Law Commons^™

A Quarter Century Of Challenges And Progress In Education, And An Agenda For The Next Quarter Century, Albert H. Kauffman

Faculty Articles

As a native Texan who attended intentionally segregated Texas public schools, then an effectively segregated Texas public law school, litigated many cases against discrimination in Texas education, and now teaches Texas education law, I have what I think to be informed opinions on where we have been, where we are going, and what we should do next. I will briefly describe our sad history of discrimination in segregation, school finance, testing, higher education, and lack of responsiveness to newer issues in education at all levels. I will then summarize some of our ongoing challenges and some possible approaches that I …

Latino Education In Texas: A History Of Systematic Recycling Discrimination, Albert H. Kauffman

Faculty Articles

All of Texas was once part of Mexico. Texas has never forgotten it. This is the historical basis for much of the Texas Latino population's struggle for equal educational opportunities. This article will discuss those struggles endured by the Latino population in their quest for equal educational opportunity from the time of Texas's entry into the Union in 1845 to present-with greater emphasis on the last half century. In each Section, I will briefly describe the history of discrimination against Mexican- Americans in that segment of education history and the relationship between the developments in that segment of education history …

The Barriers And Route To Texas School Finance Equity, Albert H. Kauffman

Faculty Articles

Every student in Texas public schools deserves to have the same resources devoted to her public education, taking into full consideration the special needs of the child and the district in which she attends school. Alternatively, every student deserves to attend school in a school district that can offer the same resources at any tax rate as any other district in the state, taking into consideration the special needs of the district and the students attending school in the district. These are both classic equity standards. The student-focused standard is described as “student equity” and the district-focused standard is described …

Education And Minorities In The Modern Era: Working Civil Rights Into Practice, Policy And Procedure, Albert H. Kauffman

Faculty Articles

Protecting, asserting, and guaranteeing the education rights of minority students will become even more important in the future. Different education civil rights have, in general, gone through four phases: (1) identification and recognition of the right; (2) strong legislative, judicial, and administrative enforcement of the right; (3) developed opposition to the right and judicial, legislative, and administrative inattention or opposition to dilute or ignore the right; and (4) changes in power and enforcement of the right depending on the approach of the courts and administrative agencies.

These phases relate to school finance, Limited English Proficient (“LEP”) student instruction, accent discrimination, …

Judge Wayne Justice: A Life Of Human Dignity And Refractory Mules, Albert H. Kauffman

Faculty Articles

Judge Wayne Justice had a deep impact on the lives of many people and was an unyielding advocate who protected the rights of all U.S. citizens. Many of the Judge’s orders and consent decrees forced Texas to comply with more stringent federal requirements in education and health care and had a far reaching effect across the nation. Judge Justice presided over Doe v. Plyler that ensured the benefit of public education for the children of undocumented immigrants. In United States v. Texas, Judge Justice required that the Texas Education Agency monitor school district actions and policies to assure that they …

The Texas School Finance Litigation Saga: Great Progress, Then Near Death By A Thousand Cuts, Albert H. Kauffman

Faculty Articles

The Texas Legislature’s system for financing Texas schools is significantly more equitable after Edgewood v. Kirby. Edgewood I and Edgewood II effectively forced the legislature to improve the finance system. However, the rulings in the first two Edgewood cases have been whittled away by the last four Edgewood decisions.. As a result, courts now approach fundamental issues, legislative power, and the relationship between them differently.

The Edgewood v. Kirby legacy still improves the equity and adequacy of Texas’s public education finance system. This legacy is expanded upon with observations regarding long term impacts of the Texas school finance litigation saga.

Applying Edgewood V. Kirby To Analysis Of Fundamental Rights Under The Texas Constitution, Albert H. Kauffman

Faculty Articles

State constitutions are affirmative grants of power under which both stated and implied fundamental rights can be sought. A proposed test for fundamental rights under the Texas Constitution looks at three factors: the history of the topic within the Texas Constitution and case law; the actual language used in the controlling provision; and the importance of that value to the people of Texas. The declaration of a constitutional right as fundamental certainly has implications for future relationships between the people and the government.

The Edgewood v. Kirby case has the potential to change much in Texas. The case stands for …