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Ruby Bridges Desegregates William Frantz Elementary School
Born during the Civil Rights movement, at the young age of 6, Ruby Bridges became the first black student to desegregate William Frantz Elementary school in New Orleans. She encountered struggles every day and her family suffered enormously because of it. She paved the way for other schools to be desegregated following the Brown vs. the Board of Education decision and forever changed the availability of education for minority students. -
Women Gain Equal Rights in Education
Many people consider Title IX as only ensuring equal opportunity for women in athletics. However, it also protects them from sexual harassment and discrimination and while President Obama was in office he ordered that it also include protection for transgender students. Women can now enter schools feeling confident they will receive the same educational opportunities as their male peers. -
Undocumented Immigrants Granted Education Protection
Although 27 years old, the verdict in Plyler vs. Doe in 1982 is more important today than anyone could have imagined. Although it was deemed unconstitutional to deny a child a public education due to immigration status, a number of barriers still remain in its way. In order to be effective, it requires involvement on multiple levels from the individual schools up to the executive office. -
Students With Disabilities Protected from Educational Discrimination
The Americans with Disabilities Act piggybacks on the Civil Rights Act to prohibit the discrimination of people based on physical and mental disabilities. Not only does it protect them but it also ensures that appropriate accommodations are made and public services provide accessibility. The ADA has changed students' lives in allowing them to attend mainstream schools with their peers. -
Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting
Twenty-six people (20 students and 6 staff members) were viciously gunned down in their classrooms by Adam Lanza. As one of the deadliest mass shootings in the country, it has not only impacted the gun control debate but has also guided school guidelines. Although no specific reform has come about yet, events like this one have affected staff training, school protocol, and student training. It has affected school environments and anxiety in the school population.
