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Old Deluder Satan Act of 1647
This law required every town that populated 50 or more families to hire a school teacher to educate them in reading and writing. They believed, for religious regions, that it was important and highly valued. This set the basis from primary and secondary education today. -
Roberts v the City of Boston
Massachuesetts became the fist state to pass a law to abolish segregation in their public schools. Sarah Roberts was an African American girl who's father, similar to Brown v Board, took the issue of segreagted schools to the court. Many of the black community opposed him doing so questioning the education that would be provided to their children if their teacher was white. After bringing this issue to the state legislature, Roberts was able to attend a all white school closer to her home. -
Plessy v Ferguson
This decision means that the federal government recognized segregation as legal; state laws required schools to enforce racial segregation. The black community in New Orleans began a resistance when Florida became the first state to mandate segregated railroad cars in 1887. The court ruled that the 14th amendment protects those with political and civil rights. This case manifested "seperate but equal" amongst the black community. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/plessy-v-ferguson -
Brown v The Board of Education
Linda Brown's father and other parents argued that seperate schools were unconstitutional and violated the 14th amendment. When the case was appealed in the Supreme Court, a new judge was appointed to the case where they ruled that segregation is unconstitutional and that "seperate is not equal." Segregation laws that were put in place had been challenged. https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/educational-resources/supreme-court-landmarks/brown-v-board-education-podcast -
Cooper V Aaron
In February of 1958 members of the Arkansas school board filed a suit to suspend the plan of desegregation after Brown v Board. The court held Arkansas officials bounded by the federal court orders, request unconstitutional. What took place in Brown v Board was the supreme law of the land and no state law could challange it. They were required to allow African American children into all public schools. https://www.oyez.org/cases/1957/1_misc -
Engel V Vitale
A state law in New York required for public schools to begin their school day with a prayer for children to recognize their dependence on God. A parent challenged this law saying that it violated the First Amendment with the purpose to prevent the government interferring with religion as it often led to destructive measures In the end, the court ruled in favor of the parent it was overtuned. www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/educational-activities/facts-and-case-summary-engel-v-vitale -
Ocean Hill-Brownsville Strike (New York)
The teachers of New York City go on strike, leaving public schools closed for about 36 days. A normal routine of teachers being transferred, dismissing white and Jewish teachers in a primarily African American neighborhood led to such event. This strike highlighted the conflict between lcal rights to self-determination and teachers rights as workers. -
Title IX
Title IX protects the people from discrimination of sex. It says that no one should be excluded, denied, or discriminated, on the basis of sex, when it comes to an educational program/activity that receives federal financial assistance. This law has opened up many opportunities. Since then, for example, female participation in sports has increased.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/title-ix-enacted https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/tix_dis.html -
Education of all Handicapped Children Act
Revised and renamed to IDEA, the Education of all Handicapped Children Act was put into place to protect the rights of & improve the results of children/ youth with disabilities and their families; to educate more children with disabilities in their schools rather than to seperate schools and institutions. The majority of children who are handicapped today are being educated in their regulr classrooms with their non-disabled classmates. https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/leg/idea/history.html -
Plyler v Doe
Texas state legislation kept school disrict state funds for educating children, who couldn't prove they were admitted to the stated legally, from them. On behalf of Mexican school aged children in Texas a class action was filed. The court agreed that it saved them money however it did not increase educational quality therefore they were protected by the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment.https://www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/educational-activities/access-education-rule-law -
Proposition 187 (California)
In 1994, California offered a proposition to prohibit illegal immigrants from receiving free healthcare, education, and other services. After being passed on November 8th, the law challanged this legal suit and found it to be unconstitutional on November 11th. Many felt that it was discriminatory against primarily Hispanics and Asians who entered legally and overstayed there visas. -
Grutter v Bollinger
Barbara Grutter was a white resident of Michigan that was denied admission to the University of Michigan Law School. She argued that their interest to diversify the school violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The court sided with the university and reasoned that they conduct a very individualized review of each applicant in which race could nor be the single variable of acceptance or rejection into the school. https://www.oyez.org/cases/2002/02-241
