Resources for Teachers
The Equal Access Act of 1984 has served as a foundation upon which the courts and presidential administrations have often built their analysis of issues involving religion in the public schools. Christian Legal Society was instrumental in drafting the Act and leading the coalition that urged its passage. CLS developed its Guide to the Equal Access Act to provide more information about the important right students in public secondary schools have to meet for religious speech, including prayer.
Guidance Letters from the Clinton and Bush Administrations
Both the Clinton and Bush Administrations issued guidance regarding religious expression in the public schools. The Center helped draft a document entitled Religion in the Public Schools – A Joint Statement of Current Law, which was signed by over 50 organizations and became the basis for the Clinton Administration’s Religious Expression in Public Schools, United States Department of Education guidance letter (issued August 10, 1995, 1997, 1998), and the Bush Administration’s Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools, 68 Fed. Reg. 9645. Twenty years later, these guidelines remain a trusted resource for school administrators, students, parents, and teachers regarding permissible religious expression in the public schools.
The Bible and Public Schools: A First Amendment Guide
The Center helped draft this invaluable guide to the constitutionally-permissible use of the Bible and other religious materials in the public school classroom. It was published by First Amendment Center and National Bible Association in 1999.
Teachers and Religion in Public Schools (4th Ed)
This booklet by Center Director Kim Colby is a wealth of information about religious expression in the public schools by students, community groups, and teachers. The fifth edition is due out in 2018.
Released-Time Education
Religious released-time education is a constitutionally-permissible means by which public schools release students who have parental permission to attend off-campus religious instruction. Click here to learn more.
