This paper presents the Committee on Education and the Workforce's hearing examining the adverse impact extensive federal regulations and reporting requirements have on teachers, administrators and students in elementary and secondary schools. Too many schools and school districts are overwhelmed by unnecessary paperwork requirements. Currently,…

President Obama and congressional leaders have vowed to take action this year on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), most recently reauthorized and rebranded as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. While most observers remain skeptical that everyone will actually see a signing ceremony in 2011, it does appear likely that at least…

This paper presents the "Report to the Legislature: Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Strategic Plan". This was a year of transition in public education. After former commissioner David Driscoll retired in August 2007, Deputy Commissioner Jeffrey Nellhaus filled in as acting commissioner for nearly nine months until newly…

Analyzes decisions of the California appellate courts and of the United States Supreme Court, made from 1858 to 1980, concerning education (with respect to educational policymaking). Suggests the New Federalism may cause major changes in the role of the courts in education. (MD)

An attorney specializing in school law reviews the Supreme Court Justice nomination process as it related to the nomination of Judge Robert Bork. (MD)

This publication by the U.S. Department of Education is an unofficial version of the Department's General Administrative Regulations. The volume incorporates final regulations that the Department published too late to appear in the official July 1, 1998, version of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations issued by the Office of the Federal…

Seeks to chart a course through the contested area of gender and sexual orientation in hopes of establishing a theoretical framework and an agenda for much needed future research. Draws from two research traditions, particularly in the areas of history and law: neo-Marxist theory generally and Queer Legal Theory specifically. (Contains 161…

Superintendents face a no-win proposition when confronting attempted school board takeovers by religious-fundamentalist candidates. Public political disagreement may be a legitimate ground for a superintendent's dismissal. The safest course is to work quietly behind the scenes and encourage others to question candidates' qualifications and…

This text consists of numerous statutes selected by the Illinois Association of School Boards' staff for their relevance to public school governance and administration. The publication covers legislation enacted as of January 1, 1998, and includes a myriad of education-related topics. The bulk of the text focuses on schools themselves, featuring…

To help stakeholders stay abreast of educational legislation, information which directly affects pre-K through 12 education is presented. The information is in the form of raw data and addresses the following topics: accountability, accreditation, administration, alternative education, assessment/testing, at-risk youth, attendance, bilingual…

Focusing on Jefferson's and Madison's writings, demonstrates that the popular education/liberal republican democracy linkage constitutionalized by founders was real and correct. Conservative Congressional Republicans who tout their Jeffersonian and Madisonian political underpinnings should reconsider before undermining the federal role in U.S.…

"Mock v. Kansas" (1991) determined that the state legislature is obligated to fund its schools so that each child receives an equal educational opportunity. Two major sources of funding variations (the local option budget and higher weightings for rural students) represent unjustified disparities based on politics (and spending) as…

Discusses the confusion on issues of teacher roles and collective bargaining resulting from the court case, "National Labor Relations Board v. Yeshiva University." Presents the possible implications from the perspective of teachers as well as administration. Outlines the "Toledo Plan," an Ohio program where a teacher governance…

Senate Bill 813, the broadest and most expensive school reform bill in California's history, is anchored in a set of seriously flawed assumptions about teaching, schooling, and the role of the state in generating change. (Author/DCS)

Summarizes background and aftermath of 1993 and 1997 New Hampshire Supreme Court unconstitutionality rulings against the state education finance system. Highlights "Claremont II," discussing initial responses, the Rubens constitutional amendment, the governor's ABC Plan, the bipartisan constitutional amendment, the 1998 governor race,…