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Plessy vs. Ferguson
A landmark 1896 U.S. Supreme Court decision that ruled in favor of a "separate but equal" stance on racial segregation. This case stemmed from an incident in 1892 in which a Black American, Homer Plessy, who had a mixed heritage, refused to sit in a car for colored people. Plessy brought it this case to court, claiming that his rights were being violated. The Court did not rule in his favor and Jim Crow laws (segregation laws) became commonplace. -
Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka
A landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court case in which it was ruled (unanimously) that racial segregation of children in public schools was unconstitutional. This case helped the public to see that "separate but equal" services were not equal at all. This case began when Linda Brown, daughter of Oliver Brown, was denied entry to Topeka's all-white school. The "seperate but equal" doctrine was proven false. This case overturned Plessy vs. Ferguson. -
Little Rock Nine Integration Attempt
A federal court orders the integration of Little Rock, Arkansas public schools. Nine Black American students are the first to integrate into a formally all-white high school. Governor Orval Faubus sent the National Guard to physically prevent these students from enrolling. President Eisenhower sent federal troops to enforce the court order and later federalized the National Guard. Only three of the nine students graduated from Central High School. The rest moved on to other schools. -
Ruby Bridges and William Frantz Elementary School
Ruby Bridges was the first Black American child to attend William Frantz Elementary School, a formerly all-white school in New Orleans. She and five others had passed an exam in order to attend. She was the only one who actually transferred there. Her attendance caused such an outrage, every White student was pulled from school and only one teacher stayed to teach her for a year. Due to safety, she was escorted every day by four federal marshals. She grew up to be a civil rights activist. -
First Bilingual and Bi-Cultural Public School in the U.S.
Coral Way Elementary School starts the first bilingual and bi-cultural public school in the United States. It was opened in response to the growing number of Cuban immigrant children arriving in Miami after the Cuban Revolution. This school pioneered the way for bilingual schools and bilingual education. Stationed in Miami, Florida. -
Title IX
Title IX prohibits federally funded educational institutions from discriminating against students because of their gender. That meant that public education facilities could not discriminate based on sex. All schools that fell under this category were expected to provide fair and equal treatment to both sexes in all areas, including sports. Thus, female athletes were finally born and recognized officially. -
Lau vs. Nichols
The U.S. Supreme Court case in which the Court unanimously decided that the lack of additional language instruction in public schools for students with a limited understanding of the English language violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964. As a result, English Language Learners (ELL) were born. It was ruled that these ELL students would receive special instruction in order to put them on equal footing with their classmates. This would determine their success in their education. -
Education of all Handicapped Children Act
This act was enacted by Congress to support handicapped children, specifically in education. Its intent was/is to support states and localities in protecting their rights, meeting individual needs, and improving the life of the child and their families. This makes it obligatory to provide the necessary support to allow a student with disabilities to succeed in their education.This act was originally enacted as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as amended in 1997. -
Plyler vs. Doe
A landmark decision in which the U.S. Supreme Court issued that states cannot constitutionally deny students a free public education on account of their legal status. Funds could and would not be withheld from schools for educating a student because of their immigration status. They were people too--children who deserved access to an education. Because of this, immigrant children were allowed to come to receive a free, public education. -
Board of Education vs. Pico
The U.S. Supreme Court rules that books cannot be removed from a school library because school administrators deemed their content to be offensive. Initially, 9 books had been removed from their library. After a review, it was deemed five of the nine would return. The Board overruled this decision and only returned two books. A group of five high school students led by Steven Pico filed a lawsuit against the school board claiming a violation of their First Amendment rights. -
Proposition 187
Proposition 187 passes in California. This makes it illegal for the children of undocumented immigrants to attend public school. This also makes it so California establishes a state-run citizenship screening system and prohibits undocumented immigrants from using non-emergency health care and other services in the State of California. Federal courts rule Proposition 187 unconstitutional. Still, anti-immigrant feeling spreads across the United States. -
Proposition 227
California voters pass Proposition 227, requiring that all public school instruction be in English. This required California public schools to teach LEP (Limited English Proficient; a.k.a. ELL) students in special classes that are taught nearly all in English. This had the effect of eliminating "bilingual" classes in most cases. Also required $50 billion in funding in order to teach adults (who promised to tutor the LEP students) English.
