Education
Every state constitution includes language mandating the establishment of a public education system. At least 15 state constitutions and multiple state statutes hold that public education is “essential to the preservation of rights and liberties of the people” or necessary to maintain a government “by the people.” Many state courts have considered state constitutional challenges rooted in the right to education or an adequate education — a guarantee that is not included in the U.S. Constitution.
Educational issues include inadequate or inequitable funding, efforts to ban books, limits on teaching “critical race theory,” access or limits to charter schools and vouchers, education tax structures, educational accommodations, teacher tenure and pensions, gender identity policies, school discipline, and limits to a school board’s authority.
Filters
Voters Across the Country Amend Their Constitutions
Through ballot measures, voters expressed policy preferences on issues including abortion, drug legalization, and same-sex marriage.
2024 Ballot Measures to Watch
Voters will decide whether to amend their state constitutions with measures focusing on abortion, election procedures, minimum wage policy, and more.
State Court Oral Arguments to Watch for in October
Issues on the dockets include mail-in voting, line-item vetoes, and life-without-parole sentences.
Scholarship Roundup: September 2024 Back to School Edition
New articles and books cover a wide range of topics related to state constitutions, judiciaries, state-level democracy, and more.
Battle Over Religion in Public Schools Continues
The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled a Catholic institution could not be a public charter school, but the issue is far from resolved.
What Is a ‘Public Education’?
Formal legal questions around school funding haven’t changed much over decades, but cultural attitudes toward schooling have.
State Supreme Court Oral Arguments to Watch for in April
Issues on the dockets include voting rights, abortion rights, and separation of powers.
A Conversation with Justice Anita Earls of the North Carolina Supreme Court
Earls spoke about bias, judicial decision-making in politicized environments, and how voters should assess judicial candidates.