The recent spike in book challenges has put school libraries at the center of heated political debates. I investigate the relationship between local politics and school library collections using data on books with controversial content from a sample of 6,631 public school libraries. Libraries in conservative areas have fewer titles with LGBTQ,…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "Combatting Classroom Censorship." Contents include: (1) A Wolf in Sheep's…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "Fair & Effective Education Policy." Contents include: (1) Community…

In this paper, the authors draw on interview and observational data generated with Black teachers at a public high school in the Black Belt to describe resistance. This work is situated in prior theorizing about pedagogies of resistance (Jaramillo and Carreon, 2014; Patel, 2016; Love, 2019; Givens, 2021) to describe how teachers resisted through…

Success in today's global market requires students to attain numerous 21st-Century skills, including collaborative and communication skills, and knowledge of how to use technology to both locate and create information. The use of instructional blogging in the classroom is one way to help students develop such skills. The Children's Internet…

The use of Internet filters in public classrooms in the USA has been intensely debated, both in terms of its effectiveness and legality. The debate pits concerns to protect students from indecent material against issues of unconstitutional censorship. This paper examines the legal issues addressed in various rulings by the US Supreme Court…

Discusses the extent to which public recreation programs can regulate attire which many people might consider offensive, noting that the U.S. Supreme Court states that school boards have the authority to decide what constitutes appropriate behavior and dress in public schools. One case involving a student who wanted to wear a Marilyn Manson…

The Principal's Legal Handbook contains information and recommendations for practice in four areas. Section 1, "Students and the Law," yields interesting and informative answers on a number of issues related to students and the law: recent issues in schools relative to students' rights; the use of technology; and the latest case law and…

This synthesis of current attitudes on academic freedom as defined by lower court and Supreme Court cases describes the (1) framework in which academic freedom operates, (2) powers and limitations of state legislatures and school officials in defining the curriculum and setting policy, (3) rights and limitations of teachers in making curricular…

The "Hazelwood" decision has moved the argument about student rights of freedom of expression from the courthouse to the statehouse. A growing list of states have considered legislation to restore students' rights, and a number of local school boards are also reaffirming the value of a free student press. (MLF)

A study explored, through a review of the literature, specific problems that scholars have identified regarding free expression in student publications since "Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier" (1988). It then analyzed the six state statutes which were passed to clarify the extent of school administrators' rights to censor student journalism and…

Noting that a deep concern about the suppression of ideas in the public schools of the United States is very much a part of the collective consciousness of the school library profession, the implications of intellectual freedom for school library personnel and for library collection development are explored. The position of the school library in…

Reviews the activities of the New Christian Right (NCR) related to teaching evolution in the public schools. Describes the effects of legislation and court litigation on the NCR's efforts to eliminate secular humanism from textbooks. Provides an NCR definition of secular humanism. (LS)

The American Library Association and the American Association of School Administrators have worked together for many years to address issues surrounding public school censorship and academic freedom. The purpose of this book is to provide educators and citizens alike with information essential to sustaining the free marketplace of ideas in…