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April 23,1635 was the first public school in American, call "Latin School." In 1642 Massachusetts Bay Colony passed the first law in the New World requiring that children be taught to read and write. in 1647 Massachusetts passed another one requiring that all towns establish and maintain public schools. Only boys was allowed and girl from wealthy family, the main purpose of these schools was to educate puritan kids about their religion and the bible. -
Thomas Jefferson authors Bill 79: "A Bill for the More General Diffusion of Knowledge," which provides "a comprehensive plan for public education" It is presented in the Virginia House of Delegates several times before a revised bill titled, "An Act to Establish Public Education," is finally passed in 1796. Educates the children of the labor class on a different track than the children of the upper educated class. -
Louisiana enacted the Separate Car Act, which required separate railway cars for blacks and whites. Equal but separate accommodations for whites and blacks imposed by Louisiana do not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The judge found that Louisiana could enforce this law insofar as it affected railroads within its boundaries. Plessy was convicted.
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Prior to this case, "separate but equal doctrine" allowed public schools to deny entry to students based on race. The Supreme Court unanimously found segregation of public schools violated the Equal Protection Clause on basis that segregation was psychologically harmful to black students. The case outlawed segregation of white and black kids in the public schools solely on the basis of race, pursuant to state laws permitting, denies black kids equal protection guaranteed by the 14th Amendment
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Prior to this case, a Pennsylvania law allowed public schools to deny admission to students with cognitive disabilities. The district court hearing the case found the law unconstitutional and required that the state ensure the right to free education for children with disabilities at an appropriate level for the individual child. -
No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. -
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) of 1975 is a federal law. It is also known as Public Law 94–142. It requires public schools to provide appropriate educational services for all children with disabilities between ages 3 and 21. EAHCA has been strengthened and expanded over the years. It is now called the Individual with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA). -
A Texas law allowed the state to withhold school funds for undocumented children. The Supreme Court found that this law violated the Fourteenth Amendment rights of these children because it discriminated against them on the basis of a factor beyond their control, and because this discrimination could not be found to serve a large enough state interest.
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A female middle-school student was unable to try out for her school’s football team, as the tryouts were restricted to boys only. She claimed that the school’s policy violated her Fourteenth Amendment equal protection rights. The district court ruled in the student’s favor, finding that the school offered no justifiable reason for preventing girls from trying out. -
A female high school student had been sexually harassed by a teacher. Faculty and administration at the school had discouraged the student from pressing charges against the teacher, and the student sought monetary damages. The Supreme Court ruled that the student could indeed sue for damages under Title IX.
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The controversial No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is approved by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush on January 8, 2002. The law, which reauthorizes the ESEA of 1965 and replaces the Bilingual Education Act of 1968, mandates high-stakes student testing, holds schools accountable for student achievement levels, and provides penalties for schools that do not make adequate yearly progress toward meeting the goals of NCLB. -
As the 2021 school year begins, COVID-19 cases surge due to the Delta Variant, particularly in areas with low vaccination rates. Complicating matters, several states have banned schools from requiring students and faculty to wear masks.