Decisions That Have Shaped U.S. Education

By: MacKenzie Wehunt

Desegregation• Brown vs. BOE

(1954)

• Struck down separate but equal which was the ruling in Plessy vs. Ferguson.

Per-Pupil Expenditure• San Antonio Ind.

School District vs. Rodriguez (1973)

• States can permit any kind of finance system but it has to provide the minimum education for every student.

Students with Limited English Proficiency

• Lau vs. Nichols (1974)

• School districts have t take affirmative steps to rectify the language deficiency of students with limited English proficiency.

Special Education• BOE vs. Rowley

(1982)

• Individuals with Disabilities Act statutory entitlement to a free and appropriate public education for all students.

Accommodating Disabilities• School Board vs.

Arline (1987)

• If teacher has a disability, officials have to examine all the information before firing them.

Saluting the Flag• West Virginia State

BOE vs. Barnette (1943)

• Students cant be forced to salute to the flag.

Student Speech• Tinker vs. Des

Moines Ind. Community School District (1969)

• You can’t censor student speech unless it causes a substantial disruption of school operations.

Censorship• Hazelwood School

District vs. Kuhlmeier (1988)

• For school-sponsored activities involving student expression, officials may exercise content based control.

Teacher’s Speech• Mt. Healthy City

School District vs. Doyle (1977)

• Teachers have freedom of expression but should think before speaking.

School Libraries• BOE, Island Trees

Union Free School vs. Pico (1982)

• School boards can’t remove books fro m school libraries unless the reasons reflect education stability.

Student Suspension and Expulsions

• Goss vs. Lopez (1975)

• For suspension up to 10 days, students must be given an explanation and a chance to tell their side of the story.

Corporal Punishment

• Ingraham vs. Wright (1977)

• Student can bring a law suit if the corporal punishment violates the 14th Amendment.

Searches of Students

• New Jersey vs. T.L.O. (1985)

• Authority has to have valid reasons to search students’ property.

Random Drug Tests

• Veronia School District 47J vs. Acton (1995)

• Random drug testing on student athletes is constitutional.

Sexual Harassment

• Franklin vs. Gwinnett County Public Schools (1992)

• Can’t have federally funded programs that discriminate against gender.

Disruptive Students in Special Education

• Honig vs. Doe (1998)

• Special education student can be removed from placement if parents agree or student could harm themselves or others.

Government Aid to Religious Schools

• Lemon vs. Kurtzman (1971)

• Activities can’t advance religion, excessively entangle government with religion, and the purpose must be secular.

Prayer at School Events

• Lee vs. Weisman (1992)

• Clergy-ld invocations and benedictions at public school graduations violate 1st Amendment’s clause prohibiting the establishment of religion.