Janet R. Decker
@drjanetrdecker.bsky.social
Assoc. Prof. of #EducationLaw teaching future/current educators, school leaders, & attorneys #LegalLiteracy #DisabilityLaw #SpecialEd
“Unlike public schools, private schools can generally choose who they admit.”
What to know about Republicans’ big, private-school voucher plan
www.npr.org/2025/05/23/n...
What to know about Republicans’ big, private-school voucher plan
www.npr.org/2025/05/23/n...
9 things to know about the big, private-school voucher plan in Republicans' tax bill
NPR asked researchers, advocates, tax experts, a parent and a public school leader for their thoughts on this first-of-its-kind national voucher plan. Here's what they said.
www.npr.org
May 23, 2025 at 8:20 PM
“Unlike public schools, private schools can generally choose who they admit.”
What to know about Republicans’ big, private-school voucher plan
www.npr.org/2025/05/23/n...
What to know about Republicans’ big, private-school voucher plan
www.npr.org/2025/05/23/n...
We wrote this for educators, so please share: Distinguishing Service Animals from Emotional Support Animals
journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10....
journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10....
May 5, 2025 at 10:15 AM
We wrote this for educators, so please share: Distinguishing Service Animals from Emotional Support Animals
journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10....
journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10....
A collaboration with Dr. @vanessamiller.bsky.social before she starts a new chapter at FIU. Wishing her the best and so grateful for all of her contributions including this helpful article! 
Legal Matters: May 2025
ISTOCK.COM/DANIELFELA U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It has more than 200,000 officers across ...
www.nassp.org
May 2, 2025 at 12:36 AM
A collaboration with Dr. @vanessamiller.bsky.social before she starts a new chapter at FIU. Wishing her the best and so grateful for all of her contributions including this helpful article! 
Reposted by Janet R. Decker
Today the U.S. Supreme Court is talking about St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which would be the nation’s first religious public charter school. Learn more
edlawcenter.org/religious-ch... and register for the May 1 webinar about today’s argument www.mobilize.us/au/event/776...
edlawcenter.org/religious-ch... and register for the May 1 webinar about today’s argument www.mobilize.us/au/event/776...
Religious Charter School Declared Unconstitutional: A Webinar on the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s Recent Ruling - Education Law Center
In June, the Oklahoma Supreme Court declared that a religious public charter school set to open in fall...
edlawcenter.org
April 30, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Today the U.S. Supreme Court is talking about St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which would be the nation’s first religious public charter school. Learn more
edlawcenter.org/religious-ch... and register for the May 1 webinar about today’s argument www.mobilize.us/au/event/776...
edlawcenter.org/religious-ch... and register for the May 1 webinar about today’s argument www.mobilize.us/au/event/776...
“could represent a seismic shift in American education”
Religious charter school case raises a key question: Are charter schools actually public schools?
National charter leaders are worried that if the U.S. Supreme Court finds that charter schools are more like private schools — opening the door for religious charters — it could affect their funding, ...
www.chalkbeat.org
April 30, 2025 at 3:54 PM
“could represent a seismic shift in American education”
What’s your prediction?
Supreme Court Poised to Back Student in Key Disability-Rights Case
The U.S. Supreme Court considered what liability standard should apply for cases brought by students under two key federal disability laws.
www.edweek.org
April 29, 2025 at 1:42 AM
What’s your prediction?
Worth a listen AJT v. Osseo Area Schs.
Oral Argument - Audio File
www.supremecourt.gov
April 29, 2025 at 1:37 AM
Worth a listen AJT v. Osseo Area Schs.
Here’s the second article I wrote over decade ago about unconstitutional church-state entanglement of Catholic-affiliated charter schools. core.ac.uk/download/pdf...
Supreme Court will weigh in on effort to found nations first religious charter school
The Supreme Court on Friday afternoon added three more cases two of which will be argued together to its docket for the 2024-25 term. In a brief unsigned order, the […]
scotusblog.com
April 24, 2025 at 2:13 AM
Here’s the second article I wrote over decade ago about unconstitutional church-state entanglement of Catholic-affiliated charter schools. core.ac.uk/download/pdf...
Hard to believe that over a decade ago, I wrote about the legal issues of converting Catholic schools into charter schools. files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1...
April 24, 2025 at 2:08 AM
Hard to believe that over a decade ago, I wrote about the legal issues of converting Catholic schools into charter schools. files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1...
“In federal law, the Education Department is required to have a director over the Office of English Language Acquisition to oversee bilingual education programs…. While the Education Department can shrink the office, it is not able to eliminate the office without congressional approval.”
Democratic lawmakers want to restore federal office that serves English learners
https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025/04/22/democratic-lawmakers-letter-on-department-for-english-learners/
https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025/04/22/democratic-lawmakers-letter-on-department-for-english-learners/
A group of Democratic lawmakers want Trump’s Department of Education to reinstate office serving English learners
In March, the Trump administration’s Education Department cut staff in an office that supports 5 million English learners nationwide. Now, a group of Democratic lawmakers are demanding the department reverse recent changes, calling them an “an outright attack” on students.
www.chalkbeat.org
April 23, 2025 at 12:35 AM
“In federal law, the Education Department is required to have a director over the Office of English Language Acquisition to oversee bilingual education programs…. While the Education Department can shrink the office, it is not able to eliminate the office without congressional approval.”
Reposted by Janet R. Decker
The court’s conservative majority appeared to strongly favor the arguments on Tuesday of a group of Maryland parents who want to be able to opt their children out of instruction that includes books with LGBTQ+ themes.
Supreme Court likely to rule for parental opt-out on LGBTQ books in schools - SCOTUSblog
The Supreme Court on Tuesday was sympathetic to a group of Maryland parents who want to be able to opt their elementary-school-aged children out of instruction that includes LGBTQ+ themes. […]
www.scotusblog.com
April 22, 2025 at 9:50 PM
The court’s conservative majority appeared to strongly favor the arguments on Tuesday of a group of Maryland parents who want to be able to opt their children out of instruction that includes books with LGBTQ+ themes.
Reposted by Janet R. Decker
The Ed Department's Office of Civil Rights has seen a surge in discrimination complaints. How will the department tackle its legal requirements to investigate the complaints with a reduced staff? chroni.cl/3Y3zmKF
After Layoffs, Will the Office for Civil Rights Be Able to Keep Up?
Plus, Harvard pushes back on Trump’s demands to cut DEI.
chroni.cl
April 18, 2025 at 12:46 AM
The Ed Department's Office of Civil Rights has seen a surge in discrimination complaints. How will the department tackle its legal requirements to investigate the complaints with a reduced staff? chroni.cl/3Y3zmKF
Reposted by Janet R. Decker
Supreme Court to rule on right of religious parents to opt kids out of LGBTQ material
https://www.chalkbeat.org/2025/04/18/supreme-court-weighs-parents-rights-to-opt-out-of-lgbtq-school-curriculum/
https://www.chalkbeat.org/2025/04/18/supreme-court-weighs-parents-rights-to-opt-out-of-lgbtq-school-curriculum/
How a story about battling a dragon led to a Supreme Court case on parent rights and LGBTQ books
When devout Muslim parents heard their son would be reading a story in school about a knight and a prince who fall in love, they asked to opt him out. The resulting Supreme Court case could impact how far schools must go to accommodate religious parents’ objections to curriculum.
www.chalkbeat.org
April 18, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Supreme Court to rule on right of religious parents to opt kids out of LGBTQ material
https://www.chalkbeat.org/2025/04/18/supreme-court-weighs-parents-rights-to-opt-out-of-lgbtq-school-curriculum/
https://www.chalkbeat.org/2025/04/18/supreme-court-weighs-parents-rights-to-opt-out-of-lgbtq-school-curriculum/
What needs to be made clear to school districts:
-DEI programs are not illegal. An executive order is not law.
-The White House has no legal authority to cut Congressionally appropriated funds to school districts.
-Nor do they have any legal authority to control curriculum & instruction in schools.
-DEI programs are not illegal. An executive order is not law.
-The White House has no legal authority to cut Congressionally appropriated funds to school districts.
-Nor do they have any legal authority to control curriculum & instruction in schools.
Gov. Shapiro says he’s still deciding how Pa. will respond to Trump’s threat to pull school funding over DEI programs
Shapiro stopped short Tuesday of saying he'd fight President Donald Trump over demands to cut diversity programs from Pennsylvania schools.
www.inquirer.com
April 9, 2025 at 1:14 AM
Reposted by Janet R. Decker
www.edsurge.com/news/2025-03...
Legal experts say that the St. Isidore case represents a potentially radical shift for both the charter school movement and for the American understanding of the separation between religious instruction and publicly-funded schools.
Legal experts say that the St. Isidore case represents a potentially radical shift for both the charter school movement and for the American understanding of the separation between religious instruction and publicly-funded schools.
A Supreme Court Case Could Change How We Think About and Pay For Religious Schools - EdSurge News
The Supreme Court in April will weigh whether to open public funds to schools that offer religious instruction. What does that mean for schools, and ...
www.edsurge.com
April 5, 2025 at 4:35 PM
www.edsurge.com/news/2025-03...
Legal experts say that the St. Isidore case represents a potentially radical shift for both the charter school movement and for the American understanding of the separation between religious instruction and publicly-funded schools.
Legal experts say that the St. Isidore case represents a potentially radical shift for both the charter school movement and for the American understanding of the separation between religious instruction and publicly-funded schools.
“…had it not been for the publicly accessible resources that the Department of Education has provided to students with disabilities like myself, I probably would not have gone to college,"
Special education laws and the U.S. Department of Education have evolved together over nearly five decades. Now, the Trump administration seems to want to separate the two. By @jonakimehta.bsky.social
How the Education Department helps students with disabilities get an education
Special education laws and the U.S. Department of Education have evolved together over nearly five decades. Now, the Trump administration seems to want to separate the two.
www.npr.org
April 6, 2025 at 12:36 AM
“…had it not been for the publicly accessible resources that the Department of Education has provided to students with disabilities like myself, I probably would not have gone to college,"