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Legal and Ethical Implications for Classroom Management

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Legal and Ethical Implications for Classroom Management
Legal and Ethical Implications for Classroom Management

Grand Canyon University: EDU 536
April 24, 2013

Today’s classrooms are more dynamic than ever before. Educational needs of students are changing at breakneck speeds, along with the demands being placed on their teachers. There are associated legal and ethical implications that are evolving as rapidly as the technology that is driving a lot of the change. In order to have a chance to meet the needs of students and legal/ethical obligations, educators must have well developed classroom management techniques. These can get tricky quite often and require balancing the increasingly diverse needs of many different people. To be an effective teacher today is extremely difficult for these reasons. This essay will examine some of the current issues that teachers are exposed to in today’s classrooms by summarizing four journal articles and responding to them. The specific issues will be free speech and what it means in a school setting, cell phones in classrooms, bullying (specifically of students with disabilities), and gender specific dress codes.
Freedom of Speech The issue addressed in the first article summary is freedom of speech and how it is interpreted in a public school setting in relation to the distribution of religious materials. This is really not a new topic of debate. Current precedents have been set in court cases dating as far back as1969 and the Tinker vs. Desmoines case. In that case, the court decision reads that, in order to prohibit any students’ expression of opinion, the school must provide evidence to support the fact that the actions being suppressed would be significantly disruptive (Essex, 2006). Because it is an issue of ongoing debate there are cases still being heard all over the country. This article is specifically in response to a case in the New York Supreme Court, where a student was prohibited from distributing religious fliers on


References: Diamantes, T. (2010). Recent court rulings regarding student use of cell phones in today 's schools. Education, 131(2), 404-406. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ930611&site=ehost -live&scope=site; http://www.projectinnovation.biz/education_2006.html Dowling-Sendor, B. (2005). What not to wear. American School Board Journal, 192(8), 33-34. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=17609428&site=ehost -live&scope=site Eckes, S., & Gibbs, J. (2012). The legal aspects of bullying and harassment of students with disabilities: School leaders ' legal obligations. Journal of School Leadership, 22(6), 1065- 1086. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ989534&site=ehost -live&scope=site; https://rowman.com/page/JSL Essex, N. L. (2006). Student distribution of religious fliers in public schools: Ten ways to invite a lawsuit. Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 79(3), 138-143. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ745139&site=ehost -live&scope=site; http://www.heldref.org/tch.php Smith, N. (2012). Eliminating gender stereotypes in public school dress codes: The necessity of respecting personal preference. Journal of Law & Education, 41(1), 251-259. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=70502454&site=ehost -live&scope=site Thomas, K. M., & McGee, C. D. (2012). The only thing we have to fear is... 120 characters. TechTrends: Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning, 56(1), 19-33. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ949585&site=ehost -live&scope=site; http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11528-011-0550-4
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