Seminar - 3 hours. This course will examine the complex relationship between K-12 education policy and the law, with a focus on the use of litigation to advance educational outcomes for disadvantaged children. We will begin with a brief overview and discussion of the problems facing American K-12 students, concentrating on the inequitable educational opportunities afforded to low-income children and children of color. We will then explore several policy interventions that advocates have advanced before legislative bodies and in the courts. Among the topics we will investigate at length are (1) integration, (2) school finance litigation, (3) teacher quality reform, (4) the standards & accountability movement, and (5) school choice. The course will also touch on legal issues in the fields of (6) special education, (7) education of immigrant children, and (8) students’ rights under Title IX, the First Amendment, and the Fourth Amendment.
Classroom Policies: This course has a no-laptop policy.
Final Assessment: Paper
Graduation Requirements: May meet Advanced Writing Requirement with the instructor's permission.