Explores tests for determining teachers' free-speech rights established in two Supreme Court decisions: "Pickering" and "Connick." Analysis includes discussion of confusion between teacher's status as a citizen and that of an employee. Concludes that courts should use the balancing principle in "Pickering" to…

Guided by First Amendment principles, Americans must agree on a shared civic framework within which to negotiate our deepest differences. A painful first step is acknowledging public education's failure to find a constitutionally permissable, educationally sound role for religion in the schools. This situation has helped convince religious…

Describes the First Amendment Schools project aimed at teaching K-12 public and independent school students their constitutionally protected religious, speech, press, assembly, and petition rights and responsibilities. Includes examples describing the project in several schools. Includes annotated list of resources for educators. (PKP)

Winter 2007 marked an episode of high anxiety in the library science profession, when the latest Newbery winner, "The Higher Power of Lucky," triggered discussion about words and their suitability for young readers. It seems that the entire world now knows that the word "scrotum" appears on the first page of the book. School…

According to this document, citizens need to reaffirm their commitment to the guiding principles of the religious liberty clauses of the First Amendment to the Constitution. The rights and the responsibilities of the religious liberty clauses provide the civic framework within which individuals are able to debate differences, to understand one…

Discusses the plight of high school journalism advisers who are involved in court litigation concerning censorship problems. (RB)

Reviews recent Federal and Supreme Court decisions and pending cases on freedom of the press and influences of the First Amendment on high school journalism. (RB)

Reviews the implications of the Supreme Court decision in "Bethel School District No. 403 v. Fraser." Schools must still comply with First Amendment and may not restrict student speech without valid reason. The maintenance of school order and the protection of rights of others are valid reasons. Speech is not immunized by the…

When threatened with censorship, educators can call upon the National Coalition against Censorship (NCAC), a nonpartisan, nonprofit corporation uniting a broad range of professional, educational, artistic, labor, civil rights, and religious groups in their common conviction that freedom of thought, inquiry, and expression must be defended. NCAC…

Reviews pertinent court cases in a discussion of how much freedom teachers have to decide how they will teach their students. Includes cases in which teacher authority was upheld and others in which it was denied. (Author/WD)

Provides arguments and evidence that the student press, legally, has the right to operate freely, with only the same restrictions that apply to the professional media. (HOD)

Recommends that schools consider adopting publication guidelines to help students exercise tact and restraint with regard to their First Amendment rights. Suggests that guidelines can channel enthusiasm and help clarify the limits of expression in a way that will not stifle ideas or cripple thought. (MS)

Describes state open-records laws and school district policies and procedures for responding to citizen requests for public records information. Includes information about requirement in recently enacted No Child Left Behind Act for districts to provide the military with access to student directory information. (PKP)

Discusses recent Third Circuit Court of Appeals decision in Pennsylvania case supporting claim that State College Area School District's anti-harassment policy violated two students' First Amendment right of free expression because it was overbroad. Draws lessons for public school officials. (PKP)

This sixth chapter in a book on school law provides a general overview of the religion clauses of the First Amendment and reviews the cases in which the issue of evolution versus creationism has been decided from the Scopes trial to the present. Rulings related to the Establishment Clause of the Constitution are discussed and the "three-part…