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Past Education
During the Colonial Era, students in the first American schools were taught religious studies. In the 1800's, schools were making the switch to learning a student's full potential. In 1820 the very first public high school opens. Even though there are public schools, slavery and segregation was heavily instilled in early education. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson was a Supreme Court case that ruled "separate but equal" was constitutional. Homer Plessy had refused to sit in a car that was intended for blacks only. His case had gotten all the way to the Supreme Court. As a result of the 7-1 decision against Plessy, Jim Crow laws were widely instituted after. -
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Modern Education
In the early 1900's, schools were segregated and not every child was getting an education. The Brown v. Board of Education decision changed that. Every child in the U.S was allowed to receive a fair education. There have also been many other accommodations made for undocumented immigrant students. The U.S. had also been making the switch to deeper learning: analytic reasoning, complex problem solving, and teamwork. -
Brown v. Board of Education, Topeka
Brown v. Board of Education started when Oliver Brown's daughter was denied enrollment at an all-white public school. Oliver Brown had claimed that the black schools were not equal to white schools. The final decision contradicted what the Supreme Court ruled in Plessy v. Ferguson. It was unconstitutional to racially segregate children in schools. This decision was a huge leap forward for the Civil Rights Movement. -
Engel v. Vitale
Engel v. Vitale started when the state of NY allowed and encouraged students to recite a prayer after the pledge of allegiance. Engel was a Jewish man, and believed it was a violation of First Amendment rights. The case ultimately ended in a 6-1 decision. It was unconstitutional to encourage recitation of a prayer during in public schools. -
Tinker v. Des Moines
Five Iowan students wore black armbands to school to protest the Vietnam War. Three of these students were suspended for wearing the armbands. The Supreme Court ruled that the students did have a right to free speech in schools. This made students and teachers equal on that level. -
Title IX
Title IX is a law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or program, as long as they were federally funded. As signed by President Nixon, "No person in the United States shall, based on sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity..." Women all over the U.S. were positively affected by the ruling. The federal government has also provided clarification on the law since then. -
Education of All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA)
The EAHCA is a law that made every public school in the U.S. required to provide an equal education to handicapped and mentally disabled students. They were also required to do evaluations on disabled students. The law even benefited parents, as they were allowed to make more decisions about the children's education. This law allowed disabled and handicapped students a chance to have a full education. -
Plyler v. Doe
In 1982, there was a Supreme Court case where Texas officials said that undocumented immigrant children weren't within their jurisdiction. They were denying them funding for their education. A 5-4 decision decided that the policy made by the officials violated 14th Amendment rights. Undocumented children would be able to get a fair education. -
New Jersey v. T.L.O.
In this 1985 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that students had "a reduced expectation of privacy in school". A student had her handbag searched, and claimed her Fourth Amendment rights were violated. It seems that if one had reasonable cause, they'd be able to search a student's bag. Students are not given as much privacy in school as they are outside. -
Bethel School District #43 v. Fraser
In 1983, Michael Fraser was suspended for making a sexual innuendo during a high school speech. He, and his parents, said that this suspension was a violation of his 1st amendment rights. Ultimately, the Supreme Court ruled that the school did not violate his rights. Making it apparent that students are allowed to freely express themselves as long as it is not sexually vulgar. -
Board of Education of Independent School District #92 of Pottawatomie County v. Earls
In 2002, two students in Oklahoma and their parents alleged that it was wrong to randomly drug test students participating in extracurricular activities. They claimed it violated their Fourth Amendment rights. When the case reached the Court of Appeals, they ruled that it was a violation of their rights. When it reached the Supreme Court, however, they ruled in a majority decision that it was not a violation.
