Janet R. Decker primarily researches legal and policy issues in special education, but also studies the legal literacy of educators and administrators. Her publications include two books: The Legal Rights of School Leaders, Teachers, and Students, 8th ed. (Pearson, 2018) and How to Prevent Special Education Litigation: Eight Legal Lesson Plans (Columbia University Teachers College Press, 2015) and two edited books: The Principal’s Legal Handbook and A Guide to Special Education Law (both published by Education Law Association, 2017).

Her research has also appeared in education and law journals including Northwestern Journal of Law and Social Policy, Vanderbilt University’s Peabody Journal of Education, Journal of School Choice, Teaching Exceptional Children, BYU Education and Law Journal, and Utah Law Review.

Dr. Decker became interested in special education policy when she taught students with autism. She has also worked at the Maurer School of Law’s Family and Children Mediation Clinic, the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy, and the University of Cincinnati. In 2016, she was elected to the Education Law Association’s Board of Directors.

Dr. Decker currently teaches the following school law courses to undergraduate, master’s, doctoral, and law students: A308, A608, A675, and A720. She holds a law degree from IU’s Maurer School of Law and Ph.D. in Education Policy Studies from IU’s School of Education.