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First Public School Opening
Charles Michel L’Epeé was the founder of the first public school that opened in 1760. Charles was concerned for those with a disability that they would be taught differently from other children who didn't have a disability. The school was then renamed “Institution Nationale des Jeunes Aveugles” in 1784 and still stands today. -
Brown v. Board of Education
The case of Brown v. Board of Education established that racial segregation in schools was illegal. Racial segregation of students in public schools was argued to violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, according to the argument that "separate is not equal." It ended officially sanctioned racial segregation in American schools by overturning the "separate but equal."(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRYK4RWyUAo) -
P.A.R.C. v. Pennsylvania
A lawsuit was filed to overturn a Pennsylvania state legislation that allowed public schools to deny services to children who were not 5 years old by first grade. It was then settled early 1972. The case was the first right-to-education lawsuit in the country and laid the foundation for all disabled children to have the right to an education. (https://disabilityjustice.org/right-to-education/) -
Mills v. Board of Education
Mills amplified the impact of the P.A.R.C. case. The Mills class action case was brought in 1972 by seven school-age children who had been denied attendance in a public educational program for prolonged periods of time because of alleged deficiencies. The plaintiffs sought an injunction, claiming that their fundamental right to due process had been infringed. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1975 to ensure that children with disabilities have access to education. Children ages 3 to 19 by 1978 and 3 to 21 by 1980 were covered by the law, which concentrated on assessing each child's needs in order to provide a personalized education program. Parents were involved in the decision-making process.(https://www.gao.gov/assets/113316.pdf) -
(IDEA) Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
A law that ensures eligible children with disabilities get a free appropriate public education and special education and related support across the country. Families and handicapped babies and toddlers from birth to age two are eligible for early intervention programs under IDEA. Children and teens ages 3 to 21 are eligible for special education and related services under IDEA.
(https://sites.ed.gov/idea/about-idea/) -
Board of Education v. Rowley
This law was known for being a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). The court ruled P.L. 94-142 that requires all states to provide sufficient support for students who have a disability to benefit public education. Rowley was a deaf 5th grade student that used hearing aids to be able to hear the teachers instruction throughout the class time.
(Teaching Students Who are Exceptional, Diverse, and At Risk in the General Educational Classroom) pg. 5