To assist school personnel in understanding current application of the law, provide an awareness of rights and responsibilities, motivate educators to translate basic concepts into actual practice, and generate an interest in further study of the law, this text is presented. Legal issues involving the rights of students and teachers in daily school operations are examined in 14 chapters: (1) "The Legal Foundation of Public Education" (examining the state and federal role in educational law); (2) "Church-State Relations"; (3) "School Attendance and Instructional Issues"; (4) "Students' Rights in Noninstructional Matters"; (5) "Student Classification Practices"; (6) "Student Discipline"; (7) "Terms and Conditions of Employment"; (8) "Teachers' Substantive Constitutional Rights"; (9) "Discrimination and Employment"; (10) "Termination of Employment"; (11) "Collective Bargaining"; (12) "Tort Liability"; (13) "School Desegregation"; and (14) "Conclusion: Summary of Legal Generalizations." Each chapter includes a conclusion and explanatory notes to aid in further research. A glossary of basic terms and a table of cases are provided. (WTH)