Challenging students to question the political and philosophical assumptions underlying the law, Education Law, Policy, and Practice promotes a depth of understanding about the key cases and statutes. The authors integrate the law with policy and practice, following related political, financial, and practical issues. The law is presented through a teachable mix of key cases and materials on the practice and political aspects of school law, and an effective macro organization helps place topics into an integrated framework. Each of the major issues in education law is discussed at length: the boundaries of public and private, church and state, relations; school governance and the tensions between federal power and local control; the rights and responsibilities of students and teachers; and the educational environment and its liabilities. "Practicums" in each section allow students to apply the law to realistic situations.

Thoroughly updated, the revised Third Edition presents:

critical new cases decided by the Supreme Court
- affirmative action
- the role of religion in public schools
- the rights of students to freedom of expression in school and at schools events
- the rights of students to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures
- the substantive and procedural protections of special education legislation
broader treatment of school funding at the state and local level, including state court adequacy and equity litigation
enhanced coverage of the role of race in American education
- a thorough treatment of the long line of Supreme Court cases regarding affirmative action leading up to its latest opinion in Fisher
- a comprehensive treatment of the empirical evidence of the role of race in the "achievement gap" and in school discipline
new sections on standards and accountability, including teacher evaluation and proposed revisions to tenure
increased emphasis on the range of school reform and school choice, e.g. charter schools
coverage of school violence, zero tolerance discipline policies, and "school to prison pipeline"
new sections on technology in schools--internet use policies, texting, and sexting
latest developments in the law and policy regarding bullying
developments in important law and policy governing early childhood education
refined practical exercises
sharpened comparative law notes