History of Special Education

Throughout the ages, people with disabilities have been hidden away at homes or institutions and were often not educated. This was common practice and as such, when the education system was designed, children with disabilities were not even considered. Then, starting soon after the civil rights movement in the 50’s, a series of lawsuits was brought against school boards and the federal government took notice. Then the Education for all Handicapped Children Act of 1975 was passed and these children were finally allowed the education they deserved. As time went

When Public Law 94-142 was passed in 1975 it had a positive impact on the education for children with disabilities. Millions of children in the United States were supported by the law. These children had previously been excluded entirely from the education system.

The court case known as the Brown v. the Board of Education is notorious for the fight against educational segregation. The court case fought to show the people that “separate” cannot be “equal”. Things such as “The Doll Test and the Fourteenth Amendment” both reveal the truths about how exactly “seperate” cannot be “equal”.

The case of Brown v. Board of Education (1954), found that education was an important function. The courts viewed education as playing an important role in the future of the United States and since states chose to provide it, education then is a right that must be available to all on equal terms ( (Murdick, Gartin, & Fowler, 2014). The question of equal terms has been an uphill battle for families that have children with disabilities. There were many acts that addressed educational issues of children with disabilities. The elementary and Secondary Act of 1965 was created to improve education for children that were disadvantaged and it expanded funding. 1974 Education of the Handicapped

Special education is a relatively new concept in education. The question is why? Although, the Federal Government required all children to attend school since 1918, this did not apply to students with disabilities. Many state laws gave school districts the ability to deny access to individuals they deem “uneducable.” The term “uneducable” varied from state to state, school to school, and even individual to individual. If students were accepted into the school, they were placed in regular classrooms with their peers with no support or in classrooms that were not appropriate to meet their needs. This started to change with the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s. The lawsuit Brown vs the Board of Education sued to end segregation of public schools laid the ground work for Individuals with Disabilities Act. The next major impact in education was the enactment of Elementary and Secondary Act signed into effect by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965. The purpose of this law was to provide fair and equal access to education for all, established higher standards, and mandated funds for professional development, resources for support education programs, and parent involvement. Under this law, programs like Head Start were created and celebrated their 50th anniversary this year. Despite additional federal funds and mandatory laws, children with disabilities were unserved or underserved by public school due to loop holes with in the law. Many more lawsuit followed Brown vs

The Brown vs Board of Education as a major turning point in African American. Brown vs Board of Education was arguably the most important cases that impacted the African Americans and the white society because it brought a whole new perspective on whether “separate but equal” was really equal. The Brown vs Board of Education was made up of five different cases regarding school segregation. “While the facts of each case are different, the main issue in each was the constitutionality of state-sponsored segregation in public schools ("HISTORY OF BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION") .”

The landmark Supreme Court cases of Dred Scott v. Sandford, Plessy v. Ferguson, and Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas have had a tremendous effect on the struggle for equal rights in America. These marker cases have set the precedent for cases dealing with the issue of civil equality for the last 150 years.

On February 18, 1951 the case of Brown vs. Board of Education was filed causing a massive uproar across the nation. The hearing changed the way Americans viewed segregation and equality during the 1950’s. The Brown vs. Board of Education trial was important because it challenged American’s beliefs on segregation by testing American values such as racial discrimination, educational laws in America, and exposing that separation is not equal.

Board of education is another case that was related to segregation. This case stated that all public schools would be separated into white and black schools not allowing anyone to mix. It was already hard enough for a black person to experience school already, this case was not making it much easier. After Plessy v. Ferguson was announced, Brown v. Board of education was born. Plessy v. Ferguson did not count towards schools so the board of education decided to make all public schools segregated and the black people would have to find other places to go to school. While the white people stayed at the schools they where in. Because Swann v. Charlotte - Mechlenburg board of education was a case the helped with the segregation in schools problem, this opened a new door for

Throughout history there have been various influential court cases involving Education. These important cases and their outcomes act as milestones on the road to a successful education System in the United States. Topics such as race, religion and gender equality within schools have all been vigorously debated upon and have ultimately played major roles in shaping today 's education system. By examining civil rights and acting upon these rights many important educational court cases have allowed many students a greater chance for efficient and equal learning opportunities in the classroom.

One of the most important Supreme Court decision and ruling was that of Bown v Board of Education. This landmark Supreme Court decision ranks high among those which have promoted equal treatment and diversity, and it greatly impacted the future for African Americans because it laid the foundation for equal rights in education. The Supreme Court thus projected an issue in education which became a driving force that subsequently altered the economic, political, and social structure of this nation. This case was debated for nearly three years and decision was handed down by the Supreme Court in 1954. Essentially, the Brown decision ruled that segregated schools insured that African Americans would have an inferior education that would have an inferior education that would handicap thier ability to function in American society, and ordered that each state end segregated public schools "with all deliberate speed."

There are many cases in history that have a racial element like segregation to it. One of the most important, influential, and more well known court cases that dealt with segregation was Brown vs Board of Education of Topeka. It is commonly understood that Brown vs Board of Education dealt with a little girl suing because she wanted to attend an all white school in her neighborhood. In reality, the case was far more complex than that. In December, 1952, the U.S. Supreme Court had on its docket cases from Kansas, Delaware, the District of Colombia, South Carolina, and Virginia, all of which challenged the constitutionality of racial segregation in public schools” (Citation Here). The U.S. Supreme Court consolidated the five court cases into one and gave it the name that is well known, Brown vs the Board of Education. This case would lead the way in challenging segregation in United States school systems and creating and education system that was more equal for minorities.

What the Brown decision provided was a means to challenge the meaning of, “separate but equal”, as it applied to public schooling opportunities for students with disabilities (Blanchett, Mumford, & Beachum, 2005). Before and after Brown, students with disabilities were not necessarily educated in public schools as there were no laws that mandated this. For the most part disabled students were educated in facilities that were separate from the “regular” school setting.

This was a case that protected the rights to desegregate public schools and it ended legal segregation in public schools. (Brown v. Board at Fifty) Today, most schools do not discriminate against sex, race, religion, or ethnicity when admitting students. Despite this legislation being passed, racial segregation is still prevalent in many schools across America. Some of this is due to the makeup of our communities and some is by choice.

West Virginia Board of Education vs. Barnette's case is a very important case. Both judges, Justice Jackson and Justice Frankfurter made very important points regarding the