The UW–Madison School of Education is introducing a new nine-credit graduate certificate program in Education Law and Civil Rights, aimed at equipping aspiring school leaders, educators, administrators, and others with the expertise to navigate and address legal issues that arise within the education system.
The innovative certificate, housed within the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, is designed to provide students with a basic understanding of the legal challenges that arise in public elementary and secondary schools, with optional coursework for those interested in higher education law.
Suzanne Eckes, the Susan S. Engeleiter Professor of Education Law, Policy, and Practice in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, directs the new program, which launches this fall. She explains the certificate’s aim is to increase the legal literacy of school personnel and others working in education.
In particular, the certificate offers an in-depth examination of civil rights laws in the U.S., which Eckes says are “constantly in flux” and can be challenging for school personnel to navigate. These include Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex; Title VII, which prohibits discrimination in employment; and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which protects individuals with disabilities.
“I appreciate how the program bridges education and law to try and assist educators and others who are interested in educational leadership and policy to develop this legal literacy around civil rights law,” says Eckes.
“You’re not going to become an expert,” she adds, “but you will become more informed about education legal issues in order to try and avoid litigation and help advocate for your students, for parents, for teachers, and for the community.”
Courses in the program are designed to provide flexibility, allowing students to tailor their learning experiences according to their professional interests and career goals. Eckes notes there are diverse courses students can choose from.
“If there’s a student who happens to be really interested in school finance, budgeting, and resource allocation, one of the three classes could be on that particular issue,” she says. “Or, let’s say a student is really interested in special education law – we have a course in that particular area as well.”
”Launching the graduate certificate in Education Law and Civil Rights has been anticipated for some time now,” says Anjalé Welton, chair of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis and the Rupple-Bascom Professor of Education. “Dr. Eckes is not only a renowned scholar of education law, but a sought after instructor as well. Her education law courses garner interest from students not just in the School of Education but other disciplines across campus.”
Welton adds: “This interdisciplinary interest in education law will help advance future scholarship and policy expertise important to addressing the most pressing issues in public education at the moment.”
The Education Law and Civil Rights certificate program is open to graduate and professional students at UW–Madison. Students can learn more about the certificate’s requirements and how to declare, here.