Taught By:
Beth Godett
Adjunct Professor of Education Law and Policy
Boston College
Read profile here.
Course Description:
This course addresses the public policy and legal aspects of the role of public and private elementary, secondary and higher education institutions in our democratic society. As a result of participation in the course, you will develop a basic understanding of public policy issues and the laws governing the provision of public and private elementary, secondary, and higher education. The course also addresses professional ethics in education. Included in the course are such topics as the structure of the U.S. system of laws and the nature of legal analysis; constitutional issues of religious freedom, free speech, and due process; the responsibilities and liability of educational institutions and educators; the legal distinctions between private and public institutions; student and parent privacy rights and responsibilities; laws affecting persons with disabilities; and the promotion of educational equity among all groups regardless of gender, sexual orientation, language, race, religion, ethnicity, or socioeconomic background.
