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On June 7, 1892, Homer Plessy, with a first class ticket in hand, boarded a “Whites Only” car in New Orleans, Louisiana. When the car conductor demand that Plessy get up and move to the “Blacks Only” section of the car, he refused. Even though he knew his constitutional rights were being violated, he was still arrested. The Supreme Court case resulted in the “Separate But Equal” doctrine that set back black human rights for the coming years. -
The G.I. Bill of Rights was signed on June 22, 1944 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and was created with the purpose of providing services and benefits to veterans of World War II. This included educational funding for college, and also one year of unemployment compensation. Through the years this bill has been expanded to veterans of the Korean and Vietnam Wars. The bill is still in use today for modern day veterans as they have given educational funding. -
The National School Act passed and signed in 1946 by President Harry S. Truman, provided food services to students that came from low income households. In addition, the Summer Food Service Program helped families all across America as even during the summer provide food to students. The act helped shrink the achievement gap between these students as a healthy diet will lead to better educational results. -
In 1951, Linda Brown was denied entry to Topeka, Kanas all white elementary schools and that resulted in the Brown V. Board of Education case. Brown’s case alongside of four others came before a Supreme Court and they argued that having schools separate is in violation of their 14th Amendment. The Court went on to rule in their favor and while the ruling never specified how schools should be segregated, it was a right step in the right direction. -
The Bilingual Education Act passed on January 2, 1968, provided federal funding to help establish educational programs for limited English speaking students. This act was well beyond its time as the growth of students of limited English speaking has risen due to the influx of immigrants in America. The act helped prevent the further rising of the achievement gap between English and non-English speaking students.
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Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 resulted in no matter your gender you wouldn’t be denied any access to educational opportunities and any other federally funded activity. This monumental achievement also came with protection for women, as now they couldn’t be expelled from school because they were pregnant. This case also resulted in a great influx of women entering sports in the high school and college levels. -
In 1974, the Milliken v. Bradley case was a historic yet controversial Supreme Court ruling. The case was planned to help desegregate schools and buses across 53 counties across the Detroit area. However the court ruled that they could not interfere in educational laws and ultimately left the decision up to its local school systems. This decision help set back the progression of desegregation in Detroit. -
In 1975, The Education for All Handicap Act (EHA) was passed and resulted in the requirement that all public schools provide educational services to all disable students between the ages of 3 to 21. This law helped push forward, that handicapped students need education as much as any other child. It has provided protections, such as parents having rights to dispute certain decisions made by the schools. In 1990 the EHA was renamed to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. -
In June of 1982, the Pyler V. Doe case concluded that students of immigrant background could not be denied entry into public education. This case was in direct response to the 1975 law passed by the Texas legislation that local school had the right to deny entry to immigrant students. The Supreme Court ruled that these students were in violation of the 14th Amendment. This historic case has help immigrant students be afforded the same opportunity as any other student in America. -
The Gun-Free School Zones Act signed by President George H.W. Bush was a direct result of the Supreme Court case of the United States v. Lopez. In which a 12th grade student, Alfonzo Lopez, carried a concealed weapon into his Texas high school. The act states that any one who knowing carries a weapon on school grounds will be arrested. Lopez was found guilty and sentenced to six months in jail. -
Proposition 187 was on November 8, 1994 and stated that immigrants could not use the educational system as well as non-emergency healthcare services. This act was immediately contested and was set for a legal battle the day after it passed. On November 11, 1999, a federal district court found the passage unconstitutional. This passage showed there was still a lot of progress in America still left to be made, in regards to racial equality. -
The No Child Left Behind Act in 2001, was passed because of the growing achievement gap amongst low income to higher income households. The act implemented educational funding for programs to help provide resources to all students regardless of income. More standardize testing was introduced as well to help record students’ progress. The ultimate goal was to help students achieve a higher level of learn and help afford the opportunities of schooling beyond high school.
