The First Amendment in Schools

What are the First Amendment rights? How do you resolve questions about the rights of students, educators, and parents in a school setting?

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects the most basic and cherished rights of society—religion, speech, press, petition, and assembly. Anyone who wants to know more about those freedoms in the context of schools will find The First Amendment in Schools a rich resource for study and application. The book includes

* An explanation of the origins of the First Amendment

* A concise, chronological history of 50 legal cases, including many landmark decisions, involving the First Amendment in public schools

* Answers to frequently asked questions about the practice of the First Amendment in schools, covering specific issues of religious liberty, free speech, and press as they affect school prayer, use of school facilities, dress and speech codes, student press, book selection, and curriculum

* General information on First Amendment expression and practice in schools

* Information on more than 60 educational and advocacy programs and organizations for First Amendment resources

* A profile of First Amendment Schools

This book provides a civic and legal framework for giving all members of the school community—students, parents, teachers, administrators, and community members—a real voice in shaping the life of the school.

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Charles C. Haynes is director of the Religious Freedom Center of the Newseum Institute in Washington, D.C. He writes and speaks extensively on religious liberty and religion in American public life.