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In 1785, the U.S. Congress passed an ordinance clarifying a 1784 ordinance championed by Thomas Jefferson. This new ordinance established the separation of church and state that is now a staple of American education.
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In 1837, lawyer Horace Mann accepted the newly-established role of U.S. Secretary of Education. Mann's belief that every child had the right to an education led to to common school period and the establishment of public schools in the United States.
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In 1892, a committee of ten National Education Association members were tasked with creating a curriculum that balanced practical and academic goals. This curriculum became the first standard curriculum used by public schools across the country.
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This landmark Supreme Court case outlawed segregated public schools, determining that separate schools were inherently unequal. This decision finally integrated U.S. public schools for children, regardless of race.
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In 2001, the U.S. Congress passed "No Child Left Behind." This law placed heavy importance on standardized testing and tying test results to funding, which had adverse effects because low-achieving schools began to fall even further behind their counterparts due to inadequate funding.
