Batanero, to discuss the Supreme Court’s opinion on two cases addressing transgender participation in girls’ school athletics: West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox. The...
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E103 Navigating Public Agency Investigations Conducted by Outside Counsel
The decision of who conducts an investigation carries important legal implications and shapes how the process unfolds. In this episode, host Sloan Simmons is joined by Lozano Smith attorneys Trevin Sims and Kara Walton to explore how public agencies approach selecting internal, outside, and...
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E102 Understanding Educational Rights: Custody Orders, Caregivers, and Special Education
Who has the authority to make educational decisions for a student? In this episode, host Michelle Cannon is joined by Lozano Smith attorneys Amanda Cordova and Anna Wood to discuss the legal framework surrounding educational rights, including special education considerations. The conversation...
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E101 From Absences to Action: Attendance, Truancy, and Special Education Obligations
In this episode, host Sloan Simmons is joined by Lozano Smith attorneys Sarah Garcia and Karina Demirchyan to discuss why student attendance has become a critical issue for local educational agencies and how attendance concerns can evolve into legal and special education obligations. Drawing on...
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E100 Responding to Requests under the California Public Records Act: Best Practices from the Field
In this episode—the 100th Lozano Smith Podcast episode—host Sloan Simmons joins Partners Alyse Pacheco Nichols and Crystal Pizano to discuss strategic planning and best practices for responding to requests under the California Public Records Act. Alyse and Crystal’s respective expertise in...
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E99 New Laws Impacting Students Heading into 2026
In this episode, host Sloan Simmons joins Student Practice Group Co-Chair Ruth Mendyk and student practitioner Rebal Halabi-Boutros for the year’s annual student legislation round-up. Ruth and Rebal discuss the most significant bills passed by the close of this year’s legislative session and…
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Episode 98 Gender Identity, Title IX, and Equal Protection: Status of Federal and California Law and Pending Litigation
In this episode, host Sloan Simmons joins Title IX experts Sarah Fama and Sinead McDonough for a comprehensive discussion regarding the status of the law as it pertains to gender identity, students, and schools. Topics covered include the current status of California and federal law and policy on...
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Episode 97 Mahmoud v. Taylor: A Practical Discussion on the Supreme Court’s Opt-Out Opinion
In this episode, host Sloan Simmons joins Partners Chelsea Olson-Murphy and Kyle A. Raney for a practical discussion of the holding, impact, and resulting best practices following the Supreme Court’s opinion in Mahmoud v. Taylor regarding the ability of parents to opt their children out of…
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Episode 96 Signed, Sealed, Liable: The Realities of Opinions of Counsel
In this episode, host Sloan Simmons joins Public Finance Chair Daniel Maruccia and Municipal and Governance Co-Chair Mary Lerner to discuss opinions of counsel and their important role relating to bond issuances and related transactions. Dan and Mary discuss the legal parameters applicable to...
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Episode 95 From Resume to Red Flag: District Responsibilities Under AB 2534
When it comes to hiring certificated staff, the process is now more complex and challenging. In this episode, host Aly Bivins connects with Lozano Smith attorneys Dulcinea Grantham and Gail Zurek to unpack the key provisions and implications of Assembly Bill (AB) 2534, focusing on legal…
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Episode 94 The ESY Puzzle: Putting the Pieces Together for IEP Success
Extended School Year (ESY) services can raise nuanced questions for IEP teams and special education professionals. On this episode of the Lozano Smith Podcast, host Aly R. Bivins talks with Roxana E. Khan and Erin Frazor about how ESY differs from summer school, the legal requirements under the...
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Episode 93 Speakers, Singers, and Sashes: Planning for a Successful Graduation Ceremony
Graduation season is fast approaching and now is the time for selecting speakers, auditioning singers and all the other details that go into planning a successful event. On this Lozano Smith podcast, host Sloan Simmons and his guests Partners and Lozano Smith Student Practice Group Leaders, Ruth...
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Episode 92 Title IX: Past Lessons, Present Shifts, and Future Possibilities
This episode explores the evolving landscape of Title IX through the lens of where we are and where we’re headed. From the impact of the 2020 regulations and the recent vacating of the 2024 regulations, to current executive orders, investigations, and state laws shaping implementation today, our...
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Episode 91 School Facilities, Funding and Construction Series – Part 3: Implementation
In the final episode of our three-part podcast series, host Sloan Simmons joins Lozano Smith Facilities and Business Partners Megan Macy and Anne Collins, and special guest Sue Bell, Chief Facilities Officer for the Elk Grove Unified School District, to tackle all things implementation. The…
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Episode 90 School Facilities, Funding and Construction Series – Part 2: Planning and Procurement
In Part 2 of this three-part podcast series, host Sloan Simmons is back with Lozano Smith Facilities and Business Partners Megan Macy and Anne Collins, and special guest Sue Bell, Chief Facilities Officer for the Elk Grove Unified School District. The group covers team building, planning with and...
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Episode 89 Review and Update—Personnel Actions and the March 15th Deadline – Are You Ready?
In this episode, we re-air Podcast 52 from March 2022, in which host Sloan Simmons joins partners and Lozano Smith Labor and Employment Co-Practice Group Leaders Michelle Cannon and Gabriela Flowers to discuss several important school district labor and employment deadlines that all fall on March...
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Episode 88 School Facilities, Funding and Construction Series – Part 1: The New State Bond
In this three-part podcast series, host Sloan Simmons engages with Lozano Smith Facilities and Business Partners Megan Macy and Anne Collins, as well as special guest Sue Bell, Chief Facilities Officer for the Elk Grove Unified School District, on a thoughtful discussion regarding state funding…
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Episode 87 Immigration Enforcement and California’s Schools
In this episode, host Sloan Simmons engages with Lozano Smith’s student law experts Ed Sklar and Josh Whiteside regarding applicable laws, guidance, and anticipated developments regarding immigration enforcement and schools under the new presidential administration. The group discusses the…
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Episode 86 Update on Student Issues to Ring in the New Year – 2025!
Join Lozano Smith Student attorneys Ruth Mendyk, Alexandra Carubis, and Josh Whiteside as they discuss developments from the most recent legislative session and evaluate the impacts on California students beginning January 1, 2025. Show Notes & References 2:03 – Prohibition of suspension for...
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Episode 85 From Campus to Closure: The Legal and Practical Approaches to School Closure
This Lozano Smith Podcast episode is the fourth and final in a 4-part series Leadership in Action, brought to you by Lozano Smith and Lozano Smith’s Concierge Consulting Services, also known as CCS. Due to a long pattern of declining enrollment and resulting budget challenges, school districts...
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Episode 84 Understanding, Building, and Sustaining a Professional Organizational Culture
This Lozano Smith Podcast episode is the third in a 4-part series Leadership in Action, brought to you by Lozano Smith and Lozano Smith’s Concierge Consulting Services, also known as CCS. In this episode, host Sloan Simmons connects with Lozano Smith CCS expert Brandon Krueger, Ed.D. and Partner...
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Episode 83 School Facilities and Construction Planning, Management, and Oversight: Communication, Communication, Communication
This Lozano Smith Podcast episode is the second in a 4-part series Leadership in Action, brought to you by Lozano Smith and Lozano Smith’s Concierge Consulting Services, also known as CCS. Whether your school district successfully passed a bond or parcel tax in years past or just this month, once...
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Episode 82 The Power of Positivity in Governing Board Meetings
This Lozano Smith Podcast episode is the first in a 4-part series Leadership in Action, brought to you by Lozano Smith and Lozano Smith’s Concierge Consulting Services, also known as CCS. Increasingly in recent years, the perception of governing board meetings have trended negative, with school...
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Episode 81 Goal Writing in Special Education: Latest Trends and Guidance
In this episode of our podcast, host Sloan Simmons engages with Lozano Smith special education experts Aly Bivins and Josh Walden. They discuss the recent trends and guidance in the arena of goal writing for special education students. Aly and Josh provide insights on recent OAH decisions on…
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Episode 80 Oklahoma Supreme Court Blocks Establishment of Nation’s First Religious Charter School
In this episode, host Sloan Simmons engages with Lozano Smith charter school experts Courtney de Groof and Eric Barba. The group discusses the recent Oklahoma Supreme Court decision to block the nation’s first proposed religious charter school and implications of this development here in…
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Episode 79 Student Issues: What’s New for 2024-2025
Join host Sloan Simmons as he discusses new legislative enactments and trending student issues impacting the 2024-2025 school year with Lozano Smith experts Kyle Raney and Kendra Tovey. This episode covers a range of hot topic issues, from a new round of changes to Independent Study to AB 1955....
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Episode 78 At Last! The New Title IX Regulations Are Here – What You Need to Know
In this podcast, host Sloan Simmons engages with Lozano Smith Title IX Practice Group Leaders Monica Batanero and Sarah Fama in a step-by-step discussion regarding the new Title IX regulations, as well as helpful context regarding various legal challenges pending around the country to the new...
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Episode 77 What K-12 School Districts Need to Know about Internal Complaint Procedures
In this episode, host Sloan Simmons engages with Lozano Smith attorneys Carolyn Gemma and Jaspreet Lochab-Dogra regarding the application and interactions between the various compliant procedures utilized by California’s K-12 school districts. Show Notes & References 1:45 – Common complaint...
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Episode 76 Artificial Intelligence for Public Agencies and School Districts: Part 4 – Understanding Risks and Benefits of AI in the Hands of Students
In episode four of our series on Artificial Intelligence for Public Agencies and School Districts, we explore the intersection of student issues and AI. Join Lozano Smith attorneys Karen M. Rezendes, Ruth E. Mendyk, and Joshua Whiteside in their discussion of the use of AI and its effect on K-12...
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Episode 75 Artificial Intelligence for Public Agencies and School Districts: Part 3 – Facilities, Business, and AI
In episode three of our series on Artificial Intelligence for Public Agencies and School Districts, we delve into the ways AI is impacting the facilities and operations side of school districts. Join Lozano Smith attorneys Karen M. Rezendes, Robert A. Lomeli, and Junaid Halani as they discuss how...
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Episode 74 Artificial Intelligence for Public Agencies and School Districts: Part 2 – The Use of AI in Special Education
In episode two of our series on Artificial Intelligence for Public Agencies and School Districts, we delve into the ways AI is revolutionizing the field of special education. Join Lozano Smith attorneys Karen M. Rezendes, Sarah L. Garcia, and Karina Demirchyan as they discuss how AI technologies...
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Episode 73 Artificial Intelligence for Public Agencies and School Districts: Part 1 – AI Primer
Dive into the evolving world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with the first episode in our new series, designed to cut through the hype and uncover the real impact of AI on public agencies. Lozano Smith’s Managing Partner, Karen M. Rezendes, along with Lozano Smith attorneys Robert A. Lomeli,...
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Episode 72 Getting Street Smart About Street Vendors
California’s vibrant food cultures and many days of sunshine means you have probably seen an individual selling food and goods from a sidewalk or street cart. However, this entrepreneurship led to many debates about whether certain neighborhoods should be off-limits to street (or sidewalk)…
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Episode 71 Proper Procurement & Bidding
In this episode, Lozano Smith Podcast co-host Josh Whiteside has invited attorneys Amanda Savage and James McCann to provide a helpful “how-to” guide for public agencies procuring and bidding for goods, services, and other contracted work. Topics include bidding thresholds, understanding the...
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Episode 70 Winter 2023-2024 Student Issues Legislative Update
In this episode, Lozano Smith Podcast host Sloan Simmons discusses with Lozano Smith Student Practice Group Leaders Ruth Mendyk and Josh Whiteside important legislative updates regarding student matters resulting from the close of this year’s legislative session. Show Notes & References 1:55 –...
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Episode 69 Bargaining Basics – Meeting at the Table
Designed for new administrators and/or those new to the bargaining table, co-host Joshua Whiteside is joined by Lozano Smith attorneys Daniel McElhinney and Kara Walton to discuss the basics of bargaining. Topics include figuring out who should be on the bargaining team, how to identify a lead...
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Episode 68 Citizen Bond Oversight Committees: A Primer for School Districts
Join Lozano Smith Podcast host Sloan Simmons for a discussion with Partner attorneys Daniel Maruccia and Harold Freiman regarding Citizen Bond Oversight Committees. This podcast provides an insightful primer into such committees, including their purpose, applicable requirements, and commonly…
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Episode 67 Annual Organizational Meetings for School Districts
Join host Sloan Simmons in this Lozano Smith podcast in which Partner Thomas Gauthier discusses annual organizational meetings for school districts. This timely discussion provides insights into the structure and purpose to these meetings, which take place every December. Show Notes & References...
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Episode 66 Addressing Inclusion Confusion Following COVID
Join Lozano Smith attorneys Joshua Whiteside, Jennifer Baldassari, and Haley Fagan in a discussion about special education inclusion following a return to in-person schooling post-COVID. In this episode they discuss inclusive environments, recent case law, and next steps for the future. Listen as...
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Episode 65 Special Education and Independent Study in the Post-Pandemic Era
In this Lozano Smith Podcast episode, host Sloan Simmons talks with Lozano Smith special education attorneys Kendra Tovey and Amanda Cordova regarding independent study in the context of special education students in light of the now existing independent study legal framework post-pandemic. Show...
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Episode 64 Much Ado About ADUs
With the ever-growing demand for housing in California, many local governments are turning to Accessory Dwelling Units (“ADUs”). Host Joshua Whiteside joins Lozano Smith attorneys Jennifer Thompson and Kevin Serrano to examine the housing situation in California, benefits and challenges of ADUs…
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Episode 63 Getting to Know and Understand the FAIR Act
The Fair, Accurate, Inclusive and Respectful (“FAIR”) Act became law in 2012 and was enacted with the goal of California schools including a more historically accurate depiction of the contributions of LGBT Americans in the curriculum and to reduce the negative stereotypes and bullying that…
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UPDATE: Episode 62 Charter School Renewals – They’re Back?
Erin Hamor, Partner and Co-chair of Lozano Smith’s Charter School Practice Group, is back with an important update on the fate of charter school renewals in the state in light of new pending legislation, discussed in our most recent episode, Charter School Renewals – They’re Back! For more...
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Episode 62 Charter School Renewals – They’re Back!
In this Lozano Smith Podcast episode, host Sloan Simmons talks with Lozano Smith Partners and charter school experts Ed Sklar and Erin Hamor regarding the forthcoming return of the charter school renewal process under pre-Pandemic changes in the law resulting from AB 1505. Show Notes & References...
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Episode 61 Responding to Student Behavior and Student Discipline in the Special Education Context
In this Lozano Smith Podcast episode, host Sloan Simmons talks with Lozano Smith special education Partner Sarah Garcia and special education attorney Kaitlyn Tucker about the nuances and options when responding to student behavior, including imposition of student discipline and other options, in...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Discussing changes in the law and legal decisions that affect public agencies.
HOSTED BY
Lozano Smith
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Let’s Talk - Lozano Smith Podcast currently has 100 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Let’s Talk - Lozano Smith Podcast about?
Discussing changes in the law and legal decisions that affect public agencies.
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Let’s Talk - Lozano Smith Podcast has 100 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
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Let’s Talk - Lozano Smith Podcast is created and hosted by Lozano Smith.
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