Student Rights

Learn more about conflicts over what rights students have at school
Journalism adviser Peter Riegelman, left, confers with student Ambyr Wagner during an editing session for The Mercury student newspaper at Bellows Free Academy in St. Albans, Vt. A new law in that state grants free-speech and free-press protections to both student journalists and their advisers.
Journalism adviser Peter Riegelman, left, confers with student Ambyr Wagner during an editing session for The Mercury student newspaper at Bellows Free Academy in St. Albans, Vt. A new law in that state grants free-speech and free-press protections to both student journalists and their advisers.
Caleb Kenna for Education Week
Law & Courts Legislative Measures Seek to Protect Student Press
More than a dozen states have been weighing bills to expand free-speech and free-press protections for student journalists and their teacher-advisers.
Madeline Will, June 6, 2017
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7 min read
Federal California Group Offers Advice on Immigrant Students' Rights
The California School Boards Association addresses questions about what public schools can to do "uphold their obligation to serve all students, regardless of immigration status."
Corey Mitchell, February 27, 2017
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1 min read
Yong Kim/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP
Edwin Lopez (No. 1) stands while most of his teammates kneel during the national anthem before Woodrow Wilson High School’s home game against Highland High School in Camden, N.J., last month. Colin Kaepernick’s protest against social injustices has sparked debate on a national level about patriotism and free speech.
Yong Kim/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP
Law & Courts Taking a Stand: How Schools Should Respond to National-Anthem Protests
A First Amendment expert says K-12 officials can't discipline students for acts of protest that don't disrupt school operations.
Evie Blad, October 4, 2016
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5 min read
English Learners An Illustrated Guide to the ABCs of English-Language-Learner Education
Available in English and Spanish, the guide is designed to help parents "ask the right questions and support your child on their journey as an English-learner."
Corey Mitchell, October 3, 2016
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1 min read
Gavin Grimm stands on the front porch of his home in Gloucester, Va., in 2015. The high school student, who was born female but identifies as male, says it's discriminatory to make him use the girls' room or a single-stall unisex restroom at school.
Gavin Grimm stands on the front porch of his home in Gloucester, Va., in 2015. The high school student, who was born female but identifies as male, says it's discriminatory to make him use the girls' room or a single-stall unisex restroom at school.
Steve Helber/AP
Law & Courts Schools Get Clarity on Transgender Student Restroom Access
A federal appeals court ruling that Title IX protects the rights of students to use restrooms that correspond with their gender identity could have far-reaching implications for schools.
Evie Blad, April 22, 2016
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5 min read
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s courtroom chair is draped in black to mark his death. The vacancy has set off a political battle, and left the outcome of several cases in the balance.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s courtroom chair is draped in black to mark his death. The vacancy has set off a political battle, and left the outcome of several cases in the balance.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Law & Courts Scalia's Death Muddies Fate of Education Cases
The unexpected vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court comes with several disputes being closely watched by K-12 educators—including one involving union fees—still pending.
Mark Walsh, February 19, 2016
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10 min read
Thomas Lewis, an 18-year-old transgender student at Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls, S.D., speaks out against legislation that advocacy groups have said would discriminate against transgender people during a news conference last month in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Thomas Lewis, an 18-year-old transgender student at Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls, S.D., speaks out against legislation that advocacy groups have said would discriminate against transgender people during a news conference last month in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Joe Ahlquist/Argus Leader via AP
Law & Courts South Dakota Could Be First State to Restrict School Restrooms Used by Transgender Students
A bill awaiting action from the South Dakota governor would require transgender students to use the restrooms and locker rooms that match with their biological sex at birth.
Evie Blad, February 19, 2016
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6 min read
School Climate & Safety Schools Weigh Access to Students' Social-Media Passwords
State lawmakers and school district officials are again wrestling with questions about schools' authority to access and monitor students' social-media accounts.
Benjamin Herold, February 17, 2015
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5 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
Brent Greenwood for Education Week; image text from Winona Daily Republican, 1863
Student Well-Being & Movement Opinion My High School Mascot Is Offensive
Under fire from officials in her Pennsylvania school district, student newspaper editor Gillian McGoldrick defends her stance against publishing the name of an offensive mascot.
Gillian McGoldrick, February 17, 2015
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5 min read
Education Judge Rejects Administrators' Search of Student's Cellphone
A federal district judge has thrown out the search of a Virginia student's cellphone by school administrators looking for evidence of illegal drugs.
Mark Walsh, September 12, 2014
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3 min read
Alex Caputo-Pearl, the president-elect of United Teachers Los Angeles, speaks with the media before a press conference outside the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Los Angeles on Tuesday after a judge ruled that key job protections for teachers violate the state's constitution. "This decision today is an attack on teachers, which is a socially acceptable way to attack children," said Mr. Caputo-Pearl.
Alex Caputo-Pearl, the president-elect of United Teachers Los Angeles, speaks with the media before a press conference outside the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Los Angeles on Tuesday after a judge ruled that key job protections for teachers violate the state's constitution. "This decision today is an attack on teachers, which is a socially acceptable way to attack children," said Mr. Caputo-Pearl.
Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times/MCT
School & District Management Teacher Protections Violate Student Rights, Calif. Judge Finds
The ruling, which the state's teachers' unions have vowed to appeal, finds that California laws governing teacher tenure and dismissal violate the constitutional rights of students.
Stephen Sawchuk, June 11, 2014
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8 min read
“The landscape of what districts are facing is changing at light speed. We have to come together as educational entities and say to vendors that certain privacy protections are nonnegotiable,” says Lenny Schad, chief technology officer for the Houston Independent School District.
“The landscape of what districts are facing is changing at light speed. We have to come together as educational entities and say to vendors that certain privacy protections are nonnegotiable,” says Lenny Schad, chief technology officer for the Houston Independent School District.
David Z Einsel/Houston Independent School District-File
Law & Courts Google Under Fire for Data-Mining Student Email Messages
The company acknowledges scanning the emails of Apps for Education users and faces allegations in a federal lawsuit that it built "surreptitious user profiles" for advertising purposes.
Benjamin Herold, March 13, 2014
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13 min read
Law & Courts Danger Posed by Student-Data Breaches Prompts Action
Privacy advocates say the increased collection, storage, and sharing of educational data entails real threats to children and families, and some high-profile incidents have led to new legislation, legal action, and formal complaints.
Benjamin Herold, January 22, 2014
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7 min read
Privacy & Security InBloom Sputters Amid Concerns About Privacy of Student Data
The education nonprofit, which burst onto the scene a year ago backed by $100 million in grants, is struggling to convince states and districts to use its cloud-based, data-organization program.
Ben Kamisar, January 7, 2014
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8 min read
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