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Challenging students to question the shifting political and philosophical assumptions underlying the law, Education Law, Policy, and Practice promotes a depth of understanding about evolving cases, statutes, and regulations. 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 education; church and state relations; school governance and the tensions between federal power and local control; the emerging limits on race-conscious educational programs; the rights and responsibilities of students and teachers; school discipline; special education; and the educational environment and its liabilities. “Practicums” in each section allow students to apply the law to realistic situations, and ongoing formative assessments test the students’ knowledge and provide valuable feedback. 

New to the Sixth Edition: 

• Key new Supreme Court case law, executive orders, and regulations, with corresponding notes, questions, and practical exercises, including: 
  • Notes on Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond (2025), Carson v. Makin (2022), and Justice Breyer’s concept of our schools as nurseries of democracy 
  • Extended treatments of Mahmoud, et al. v. Taylor, et al. (2025) (parents may opt their children out of an LGBTQ+ curriculum that conflicts with religious beliefs); Kennedy v. Bremerton (2022) (protection of private religious observance for public employees); and Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College (2023) (race-based admissions in higher education ruled unconstitutional) 
• New and expanded discussions on: 
  • Title IX under the Trump Administration 
  • The first amendment in higher education 
• Heavily compacted, with coverage realigned to the most salient contemporary issues in law and policy

Professors and students will benefit from: 

• Lucid and efficient presentations of key cases, statutes, and regulations 
• Opportunities for reflection on the values underlying education law and the choices made at key junctures in education law’s evolution 
• Ongoing practical exercises and formative assessments 
• Integration throughout of law, policy, and practice 
• The inclusion of key constitutional provisions, statutes, and regulations within the text