Historical Timeline: Five Key Historical Events That Shape Modern K-12 Public Education - Figure 6 (Historic Ipswich, circa 1900)
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Horace Mann: Common Schools Movement
Mann's leading of the Common School Movement is a top 5 event in the history of education because the sentiments shared in his writings are still used as the basic framework of modern public education in the United States. Modern schools are still open to all students and are largely paid for by public tax dollars as Mann proposed in the late 1830's. (Erikson, 2020a) Figure 1 (Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries Social Welfare Project, n.d.) -
N.E.A. Committee of Ten: Standard Curriculum
Chaired by Harvard President Charles W. Eliot, the N.E.A. Committee of Ten's establishment of standard curriculum is a top 5 event in the history of education because United States public schools now have diverse elective course offerings. This helps to inspire a student's innate interests as well as preparing them for a broad range of post secondary opportunities like college or entering the workforce. (Erikson, 2020b) Figure 2 (Britannica, n.d.) -
Brown v. Board of Education Verdict
The Supreme Court striking down "separate but equal" practices in the public school system is a top 5 event in the history of education because it began the process of desegregating schools, opening all schools to students regardless of race. This foundational work towards repairing inequity in schools is continued today as educators work to correct bias in the classroom in both curriculum and their own teaching methods. (Erikson, 2020b) Figure 3 (Britannica, 1954) -
ESEA: Support for Impacts of Poverty
The passage of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is a top 5 event in the history of education because it promoted economic and racial equity. Modern public schools in the United States still receive program funding for students and their families from the later iterations of ESEA, which help to bridge the performance and opportunity gap for students coming from economically disadvantaged areas. (Erikson, 2020b) Figure 4 (Institute of Progressive Education and Learning, n.d.) -
IDEA: Inclusive Education Legislation
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act passage is a top 5 event in the history of education because it ensures that students with disabilities have access to the same educational opportunities as their peers. (Erikson, 2020b) Though first enacted in 1975, the 2004 IDEIA expanded discipline provisions, family involvement, and evaluation requirements in modern schools in the United States. (New York State Education Department, 2015) Figure 5 (U.S. Department of Education, n.d)
