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Massachusetts Act of 1642
The first act of compulsory education in the United States, required parents to educate their children on religion and the laws of the commonwealth -
Massachusetts Act of 1647
Required towns with more than 50 people to hire a schoolmaster to teach the children writing and reading and towns of more than 100 to have a grammar school to prepare students for Harvard College. -
"Land Grant" Law of 1785
The Continental Congress granted land to townships in the Northwest Territory, reserving parts of these towns for a local school. These schools later went on to become “land grant universities” and, later, the state public universities of today. -
PA Free Schooling
Pennsylvania gives free public schooling to poor children -
NY Free Schooling
New York School Society gives free public schooling to poor children based on the "lancasterian" model where one professor teaches to hundreds of people. The older students pass it down, so the school can focus on obedience, a great value to factory owners. -
First high school
The first public high school in the country opens in Boston -
MA Schools
Massachusetts gives free public schooling to all children -
Reform school
Massachusetts Reform School at Westboro opens, setting a trend for later schools that combine education and a juvenile justice system -
Compulsory Law
Massachusetts passes first compulsory education law for the state so "poor" immigrants become assimilated -
Native Americans
Congress makes it illegal for Native Americans to be taught in their own language -
Plessy v. Ferguson
The Supreme Court rules that segregation is lawful as long as it is "seperate but equal" leading the South to segregate public schools -
CA Chinese
The Supreme Court requires California to extend public schooling to Chinese immigrants -
Smith-Hughes Act
Allows for vocational education in the public school system -
GI Bill
Passed after WWII, it gave working class men, veterans, college scholarships for the first time in US history -
Brown v. Board of Education
The Supreme Court rules that "seperate but equal" in public school systems is unconstitutional and that segregated schools are not equal in any way -
Little Rock
A federal court orders for Little Rock, Arkansas public schools to be integrated -
Freedom Schools
Freedom schools organized in African American communities in NYC when the teachers go on strike; the issue was centered around community control of schools -
Milliken v. Bradley
Supreme court rules that schools may NOT be desegregated across school districts, allowing for inner city minorities to go to seperate schools from wealthy whites. -
Proposition 187
California rules that children of undocumented immigrants are not allowed in the public school system; later ruled unconstitutional -
Affirmative Action
Proposition 209 passed to outlaw affirmative action in public education; other states follow -
Bilingual education
California outlaws bilingual education in public school systems -
Kindergarten
I started kindergarten at Findlay Elementary School in White County, Tennessee. Mrs. Goff was my teacher, a wonderful woman whom I still love today. This year, I met other children who would be lifelong friends. I learned to read, one of my favorite things, and I made my first friend in school on the playground. It was the foundation of my education and I could not have asked for anything better -
Northfield Elementary
Directly behind my home in rural White County, the county built a new elementary school. I had to move schools, meeting all new people, aside from the few who moved from Findlay. I thought it would be terrible, but it ended up being the best years of my 13 years in the White County School System. I met people whom I still have great friendships with and see regularly. I became a star on the basketball team, something I'd never done before, and I loved my teachers. It was a great four years. -
Middle School
I started Middle School in White County, TN, in the Fall of 2004. It was an incredibly emotional journey, wrought with braces, puberty, and mean girls. While I can't say those years were my favorite in my life, I do have some fond memories. Band, school plays, new friendships, and caring teachers made it worthwhile. -
High School
I began High School in 2007, excited to start over in a new place with older kids all around me. Romantic relationships, Marching Band, and new found passions were among some of my favorite memories. Of course, there was also graduation, which set me on my path to the best years of my life so far. -
College
2011 was a huge year for me, as I graduated high school, ended my first relationship, and moved out of my parent's house to embark on an incredible journey at Tennessee Technological University. Little did I know on that hot August day, but this small college would be one of the biggest blessings in my life. 4 years were not long enough. Lifelong friendships, a beautiful sisterhood, an incredible education, and countless memories helped make those years the best I've ever lived. -
Europe
I traveled abroad for the first time with the Agriculture department at TTU, learning about other cultures and industries in eastern Europe. It was incredible and gave me an education I never expected to get from Tech. -
Paris
I had the opportunity to travel to Paris with the history department through TTU, seeing all the sites in the city that we had studied in class for months. It was an incredible addition to my education -
Graduation
I graduated with two Bachelor's of Science degrees in just four years, leaving behind my undergraduate days to make my way in the real world with a head full of knowledge and a group of friends by my side. -
Europe, all along
The summer after graduation, I decided to broaden my knowledge of archaeology, so I spent a month in remote Romania working on a Roman Military Fort. It was an amazing experience and something I'll never forget. I'm sure it will be a huge asset in my future endeavors in education