Freedom of expression is imperiled on today's college campuses. Citizens and educators alike are concerned about the number of shout-downs and disinvitations and their silencing effect on intellectual diversity. The use of speech codes, "safe spaces," new rules demanding "trigger warnings," and condemning…

Teacher use of social networking sites such as Facebook has presented some ethical dilemmas for policy makers. In this article, we argue that schools are justified in taking action against teachers when evidence emerges from social networking sites that teachers are (a) doing something that is illegal, (b) doing something that reflects badly on…

In the 2009 "Abbott v. Burke XX" decision, the New Jersey Supreme Court approved the SFRA formula as a replacement for the previously Court-ordered "parity" and "supplemental funding" remedies for the longstanding violation of the constitutional right to a thorough and efficient education of students in 31 urban, or…

One central controversy with youth sexting is that adolescents may be prosecuted under child pornography and obscenity statutes that were originally created to protect children from sexual exploitation perpetrated by adults and do not adequately address consensual teen behavior. Due to this concern, many states have implemented laws specifically…

Raising academic standards and eliminating achievement gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged students are America's prime national educational goals. Current federal and state policies, however, largely ignore the fact that the childhood poverty rate in the United States is 21%, the highest in the industrialized world, and that poverty…

School finance reformers may be riding a carousel with no destination in mind. Finance reform most often results in judicial rescue and legislative restraint. Certain states with invalidated school systems have remained in litigation for decades. Litigation and legislation alone cannot establish an inequitable, adequate public education system.…

The Internet has had a profound effect on education and social interaction patterns. Educators struggle to stay abreast of technological advances and navigate the maze of positive and negative aspects of students using the Internet. A new use for the Internet is the relatively recent phenomenon called blogging. Blogging is a widely used means of…

Developments in court interpretation are outlined to illustrate the argument that more, and more qualified, interpreters are need to assist in both the federal and state courts. This discussion focuses principally on the criminal justice system, and includes federal statutory developments, especially concerning the implementation and impact of the…

State litigation involving unconstitutional school financing systems are described in this document, which focuses on efforts in Texas to reform the financing of public education. Since its school finance system was declared unconstitutional in 1987, two subsequent proposals have been struck down by the Texas Supreme Court for the following…

This paper discusses the role of the courts in public policy formation, with particular attention to the impact of the New Jersey Supreme Court's decision in Robinson v. Cahill. The author explores the implications of judicial involvement in policy controversies by examining the responses of the New Jersey legislature and Department of Education…

This article outlines the significant legal decisions regarding collective bargaining in Catholic schools, identifies the governance structures employed in Catholic schools and the methods of translating these governance structures into documents required by civil law, and concludes with the citation of two recent court decisions that demonstrate…

Examines the New Jersey Supreme Court school finance decisions as examples of a state court using its state constitution to spur significant social reform. Describes the political activity and cooperation among the three branches of state government in securing the New Jersey education reform initiative. (113 references) (MLF)

The case, "New Jersey v. Shelton College," is analyzed using the briefs of both parties, the judicial opinions, and the relevant literature. The case is a classic church-state confrontation likely to reach the U.S. Supreme Court. The college is an instructional offshoot of the fundamentalist Bible Presbyterian Church. In 1971, after a…

Designed for middle school through high school students, this unit contains eight lesson plans that focus on New Jersey state law. The state lessons correspond to lessons in the volume, "Antidote: Civic Responsibility. Drug Avoidance Lessons for Middle School & High School Students." Developed to be presented by educators, law…