NEA, school districts file No Child Left Behind lawsuit News
NEA, school districts file No Child Left Behind lawsuit

[JURIST] The National Education Association [union website] and individual school districts in Texas, Michigan and Vermont filed a lawsuit Wednesday [NEA press release] seeking to force the federal government to pay more of the costs incurred under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) [PDF text; executive summary; US Dept. Ed. fact sheet]. According to the complaint [PDF, NEA case summary], NCLB requirements force school districts to divert resources or risk being shut down. Wednesday's action is the first-ever national lawsuit to be filed, but individual states are also taking steps to challenge the Education Department's mandate under NCLB. Earlier this month, Connecticut's attorney general announced that state's intention to file a constitutional challenge [JURIST report] to the law and yesterday, Utah's legislature passed a bill [JURIST report] requiring state education officials to comply with the state's goals before considering NCLB provisions. The NEA has set up a NCLB lawsuit website. Bloomberg has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Indian National Congress founded

The Indian National Congress (INC) was founded on December 28, 1885 in Bombay (now Mumbai), India. In subsequent decades, the so-called Congress Party would advocate for Indian independence from the UK, which was eventually achieved in 1947. The first Prime Minister of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was elected as a member of the INC. Learn more about the history and founding of the Indian National Congress.

Congress recognized Pledge of Allegiance

On December 28, 1945, Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance and encouraged its recitation in schools. The Pledge was supposedly written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus Day. The words “under God” were added by Congress in 1954. The revised version of the Pledge was the subject of litigation before the United States Supreme Court originally brought by Michael Newdow, a parent who unsuccessfully objected to his daughter's school district policy requiring daily recitation of the Pledge. The court ruled that Newdow had no standing.

Nepal ends monarchy, establishes republic

On December 28, 2007, the Kingdom of Nepal's interim parliament ended the country's monarchy and established the Republic of Nepal. Free elections were held on April 10 of the following year to elect a Constituent Assembly.

Learn more about the rise of democracy in Nepal.