Friday Snippets - 5/23/08 - Honoring the Legacy of Brown v. Board

The Headliner:

The headliner this week has to be the passing of Zelma Henderson, the last surviving plaintiff in the Topeka case that eventually was consolidated with other cases under the name Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas.
I am not sure the public really gets what these plaintiffs had to go
through in this case with the waiting and the losses in previous
courts, but it was a lot, and these parents in Topeka, Virginia, South
Carolina and Delaware are American heroes and I am glad that as this
case becomes a seminal point in American history that they are being
remembered in the right way. That generation of African Americans put
their foot down in right way and understood that democracies can
change. My greatest hero, and the person I find to be the most
inspiring in American history, is Charles Hamilton Houston ... the man who killed Jim Crow.



In other news:

Louisiana is really in a challenging mood lately. They are still trying to move an anti-evolution bill forward. Also, a New Orleans specific voucher plan is moving forward, although a statewide plan was rejected.

Gov. Schwarzenegger seems a bit lost on the budget situation ... although he still supports the homeschoolers.

Changes to Bible Classes in Tennessee and Georgia. (Hard to see how this is legal).

Also a study finds 16% of science teachers believe in creationism and a quarter of science teachers at least mention creationism and/or intelligent design.

Is there a link between parental home ownership and student performance? This study says no.

Arizona's campus concealed carry bill is dead for this year.

Connecticut appeals its NCLB ruling to the 2nd Circuit.

The Federal Court in Idaho will not force the Idaho Supreme Court to offer a remedy on school finance.

Sort of the hot legislative policy right now is tracking abusive teachers ... and Illinois gets in on the action.

More on West Virginia's Pension System Lawsuit.

Ray Suarez (and friends) discuss the gender gap (video).

NPR on California Teacher Poaching (audio).



Around the Blogosphere:

Mark Walsh has a 7th Circuit search and seizure case and a 7th circuit age discrimination case.

Mike Tully offers some commentary on why prosecutions coming out of the Cyberbullying Mother and Student Suicide incident is a bad idea.

The Adjunct Law Prof Blog has a case permitting a public school teacher to send her kids to private school and that this cannot get in the way of promotion to Assistant Principal.

Charles Fox posts his IEP Planning Checklist (pdf).

Jim Gerl has more on the proposed Special Ed. Regulations.

Title IX blog has some takes on recent sexual harassment law journals.

Pamela Parker has a teacher failing a field sobriety test IN THE CLASSROOM! Yes, Pamela, that would make a great movie scene. Also, test score pressure leading to death threats. Nice job this week Pamela.

Integration Report No. 9.

New education law blog this week: educationlaw by Jen (a writer, lawyer and former state department employee). Here is what it is about. She seems to come at it from more of a journalistic standpoint providing a lot more advice than what most ed. law blogs do. 


Friday Fun: The Burj Dubai

In case you were not aware, the world's tallest structure is now the Burj Dubai ... and it is not even close to finished yet (those things around it at the bottom are large skyscrapers themselves).

Latest Construction Photos from Imre Solt. You can follow the discussion and progress on this skyscraper and the rest of the world's tallest projects (only a few of which are in the U.S.) at Skyscraper City.

I just enjoy looking at this behemoth rise from the desert floor. Thought you might too.

Google Document Link: 

Friday Snippets - 5/23/08