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1830's Common Schools
Common schools were funded by local property taxes, charged no tuition, were open to all white children. -
Homestead Act
President Abraham Lincoln signed into law the Homestead Act, a program designed to grant public land to small farmers at low cost. They had to live there for five years.
This wave of immigration forced changes in the nation's schools. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
The Supreme Court's ruling in Plessy effectively established the rule that "separate" facilities for blacks and whites were constitutional as long as they were "equal". This ushered in an era of legally sanctioned racial segregation. -
The Feminization of Teaching
The Suffrage Movement established equality between men and women and allowed women to take up the position of teaching. -
Civil Rights Movement
The Civil Rights Movement enlisted the federal government in the effort to equalize educational opportunities for children of color -
Brown v. Board of Education
The decision reverses Plessy v. Ferguson, ruling that separate is not equal, and outlaws segregation. -
Sputnik
The Soviets make history be being the first to launch a satellite into orbit, the Sputnik. More than $1 billion was poured into public schools for new science and math curriculums. -
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act
As Part of President Johnson's war on poverty, the ESEA started Head Start, gave free lunches to those and need, and gave greater attention to special education. This allowed continued opportunity for education. -
Title lX
Title 9 stated that no person can be excluded from a school program on the basis of their sex. This gave rise to more women athletics and other opportunities which previously were not granted. -
2002 No Child Left Behind Act
This Act set new government test standards that students must reach or the school district may face federal assistance money.