Based on a recent Supreme Court decision which allows schools to censor school-sponsored newspapers, this article offers guidelines to avoid legal challenges in this area. Questions raised by the decision regarding the extent to which school authorities may censor student newspapers and the amount of judicial interference in curriculum matters are…

Discusses an unsuccessful lawsuit brought by Margaret Boring, an acclaimed high school drama teacher in Buncombe County, North Carolina. She was transferred to a middle school for allegedly violating the school's "controversial materials" policy after students performed an expurgated version of Lee Blessing's "Independence."…

An analysis of policy documents from six national organizations that promote intellectual and academic freedom for teachers and students supports the need for school systems to develop and articulate guidelines for addressing challenges to instructional methods and materials used in the schools. Recommended actions are discussed. (SM)

Discusses censorship in public schools, noting how parents can help protect academic freedom. School districts must develop a policy for selection of instructional materials, and parents must be meaningfully involved in the selection. The public school's role in assuring a balanced curriculum with a free exchange of ideas is examined. (SM)

Both freedom of speech and freedom from discrimination are generally accepted expressions of public policy. The application of these policies, however, leads to conflicts that pose both practical and conceptual problems. This paper presents a review of court litigation and addresses the question of how to reconcile the conflicting societal goals…

The freedom of teaching around 1935 is compared to academic freedom today. Unfortunately, today there remain serious restrictions on the freedom to teach and learn social studies. (RM)

Describes how a last issue of the school newspaper carrying senior class wills offended some faculty members and how the issue of censorship was raised and dealt with. (CRH)

Argues that parents and special interest groups should not be allowed to ban books from school libraries. States that an uncensored school library contributes to freedom of speech, freedom of thought, freedom to understand other cultures, and freedom to examine controversial issues. Notes that these freedoms contribute to helping children become…

School board members from 50 states have in common the United States Constitution and the legal principles announced by the federal courts in response to that Constitution. New board members are usually concerned with the rights of teachers, parents, and students. Starting with student rights, student conduct that involves freedom of expression…

A 6-8 day secondary level social studies unit explores censorship in education through a variety of activities. Students participate in a preassessment poll measuring their opinions on academic freedom, answer a questionnaire entitled "What do you think?" concerning local school board and community powers, rank a list of possible teacher…

Focuses on the problem of censorship in the public high schools, examining the legal aspects of censorship in that setting. (NKA)