Political dissent has played an important role in giving U.S. citizens a voice and promoting justice for all. But too often, Sarah Stitzlein argues, dissent is underappreciated, especially in schools. Stitzlein discusses the obstacles to teaching dissent, particularly political movements seeking to suppress curricula and ideas that are considered…

Although, at one time, many observers believed that the courts and the schools should have little to do with each other, Justin Driver argues that the public school has, in recent decades, served as the single most significant site of constitutional interpretation in the nation's history. He traces four reasons for this growing intersection…

Why should we respect the rights of parents to control the education of their children? The author probes this question through a thorough philosophical examination of the nature of the parent-child relationship. The labor of parenting, which is performed for the sake of the intimate relationships, the author says, creates a specific right: the…

Reports on an interview with John Tinker of the "Tinker" case, which set the precedent for freedom of speech for students. (IRT)

Discusses case of peer-to-peer harassment of a homosexual high school student in Nevada involving "Tinker" First Amendment expression issues and Title IX peer-harassment case law. Prior to trial, school district agreed to a substantial monetary settlement, but did not admit to First Amendment or Title IX violations. (Contains 13…

In considering the suspension of three Des Moines students for wearing armbands to protest the Vietnamese War, the U.S. Supreme Court held that public school officials' prohibition of student expression violates the First Amendment. This article reviews this landmark case, employing interviews with the plaintiffs' and district's lead counsels.…