ClassInfo

Should schools be prohibited from teaching critical race theory? Should transgender women be excluded from high school sports? Can schools police what students say online? This course explores these questions and the combined roles of law and policy in the design of America's system of public preK-12 education and its institutions. In 2021, we will focus extra attention on issues of equity, diversity and inclusion. We also will discuss the process of education law and policy change, including school integration, the inclusion of students with disabilities, educational standards, testing, and current calls for education reform. As we recover from the pandemic, I hope we will also be able to identify lessons learned from school lockdowns and remote learning. Materials from other cultures, including indigenous cultures, and countries will help us think about education law and policy in a broader context. Course readings will include judicial decisions, statutes, policy analyses, scholarly articles, and journalistic accounts of education and human development issues. Classes will consist of active student discussion of legal and policy design issues, presentations by guest speakers who are active practitioners and advocates in education law and policy and presentation of group research projects.

Steve Kelley served in the Minnesota Legislature for 14 years, chaired the Minnesota Senate Education Committee and served recently as Minnesota's Commerce Commissioner. He also serves on the boards of education non-profit organizations.