Education Law Project's New Initiative

Public Education Legislation Project (PEPP)

A new initiative was launched by Professor Teixeira de Sousa this semester to analyze proposed legislation dealing with public education.  Professor Teixeira de Sousa describes the need for the project: “Education law and policy issues have become favorite topics for the media, and voters are increasingly aware of their elected officials’ views on education.  However, as legislators across the country scramble to respond to their constituents’ concerns and introduce legislation on a variety of complex and novel education issues, it remains to be seen whether many of these bills have the potential to aid children struggling at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder.”   PEPP will conduct an academic analysis of selected bills in the region in order to understand whether particular policy changes will work to the benefit or detriment of vulnerable student populations.  

3L, Jeananne Russell, began working with Professor Teixeira de Sousa this semester to conduct research on a bill that seeks to change the process through which students enroll in charter schools.  Jeananne is in the process of gathering research on charter school enrollment policies across the country and is also engaged in gathering research about the impact of specific selection mechanisms on at-risk student populations.  Ms. Russell also had the opportunity to meet with the state representative who introduced the bill in order to gain a better understanding of the goals of the legislation. 

PEPP will seek to extend research opportunities to additional students in the fall and it is hoped that students will gain skills in legislative drafting, statutory construction and critical analysis.