Five years after the Virginia Tech massacre prompted a student in Texas to start a Facebook page in favor of the right to carry concealed weapons on college campuses, the resulting group, Students for Concealed Carry, has advanced its cause. In more than a dozen states, legislation has been introduced to allow the carrying of concealed firearms on…

As someone charged with ensuring equality in the school environment, teachers have heard the term "inclusion"--the principle that students with special needs, skill sets, and abilities should be integrated in publicly supported activities to the same extent as their nondisabled peers. However, the word inclusion--in and of itself--does…

The charter school movement has been a major political success, but a civil rights failure. As the country moves steadily toward greater segregation and inequality of education for students of color in schools with lower achievement and graduation rates, the rapid growth of charter schools has expanded a sector that is even more segregated than…

Before the passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act in 1975, only one child with disabilities in five attended a public school, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Many states' policies explicitly excluded children with certain types of disabilities from their traditional schools, including children who were blind,…

This article reports that according to First Focus, a bipartisan advocacy organization for children and families, a predicted two million children will lose their homes over the next two years because of the foreclosure crisis. From an economy deep in recession, an entirely new population of homeless students has emerged. And with job losses at…

As Internet-based communications and interactions by and between students and school staff become more prevalent, an appreciation of school rules for student behavior is important. Students carry electronic devices, sending and receiving communications inside and outside school, so two key questions exist regarding search and seizure of such…

Most people have at least secondhand knowledge about Second Life, a virtual-reality world created by Linden Lab, in which avatars (digital characters) lease "islands" for real-life purposes--to sell products, conduct classes, do research, hold conferences, and even recruit for admissions. About nine million avatars reportedly interact on this…

In this article, the author discusses the quandary encountered by school officials at Poway High School in California in April 2004 when a student wore a T-shirt that reads, "Be ashamed, our school embraced what God has condemned" on the front and "Homosexuality is shameful--Romans 1:27" on the back. The student wore that…

In this article, the author reports that under the No Child Left Behind Act, schools must submit a written statement to the state department of education by October 1 each year saying that they won't prevent students from saying constitutionally allowed prayers. The author also reports on rampant student absences faced by some district schools…

Students, parents, and the general public are interested in what is happening in their schools. The ability to communicate openly and effectively can help generate a positive image that builds a community's confidence in schools. Although open communication can thus be beneficial, much of the information people want is subject to privacy laws:…

There are some school leaders who believe that the military offers just one more option for students to consider. Others, however, think that military recruiters are too aggressive and that the privacy of students should be better protected. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) gives the armed services unprecedented access to potential recruits at…

This paper highlights the misunderstanding between recruiters and enlistees--as well as accusations of outright deception--which are common as an all-volunteer military struggles to keep up with the personnel demands of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. What makes these disputes a school concern is that many young people are being recruited…

This article discusses practical guidance on schools' legal rights and responsibilities with respect to students, programs, and curriculum. Like all other individuals, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students are guaranteed equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution and free speech and association under the…