樱桃视频

Is it legal for a teacher to spank your child? Can you make sure Creationism isn鈥檛 taught? Do students, regardless of their immigration or citizenship status, have the right to a free public school education?

Finding answers to these and other loaded questions about your rights and your children鈥檚 rights in U.S. public schools isn鈥檛 obvious. Should you start by looking to the federal government? Not so fast. Our founding fathers didn鈥檛 claim federal authority over public education. In 1791, they passed off the responsibility of teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic (and discipline!) to the 14 states, as written in the . Yes, there鈥檚 a in D.C., but as it freely admits on its website, 鈥淓ducation is primarily a state and local responsibility.鈥�

To learn your rights as a public school parent, think local. Start by checking the standards of your state鈥檚 Department of Education, from Alabama to Wyoming. Then, turn to your school district and child鈥檚 school for answers. You can find information on your school and district by looking both up at 樱桃视频.org.)

This said, in the centuries that have followed since the Constitution was written, the Supreme Court has added substantial constitutional rights for parents and children. Congress overcame its initial hesitations to pass sweeping education reforms like the , the , the , and .

Here are 15 of your unalienable rights in the U.S. public school system.

1. The right to a free education

   Every child is entitled to a free public school education in the U.S. However, there may be certain additional expenses that parents still have to pay. You will need to investigate state, district, and school policies to find out what these are. For example, lists which services are free and which ones are not. Most schools, for example, can demand payment for overdue library books, school lunches (unless a student qualifies for a free lunch), and participation in some student groups. If your child鈥檚 school insists on payment for an item or service that you believe should be free, you can ask the principal for the cost to be waived. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) claims it is legal to ask students and parents to pay for activities. But the ACLU believes that payment is voluntary, and says that it is illegal to refuse participation in sports, clubs, or activities to students who do not pay.

2. All children, regardless of immigration status, have a right to a free education

   In 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that . This means that your and your child鈥檚 immigration status is irrelevant and not the school鈥檚 business. Your child has the legal right to receive an education without fear of deportation or discrimination. You don鈥檛 have to present a green card, visa, passport, alien registration number, social security number, or any other proof of citizenship or immigration status to get your child enrolled. It is unlawful for the school to ask for proof of citizenship, and if they ask you don鈥檛 have to answer. If you鈥檙e consistently hassled, it鈥檚 a violation of federal law. For assistance, you can contact school district officials, an attorney, the Office of Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education (800-421-3481), or .

3. The right to be free from discrimination

   The U.S. Constitution guarantees equal treatment to everybody, including public school students. You have the right to demand the education you believe your child needs. (For support, you can contact the .) If you think your child is unfairly on a 鈥渟low track鈥� and is being excluded from college preparatory classes due to racial or class stereotypes, you can challenge this placement. If your daughter isn鈥檛 allowed into classes like woodshop or auto shop because of her gender, that鈥檚 illegal. If she鈥檚 prevented from attending classes, graduation, or other activities because she鈥檚 pregnant, that violates her Constitutional rights. .

   If your student is gay, they . (This is, admittedly, a battle in many areas.) If they have a disability, like deafness, they have the right to have this accommodated with a sign language interpreter or another form of assistance. If you have a transgender child, the issue gets more complicated with recent state-based movements and U.S. Department of Education developments, which state, 鈥淭hey might have the right to use a bathroom that corresponds to their gender identity, depending on their state or municipality.鈥� The .

4. Right to learn English and get translation services in school

   In 1974, the that the public education system must provide English language instruction because failure to do this keeps children from fully participating in school, and violates the . If you or your children aren鈥檛 fluent in English because your native tongue is Spanish, Cantonese, Arabic, Cherokee, or one of the other , you have the right to ask for an interpreter and the right to have lessons and homework assignments translated into a language your child understands. In the U.S., . States with the highest non-English speaking percentages are . All schools are required to offer English as a second language and bilingual programs to assist immigrant children.

5. Right to be safe in school

   Many state laws require schools to and to provide a safe and supportive learning environment, with a your school鈥檚 principal has designed. Civil rights laws are in place to . Teachers and fellow students cannot harass your children about their race, national origin, color, sex, disability, ethnicity, or religion. If your child is victimized, you can notify the and the . If a student makes the school an unsafe environment by carrying a weapon or explosive, starting fights, robbing students, selling drugs, or sexually assaulting classmates, you have the right to ask for the suspension or expulsion of the student.

   However, safety from physically abusive teachers isn鈥檛 guaranteed. Remarkably, corporal punishment is allowed in 19 states despite the .Corporal punishment generally refers to 鈥減addling.鈥� to choke, punch, slam children against a wall, or prevent students from going to the restroom. (樱桃视频.org also offers advice if your child is berated and humiliated by a bullying teacher.)

6. Right to freedom of speech and religion

   The U.S. public school system is secular (non-religious) and state laws have traditionally barred public funding for religious schools. However, in 2022 the Supreme Court ruled in that when a state funds private schools, it must fund all such schools, whether religious or not. However, of the U.S. Constitution. If it isn鈥檛 distracting to other students, your children have the right to pray when they are at school, the right to take religious books to school, the right to wear clothes signifying their religious beliefs (including a hijab, yarmulke, bindi, and crucifix), the right to talk about their faith at school, the right to organize a religious club, the right to refer to their religious beliefs in student assignments, and the right to miss school in observance of religious holidays. Conversely, it is illegal for a public school to proselytize or impose religious beliefs on your child or promote one religion as superior to another, or religion in general as superior to secular beliefs. Discussion of world religions must be 鈥渘eutral鈥�. School prayer led by teachers or coaches is illegal and there can be no display of religious doctrines like the ten commandments. If a school promotes or demeans a religion, parents can complain to the school district, the , and the ACLU. 鈥淎 Minute of Silence鈥� is often encouraged, although some states — namely Alabama, Montana, and north Dakota — disregard the First Amendment entirely and . Can a parent ask for the phrase 鈥淚n God We Trust鈥� to be removed from a school classroom? .

7. Right to information and participation

   Parents have the legal right, via the (FERPA, 1974), to inspect their child鈥檚 educational records at the school, to have them explained if necessary, to request updates and corrections, and to have their child鈥檚 education records sent to another school in a timely manner if they . Eight states (Connecticut, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Virginia, Wisconsin) have laws that require schools to notify parents , and 16 other states require schools to develop local policies. The guarantees parent-teacher conferences, reasonable access to staff, opportunities to volunteer and participate and observe their child鈥檚 classroom, the right to ask for qualifications of a child鈥檚 teachers, and many other prerogatives. You can download the here. In many states, like California, , cognitive, and language screenings of children. All parents have the right to participate in parent councils and committees, and the right to join the school鈥檚 parent-teacher association or organization (PTO/ PTA). Parents can also appeal to their school district鈥檚 school board, which has regular meetings where the public can present their questions and complaints. Get tips on how to influence your school board and learn what the school board does, and learn what makes a great school board candidate.

8. Right to learn about evolution, not creationism or intelligent design

   Evolution has been presented as a scientific fact in public schools ever since a , and it鈥檚 included in the . Several religious groups that frown on evolution have strived, and failed, to insert their own beliefs into public schools. In 1987, the Supreme Court banned the teaching of 鈥溾�� because it promoted a religious belief. Likewise, in banned the insertion of 鈥淚ntelligent Design鈥� in science classrooms. If your child鈥檚 school avoids evolution and promotes creationism as scientific truth, you can report this misconduct to the school district, state and federal education officials, and the ACLU. ()

9. The right for your children to opt out of sexual health and HIV/AIDS prevention classes

   Some parents don鈥檛 want school officials teaching sex information to their children. Students can opt out of these presentations if their parents request an exemption in writing or petition the principal. (Note: Parents do not have the right to opt their children out of diversity and tolerance programs.)

10. Right to opt your children out of standardized testing

    claims students take , even though polls indicate the practice is disliked by 67 percent of public school parents. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) .

11. Right to opt your children out of the classroom entirely

    Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states. . The easiest place to homeschool is Alaska, where no contact with the government is required. Texas is also rather lenient in its policy. The most difficult states to homeschool in are New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. You can look up .

12. Right to privacy

    Public schools often ask students to answer non-academic questionnaires that the government uses to gather a variety of personal information. Queries might be on the family鈥檚 religious, ethnic, cultural, and moral practices, or on tobacco, alcohol, drugs, seatbelts, sex, family life, depression, mental health, nutrition, and exercise. If this seems like a nosy invasion of your family鈥檚 privacy, you can opt your child out from participating. It is illegal to penalize the children in any way for refusing to take the surveys. Worth noting: once their child turns 18 years old (and thus is no longer a minor), parents do not have the right to access their child鈥檚 school medical records.

13. Rights of children with special needs and disabilities for special instruction

    Federal law grants all students who qualify for special education an individually designed instruction program at no cost to their parents. Parents have the legal right to have their child鈥檚 educational needs professionally evaluated, determined, and served. The student鈥檚 needs can be accommodated in either a general education classroom with assistance from a resource specialist (full inclusion) or in a smaller class of students who require individualized or small-group instruction. A student鈥檚 and Section 504 guides the school in assisting and accommodating K-12 kids who are challenged with learning, emotional, mental, and physical disabilities. The parent鈥檚 signature is required to approve these plans.

14. The right to get rid of bad teachers

    Removing an awful teacher depends on your state鈥檚 laws and district policies, and requires support, or at least compliance, from the principal, PTO/PTA, district superintendent, and the local teachers union. It is fair to say that trying to sack a teacher who you 鈥� or even a whole group of parents 鈥� deem unfit can be extremely difficult in the public school system, especially given the strong protections in place for tenured teachers by local teachers unions. How strong is the teachers union in your state? . However, firing an unfit teacher is possible. The nonprofit , has fought cases in California and Connecticut for the right to remove ineffective teachers, and additional battles have been fought against and . , but the range is from 2 to 5 years.

15. Rights for student athletes to participate

    Children who play sports in public school have , including the right for girls to participate equally, the right of students with disabilities to be included, the right of transgender students to be on teams, and the right to be safe from sexual assault, harassment, hazing, physical abuse, negligent supervision, and dangerous training, equipment, and playing environments. Perhaps surprisingly, student athletes are also, in many legal cases, guaranteed freedom of expression (to criticize a coach), freedom of assembly (after-game parties), and freedom to post on social media. Laws also require athletes with concussions, or suspected concussions, to be removed from participation until clearance is provided by a health professional.