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Engel v. Vitale
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional for state officials to compose an official school prayer and to encourage its use in any public schools. This is important to multicultural education, because it was made clear that public schools should not be pushing a specific religion upon students. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. This act prohibited racial discrimination in schools. -
The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965
President Lyndon Johnson signed this act, which removed national and racial barriers against non-northern Europeans. This act resulted in unprecedented numbers of Asian and Latin American peoples immigrating to the United States. This created a much more diverse climate in U.S. schools. -
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
This law prohibits the discrimination of any person in the United States based upon sex in all aspects of education in which the program or activity receives federal financial assistance. This was incredibly important in diversifying high school and college sports. -
Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974
This federal law prohibits discrimination against faculty, staff, and students -- including racial segregation -- and requires school districts to take action to overcome barriers to students' equal participation. This law aimed to help ELL students as well as nonwhite students get the help that they needed in public schools. -
The United States Refugee Act of 1980
This act raised the limitation from 17,400 to 50,000 refugees admitted each fiscal year, as well as established explicit procedures on how to effectively deal with refugees in the U.S. This resulted in the immigration of millions of children to the United States, all bringing their unique languages, customs, cultures, and needs to the classroom. -
Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993
This act mandated a common curriculum and statewide standardized testing in public schools. The act is important because the rest of the nation quickly followed suit, adapting these requirements as their own. This arguably has had a negative impact on multicultural education, as it has been proven to be impossible to remove cultural bias from standardized tests. This could (and does) put many students at a disadvantage. As we know, standardized tests are still in use today. -
The Improving America's Schools Act
This act was signed into law by President Bill Clinton. It reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (which aimed to shorten the achievement gaps between students by providing each child with fair and equal opportunities to achieve an exceptional education), and it also increased funding for ELL and immigrant students. This act created provisions for public charter schools, for the prevention of drop-outs, and for educational technology. -
No Child Left Behind Act
This act -- just like the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994 -- reauthorized the ESEA (it must be reauthorized every five years). However, No Child Left Behind, signed by President George W. Bush, was extremely controversial as it expanded the federal role in public education through further emphasis on annual testing and annual academic progress, as well as made significant changes in funding. Again, standardized testing can be harmful to ELL students and nonwhite, lower-class students. -
A Television Personality is Elected President
Trump's election may have been the catalyst for major issues that we are seeing in classrooms already, particularly with the bullying of nonwhite/ELL students. These issues are furthered by the new Secretary of Education, who does not seem to care very much about students who are nonwhite, non-Christian, and/or lower-class. It is up to educators themselves to continue teaching inclusiveness and empathy in the classroom, as it seems that our government won't be helping with that anytime soon.
