-
Mendez vs. Westminster
Mendez filed a lawsuit against Westminster County, California when his children were denied admission to a local public school due to their Mexican heritage. This court case challenged the “separate but equal” doctrine. The courts ruled in favor of Mendez, even when Westminster appealed. Due to this court case, California was the first state to outlaw racial segregation in the public school system (U.S. Court House & Post Office, n.d.). Link text -
Brown vs. Board of Education
Brown filed a lawsuit against the Board of Education in Kansas claiming that educational facilities, services, and opportunities were unequal for African American students. Multiple people filed against school segregation, and the judges ruled that segregation of school systems was unconstitutional; all children, regardless of race, were guaranteed an equal education (History.com Editors, 2009). Link text -
PARC vs. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Child filed a lawsuit against the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania claiming that it was irrational to assume any disabled child was incapable of education, challenging the law banning the education of students deemed incompetent. This started a procession of rulings that supported PARC; it was ruled that children with disabilities are guaranteed a free and equal education (Banks, 2016, p 219). Link text -
Title IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments prohibits discrimination based on sex in any federal education system. Title IX permeates further than just educational institutions to include all associated activities. Institutionalized gender discrimination was revealed, causing a monumental stepping stone toward the eradication of gender bias in the public school system (Banks, 2016, p 83-84). Link text -
Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act of 197
Students or persons who are handicapped cannot be excluded from educational opportunities because of the diagnoses handicap. Institutions must provide the necessary aids or accessibility to academic experiences (Banks, 2016, p 225). -
Education for All Handicapped Children
In 1975, legislation was passed requiring all students, including disabled students, to receive an education in the least restrictive environment. This law would later be amended to change the face of special education. Prior to the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, disabled children were denied an education, often institutionalized rather than provided an opportunity to learn (Banks, 2016, p 220). -
Americans with Disabilities Act
On July 26, 1990 The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed into law. This law mandates public buildings and transportation to make accommodations accessible to disabled people. This law, including public schools, requires the establishment to make their building easily available for disabled persons (Banks, 2016, p 225). -
No Child Left Behind
No Child Left Behind was meant to increase academic success, especially for those of a low income family. Districts adopted strategies to increase rigor, reduce the number of students needing special education services, and improve standardized test scores. Schools who do not meet goals are subject to restructuring their system (Banks, 2016, p.225). Many criticize the impact of the law. Watch Documentary for a view of its effect.
Link text -
I.D.E.A.
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 was revised and renamed to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Under the I.D.E.A., students with disabilities are guaranteed a public education including early interventions and supports through an Individualized Education Plan (Banks, 2016, p. 220-225). It has six main principles described in the attached video. Link text
