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Reports on the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold private school vouchers, rejecting the argument raised by the National Education Association (NEA) against the scheme. Rule under the clauses in the constitution of some states about school funding; Reason behind the decision of the NEA to sponsor a state court challenge to Florida's statewide voucher program; Justification for the decision to permit private school vouchers.

Reports on the resignation of second-year teacher Christine Pelton of Piper, Kansas, after the local school board overturned her decision to punish students for cheating on a major class assignment, as of May 2002. Details of the cheating incident; Controversy drawn by the school board's action; Statement issued by Pelton on the matter.

Focuses on the Oklahoma Supreme Court decision on the case Owasso Independent School District versus Kristja J. Falvo, that the common practice of having students grade each other's papers does not violate federal law, released in February 2002. Facts of the case; Stance of the National Education Association on the matter.

Reports that the U.S. Supreme Court will address the issue of whether student drug testing policy for extracurricular activities violates their rights in the Earls versus Board of Education of Tecumseh (Oklahoma) Public School District. Students covered by the policy; Stance taken by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeal on the issue; State courts which have similar student drug testing policies.

Highlights provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act or Elementary and Secondary Education Act that have the potential to affect classrooms across the U.S.. Education Department's rules on school prayer; Statute providing protection on teachers from discipline cases; Options in funding.

Reports that the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether the Cleveland, Ohio school voucher program can be used to pay for private religious schooling. Percentage of students who used the vouchers received for private religious schooling; Arguments advanced by the National Education Association and other pro-public education groups on the case.

Cites update on court rulings of education-related matters in the U.S. as of January 2002. Stance taken by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals on a Virginia law requiring public schools in the state to establish a daily moment of silence; Ohio appellate court ruling on the legality of a school district's use of videotape to catch its employees loafing on the job; Decision of a federal appeals court in Chicago, Illinois on a teacher sued for making seating assignments based on race.

Focuses on the ruling of the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, stating the inclusion of prescription contraceptives for women in the employer's health insurance plan. Comment from Judge Robert Lasnik on the ruling; Features of the `Take Action' booklet from the National Women's Law Center.

Reports that the United States Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether teachers can allow students to grade each other's tests. Issue on the violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

Talks about the experience of Michael Mullins, who was fired in 1999 from the United States Boys Home, for failing to pass two student evaluations. Career background; Grievance complaint filed by the Boys Town Education Association on behalf of Mullins; Decision of Arbitrator Michael Gordon on the case.

Evaluates the rights of nontenured teachers in the United States. Teachers' right to due process; States where nontenured teachers enjoy few or no rights in connection with non-renewal decision; States that have substantial job protections for teachers.

Reports on the decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to uphold a mandatory school uniform policy for public school students. Requirement adopted by Louisiana's Bossier Parish School Board in 1999 regarding the school uniform; Why the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an Ohio school district's ban on wearing Marilyn Manson T-shirts in school; Dress code in the country upheld in Jefferson County, Kentucky.

Examines the rulings made by several United States (U.S.) courts on the use of taxpayer money to fund private schools that include religious indoctrination in their curricula. Details on the legality of education vouchers; Discussion on the funding of public and private schools; Proposal of U.S. President George W. Bush regarding vouchers.

Deals with Web pages in the United States where student ridicule, vilify and even threaten to kill teachers. Features of the `Teacher Sux' Web page created by Justin Swidler to attack his math teacher Kathleen Fulmer and principal Thomas Kartsotis; Actions taken by the Indiana State Teachers Association against a student's Web site that identified teachers as satan worshippers; Rule on punishing student off-campus cyberspeech.

Highlights the ruling of the United States (U.S.) Court of Appeals Tenth Circuit on the practice of peer grading. Arguments of school districts against the ruling of the court; Support of the U.S. Department of Education to the arguments of school districts; Liability of teachers on the use of peer grading. INSET: What Does the Falvo Decision Mean to Me?.

Discusses the impact of the United States (U.S.) Supreme Court rulings on church-state separation, pregame prayer and gay rights on school districts in the U.S. as of September 2000. Ruling on the pregame prayer; Court's decision on the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) versus Dale which upheld the right of the BSA to deny membership to gay youth and leaders; Court rule on the use of public funds for the provision of educational materials to private and sectarian schools. INSET: On the Docket..

Deals with the decision of a federal court in Texas that approved a state requirement that high school students pass the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) in order to graduate. Reasons for upholding the test; Argument of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund; Views on the decision. INSET: Punishing Teachers for Low Student Scores.

Reports that the school shootings in the United States since 1998 have produced lawsuits by the families of the victims. Chances of success of the lawsuits; Claims against video game and motion picture makers in the lawsuits; Reasons behind the lawsuits.

Highlights Supreme Court decisions related to public education in the United States. Board of Regents versus Roth, in 1972; Brown versus Board of Education, in 1954; Engel versus Vitale, in 1962. INSET: `You've come a long way, baby...'.

Focuses on the legal issue regarding affirmative action of school districts in the United States. Argument of non-minority students against affirmative action; Court decision concerning affirmative action in schools; Benefits of racially diverse student bodies. INSET: `Privilege,' SAT Scores, and `Strivers'.

Presents updates on court rulings on the proposed private school vouchers across the United States. Basis for the decision in the `Strout v. Albanese' case; Voucher program upheld by the Wisconsin Supreme Court; Implications of the court rulings.

Reports that the Supreme Court ruled that schools, colleges and universities in the United States can be sued for damages by students who are victims of peer sexual harassment. Type of harassment where a lawsuit for damages will be supported; Complaints about the decision; Basis of the decision.

Discusses one-on-one health care for disabled students. Requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (IDEA); Impact of a court ruling regarding the matter; Arguments of advocates for the disabled.

Reveals the plans of Michael Pfleger, a Chicago, Illinois priest, to convert his Saint Sabina Catholic school into a publicly funded charter school. Information on the Illinois charter school law; How a charter school could help handle school's problems; Concerns of Steven Green of the Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Gives advice to teachers to know about the laws of charter schools in the United States before leaving their public school jobs. Rights of teachers being forfeited in a charter school; Information on the Charter Schools Act; How charter schools could affect tenure rights and due process.

Focuses on state statutes in the United States that help make parents legally responsible for personal injury or damage to property made by their minor children. Details on a case in Minnesota and another in Oregon; Provisions under the Minnesota and Oregon statutes.

Surveys different lawsuits in the United States that attempt to hold school employees and teachers liable for the suicide of students. Ruling of the Michigan Court of Appeals in 1994 concerning the suicide of a student after watching a movie at the school; Other cases which show that school employees are legally liable for the suicide of students; Code of Ethics for the American School Counselors Association.

Reports on the decision of the United States Supreme Court on June 1998 that students who are sexually harassed by teachers can rarely force the school to pay. Comment from Justice Sandra Day O'Connor; Complaint from Justice John Paul Stevens; Arguments of women's rights advocates; Details on the case of Alida Gebser, a high school freshman, against Frank Waldrip, her social studies teacher.

Focuses on court decisions on cases of teachers who use controversial materials in school. Decision of the Eight Circuit Court of Appeals on the firing of Cissy Lacks, member of the National Education Association (NEA) by a suburban school; Ruling of the Colorado Supreme Court on the dismissal of NEA member Al Wilder for showing his high school seniors the movie `1900,' R-rated film of Bernardo Bertolucci; Implication of the decisions on teachers.

Suggests how teachers can challenge students with stimulating and controversial material and still keep the job. How teachers will be less likely to get into trouble.

Focuses on the efforts of the school authorities in California to track down students who are threatening violence. Suspension of student in Cabrillo Unified School District for alleged threat of violence in his essays; Lists of alleged killers in campus shootings who had announced their plans to others. INSET: What about the First Amendment.

Discusses issues on the drug testing policy adopted at the Knox County Board of Education in Tennessee. Court ruling regarding drug testing of minor students; How the Knox County Board of Education defended its policy before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Reports on the ruling of the panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on the case involving National Education Association member Margaret Boring regarding the doctrine of academic freedom. Decision of the court on the case; Arguments of Boring on why she was punished in June 1992; Why the court held that Boring could not challenge the disciplinary action.

Details the implications of the `Paycheck Protection Act,' a Senate bill that requires United States-based National Education Association (NEA) to get written permission from members before collecting or spending any dues money for political activities. Provisions of the bill; Comments from several NEA members; Implication of the proposed `Worker Paycheck Fairness Act,' the House version of the legislation. INSET: In the states.

Focuses on the effects of legal assaults on the affirmative action in student admission policies of colleges in United States. Arguments of affirmative action supporters on the admission policies of colleges; Popular court cases about the issue.

Reports on the case involving Sharon Taxman and Debra Williams, two National Education Association (NEA) members which lead to the debate over voluntary affirmative action. Origin of the case; U.S. Supreme court's decisions regarding the case; Factors that provide a legally sufficient justification for a school's use of affirmative action to maintain faculty diversity.

Discusses legal issues concerning peer assistance and review programs. How can affiliates of the National Education Association (NEA) avoid legal problems regarding the issue; Details on concerns regarding the program. INSET: Duty of fair representation.

Focuses on a court ruling that schools must stop the harassment of gay students or risk being sued for big bucks. Complaints of Jamie Nabozny to the principal of Ashland (Wisconsin) Middle School about harassment from other students; Views of the court about Nabozny's complaints. INSET: Update.

Focuses on Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the federal law that requires public schools to provide a `free appropriate public education' to students with disabilities. Further explanation of the law; Disagreement of the federal appellate courts over what IDEA means. INSET: More on IDEA..

Presents different court cases in the United States with regards to reducing gun violence in schools. Cases of gun violence in schools in the United States; Case concerning the installation of metal detectors in Chicago schools; School officials' assertion regarding dress codes in New Mexico schools; Case of students' suspension in Illinois.

Reports on how the commitment of Margaret Boring and Cissy Lacks, members of the National Education Association (NEA) to freedom of expression in the classroom produced two precedent-setting court cases in United States. Reason why Boring and Cissy sued their old job; Why Boring's case was appealed and important; Factors that school officials should consider before they can punish teachers; Results of the cases of Boring and Cissy.