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Massachusetts Law 1642
As a means of supporting education it was determined that for every township of 50 households a teacher would be provided and for 100 or more households in an area a grammer school would be built. The Puritans valued education and saw it as a way to keep training their ministers. -
Noah Webster seeks Patriotism
Nick-named the School Master of America, Webster sought to increase American Patriotism through reforming the Enlish language and spelling. He felt strongly that Americans should part from their English ways of speaking and spelling and adopt our own language. From his Blue Back Speller published in 1828 we have the Webster Dictionary of today. -
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Surge of Immigration
Immigration during the 19th Century exploded bringing a variety of people from places like Germany, Ireland and Southern Europe. Urbanization and Industrialization created large concentrations of children needing schooling. -
Horace Mann - Father of Education
Horace Mann After becoming appointed as the Secretary of Massachusetts State Board of Education, Mann fought for improving and equalizing conditions in over 1,000 schools. He believed that a school education gave an equal chance at life. This philopophy still applies today, as opportunities present themselves more readily to those with a good solid education. -
Sarah Roberts Court Case
Sarah Roberts was denied access to a white school because she was black. Her father filed a case in court pushing for integration. In 1855 a law was passed abolishing segregation in schools of Massachusetts. This was the first such law in the Nation! This case is still important today in protecting the rights of all Americans who participate in the educational system. -
Frederick Douglas
Having been born into slavery, Frederick was lucky to have been secretly taught to read as a child and to later escape to the North. By the time the Civil War strikes, he was the most famous Black man. He fought for an end to segregation and for Women's rights. -
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Education following the Civil War
Huge numbers of blacks were free and could seek an education no matter their age. Congress mandated that each state must offer free education and emphasized that school attendance is required. -
The Gary Plan
The Gary Plan was a brand new idea focusing on education and giving attention to providing a more well rounded school experience. This format is similar to today's schools. Movement and learning by doing are still emphasized. Not only were children being educated with hands-on experiences, but the school was serving the community as a whole helping to solve and address many social issues as well. This is perhaps the most important event in the evolution of education. -
Father Of Progressive Education
John Dewey was considered progressive for his time as he promoted child-centered learning. Learn by doing meant learning by experiences and not merely by memorization. Dewey would be pleased to see that he has had an impact on our education of today. Students still learn best by having hands on experiences rather than just memorizing facts and figures. -
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Brown vs Board of Education
Brown vs Board of Education marked the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. This important case determined that segregated facilities had no place in public education and generated a feeling of inferiority that afffected a childs motivation to learn. It would later apply to rights of women, racial, ethnic, the aged and disabled. It created confrontation between Federal authorities and local people who wanted to obstruct the law. -
Sputnik
Soviet Union beats the United States in getting a satelite into space. This causes many to believe that there is a crisis in the educational system. One such person, Arthur Bestor stated that our problems were a "result of misguided spinoff from progressive education known as life-education." -
A War on Poverty
Lyndon B Johnson helped pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which called for the end of segregation in public facilities. Finally coming up with a way to enforce the law was the so called "Carrot and Stick" approach. Federal monies would be granted to those schools who complied with the law. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act
Providing $1 billion dollars of Federal Funds to education in an attempt to enact war of poverty. 80% of the funds were to be used for low income families. These funds were also used to upgrade libraries, textbooks and instructional materials. This act of legislation showed concern the Nation had for disadvantaged students. -
A Nation at Risk
A Nation at RiskPresident Ronald Reagan appointed a National Commission to identify our Nations educational shortcomings. Out of their findings a report tittled "A Nation at Risk" was published. It was a call to action to improve achievment and accountability. Standarize curriculum and raise teacher requirements were also emphasized. In 1983 it was important to ask the tough questions as to how we could improve education and raised expectations that continue on today. -
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Standards Movement
President George Bush and Bill Clinton both adamant about raising expectations in the educational system. They recommended various programs and were trying to raise the level of education and change the focus to evaluating outcomes. They started the dialalogue and brought focus to creating options for the American Education. Vouchers, School Choice, and Charter Schools were all implemented.
