As parents, we generally control our children's days and activities from birth until age five or six. This all changes when our children enter school and begin their formal education. Now, we entrust the bodies and minds of our children to others who are suppose to nurture, educate, and protect them. But, do we really know what rights and protections are afforded our children once they enter a public school?

Children living in the United States have the right to a free public education. The U.S. Constitution requires that all children be given an equal educational opportunity regardless of their race, ethnic background, religion, or sex. In addition many federal, state, and local laws provide students with certain educational rights. The materials that follow will give you a general overview of the federal laws that ensure that all children in this country are provided with an equal public educational opportunity.