-
Mass Moments: Massachussets Passes First Education Law On April 14, 1642, Massachussets Bay Colony passed the first law requiring a basic education for children. The law ultimately required basic knowledge in reading English, capital laws, basic religious understanding based in catechism, and a pathway into a trade. To read the law text, click here
-
In 1820, Washington Irving brought the character of Ichabod Crane, a Connecticut school teacher, to the American public. Crane was characterized as a stern lecturer who followed the "spare the rod and spoil the child" principle in the school room, and outside school was a grasping, indulgent, ingratiating, and superstitious outsider who sought the hand of a wealthy heiress from the local community for his own reward. This characterization continued to haunt teachers for generations afterward.
-
Framingham State University In July 1839, The Normal School in Lexington, today known as Framingham State University, opened its doors as the first state-funded post-secondary institution modeled after the <i>Ecole Normale</i> in France. This "normal school," and the ones that followed it, were created specifically for training would-be teachers.
-
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka - 347 U.S. 483 (1954) The 1954 decision in <i>Brown v. Board of Education</i> declared "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." This overturned the 1896 <i>Plessy v. Ferguson</i> decision that allowed for "separate but equal" facilities for education. The key holding was that segregation <b>itself</b> was harmful to children and their education.
-
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) at the U.S. Department of Education This reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (April 11, 1965) supports standard-based education reform, but the standards are set by the states, not the federal government. Federal funding for schools revolves around annual testing, progress reports and state-created "Adequate Yearly Progress" goals. NCLB is controversial in its scope and effectiveness.
