Teaching, Bearing the Torch 2/e   Pamela J. Farris
	For the Student

The world of education today is becoming increasingly litigious. Teacher associations, special interest groups, and students with special needs all bring an element of legal awareness into our schools. Educators must always keep in mind their legal responsiblilities and liabilities as well as those of their schools and school districts. Along with responsiblitlies, educators have legal rights, as do their students.

Ethically, teachers and administrators must constantly reflect upon the decisions they make and the examples they set for their students and colleagues. Students, too, must deal with ethical problems of cheating, decision-making, and confronting issues. Chapter 7 guides you through legal and ethical issues in education such as:

• Separation of church and state
• Creationism vs. evolution
• Teaching contracts
• Teacher tenure
• The right of teachers and students to due process
• Teachers as role models
• Ethics education programs in schools

OBJECTIVES

After reading Chapter 7, you should be able to:

• Identify and explain major issues regarding the separation of church and state.
• Explain the child benefit theory.
• Describe the ramifications of Scopes v. State of Tennessee.
• Identify and explain the implications of major legal issues for teachers.
• Identify and explain the implications of major legal issues for students.
• Identify and describe major ethical issues in education.

Quiz Questions for Chapter 7

Quiz Help! Check here for related page references and feedback.

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

1. Visit the website of the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) to find their views on teachers' rights and responsibilities.

2. Research the new Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) on the web to determine current issues and changes in laws regarding the education of students with disabilities.

3. Visit the website of the U.S. Department of Education (http://www.ed.gov/index.html) to learn about landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases related to education.

4. Look up search and seizure on the web to find current articles regarding students' rights in this area.

5. Compare and contrast the views of creationists and evolutionists by visiting their websites. (see Other Sites to Explore)

OTHER SITES TO EXPLORE

http://emporium.turnpike.net/C/cs/index.htm
Creation Science
This site, created by a group of well-educated supporters of creationism, provides many resources related to the study of origins and science from a creationist perspective.
Textbook links: see page 163.

http://www.ethicsusa.com
Bureau of Essential Ethics Education
Ethics Education For Schools, published by the Bureau of Essential Ethics Education provides lists of resources as well as strategies and solutions regarding how to implement the teaching of ethics in the classroom.
Textbook links: see pages 185-199.

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/7862/
The New Teacher Page
The New Teacher Page is a resource site for Education students, student teachers, first-year teachers, teacher certification candidates, and those considering a career in teaching.
Textbook links: see pages 164-169.

http://www.csun.edu/~hbchm009/confucius.html
The Philosopher Confucius
This site provides papers on Confucius, images of temples dedicated to Confucius, and other web links.
Textbook links: see pages 186-187.

http://www.louisville.edu/~tnpete01/church/index.htm
Separation of Church and State
The College of Education at the University of Louisville maintains this site, offering insight into the issues regarding the separation of church and state.
Textbook links: see pages 160-163.

http://www.edweek.org/ew/vol-17/01cooper.h17
Tenure and Teaching Portfolios
This article in Education Week on the Web discusses current issues in teacher tenure.
Textbook links: see pages 168-169.

http://golgi.harvard.edu/biopages/evolution.html
The World Wide Web Virtual Library: Evolution
The WWW Virtual Library's department of Biosciences provides a site dedicated to the science of evolution.
Textbook links: see page 163.

OTHER RESOURCES

Gallagher, J.J. 1995. Education of gifted students: A civil rights issue? Phi Delta Kappan 76 (5): 408-10.

Gursky, D. 1992. Spare the child? Teacher Magazine (7): 17-19.

Nash, R.J. 1997. Real world ethics: Frameworks for educators and human service professionals. New York: Teachers College Press.

Robbins, J. 1990. Public schools as public forums. Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa.

Underwood, J.K. 1997. Four implications of IDEA's reauthorization. The School Administrator 54 (10): 24-27.

Zirkel, P.A. 1995. A doomed prayer for relief. Phi Delta Kappan 76 (6): 496-97.

Zirkel, P.A. 1994. Student dress codes. Phi Delta Kappan 75 (7): 570-71.