Events Shaping Public Education

By NikkiNiska

  • First Public School Opened

    The first public school was opened, Boston Latin School, in Boston MA. Although this school was only open to sons of the elite, it marks the beginning of public education as we know it today.

  • Young Ladies Academy

    The first academy for girls opened. Until this point, education was restricted to boys only.

  • Public Education for All Families

    Free education was provided as a public service to poor families. This was important because knowledge became available as an equalizer among classes of people, changing the future of education for the better.

  • Public Education Becomes a Power of the States

    The Bill of Rights was passed, making education a function of the states. This event shaped the future of public education because the power to govern policies and operations of schools was placed into the hands of the states. Today public school policies vary from state to state, allowing flexibility and variations across schools in America.

  • Plessy vs. Ferguson

    Schools were segregated by the "separate, but equal" policy.

  • Theory of Cognitive Development

    Jean Piaget published the book "The Child Conception of the World" featuring his revolutionary theory of Cognitive Development. Piaget's theory greatly influenced the science of understanding how children's minds grow and learn. His ideas helped teachers to better understand and better assist students learning processes.

  • Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development

    Jean Piaget published his book, "The Child Conception of the World," about his theory of cognitive development. He revolutionized our understanding of how children learn.

  • Schools Provide Lunch

    As society became more focused on developmental health, lunch became a fundamental part of public school.

  • Equal Education Ordered

    In Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka KS, the United States Supreme Court ruled separate schools for African American and white students unconstitutional. This was a major turning point in the history of education, as it marked the movement toward equal education for all students in America.

  • Computers for Education

    In 1977 Apple II computers were first introduced into school classrooms, ever-changing the technological direction that education has embraced since that day.