Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 (1954)

This critical decision handed down by Judge Earl Warren was unanimous. The Brown v. Board of Education case argued that state-sanctioned segregation of public schools was a violation of the 14th Amendment. This landmark decision overruled the legalized segregation ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), which had set forth the "separate but equal" principle. The Jim Crow era had constitutionally come to an end.
This milestone decision by the Supreme Court set the basic framework for Special Education in years to come. If ruling that racial segregation was unconstitutional, then the separation and rights of all individuals with disabilities were also violated.
The most basic tenet of special education is individualization; however, some fear that we are losing track of that fact and the lines between general education and special education are being blurred as the trend toward including students with disabilities with their general education peers continues (Esteves and Rao, 2008).

Resources

Brown v. Board of Education in PBS’ The Supreme Court (2008). [Video]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTGHLdr-iak

Esteves, K. J. & Rao, S. (2008). Principal. The evolution of special education. Retrieved from

https://www.naesp.org/sites/default/files/resources/1/Principal/2008/N-Oweb2.pdf

Segregation In Public Schools Ended By Court (1954) [Image] Retrieved from                       https://atlantablackstar.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/brown-vs-page_.jpg

Special Education Clipart 20 (n.d.). [Image] Retrieved from             https://www.canstockphoto.com/illustration/special-education.html