Encyclopedia of Education Law

"REF Edited by Russo, the Joseph Panzer Chair in Education in the School of Education and Allied Professions and an adjunct professor in the School of Law at the University of Dayton, and written by over 100 academic contributors, this encylopedia helps parents, teachers, students, and other lay readers understand the education laws that might apply to their own situations. It provides entries on persons (such as the participants in Brown v. Board of Education), biographies of important people, 180 cases, and excerpts of the actual cases in a way that is approachable to novices while providing sufficient information for advanced readers. Each volume begins with a comprehensive A-to-Z list of entries and a readers′ guide to the entries in both volumes by topic. The topics covered include collective bargaining; concepts, theories, and legal principles; constitutional rights and issues; curricular and instructional issues; educational equity; governance issues; litigation; organizations; parental rights; religion in public schools; special education and the rights of the disabled; statutes and treaties; student rights and welfare; teacher rights; and technology. Further readings, cross-references, and legal citations are provided. The explanations of landmark cases bring these technical issues to novices and also put the case in a historical and a contemporary context so readers can grasp better these turning points in education in the United States. BOTTOM LINE A welcome addition to any public or academic library, this set would also be of use in a law library where educational law might need to be explored and reviewed at a more basic level than other legal texts."
—Sara Rofofsky Marcus, Queensborough Community Coll., Bayside, NY -- Sara Rofofsky Marcus * Reed Business *

“Now, more than ever, educators and other stakeholders need to know about law and legislation as it applies to education. Federal mandates and a changing world are reflected in a broad array of legal topics and cases. Education legal expert Russo has edited an encyclopedia that covers U.S. education law since the seminal case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954) (although the Canadian Charter of Rights is mentioned). The volumes contain more than 400 topical entries written by about 120 contributors, mainly from academia.

The first volume begins with an alphabetical list of the entries, followed by a thematic “Reader’s Guide” listing the entries associated with topics such as “Biographies” (mainly Supreme Court justices), “Curricular and Instructional Issues,” “Educational Equity,” “Religion in Public Schools,” and “Technology.” Not surprisingly, most entries fall under “Litigation.” Russo notes several “anchor” articles, such as an analysis of Brown v. Board of Education. These are not called out in the main part of the work, so the introduction is needed to identify them.

The alphabetical entries range from 1 page to 16 pages, with those on landmark court cases being longer. Generally, the case articles include the following aspects: a brief introductory summary, case facts, court ruling, impact of ruling, further readings, legal citations, and, for landmark cases, lengthy excerpts from primary sources. All articles are signed and have cross-references; most include further readings and legal citations. The encyclopedia seems to focus more on K–12 legal issues than postsecondary ones, probably because of the complex issues surrounding the rights of minors. Contemporary topics such as Cyberbullying and Global Positioning System (GPS) Tracking demonstrate the work’s currency. However, library issues in general are largely ignored. An extensive index with many subtopics concludes the second volume.

Smaller educational legal summaries exist, and a couple of texts deal with Supreme Court cases about education, but this set provides a unique combination of general educational legal issues and case-specific information. It should be a welcome addition to academic and large public libraries. Also available as an ebook.”

— Booklist