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Enfranchisement of All White Men
As a result of the elimination of property requirements and the enfranchisement of White men, white Americans had more investment in their government. As a result, poorer families realized the need for education and had the power to extend it to their children (Riek, Personal communication, September 2020). This important realization, paired with the enfranchisement of other groups over the country's history, contributed to the view of public education being the great equalizer in America. -
Founding of the National Educators Association
The founding of the NEA represented the growing professionalization of the teaching field. Through organizing, these educators worked toward defining the practice of teaching, the training necessary to enter the field, and curing social ills such as child labor (Films Media Group,2006, Common Schools). To this day, the organization continues to work to advance the practice and interests of the profession as a union (Films Media Group,2006, Common School Period). -
The Kalamazoo Case
This Michigan Supreme Court case rendered the precedent that local school boards could levy funds from property owners. As a result, it opened up a stable source of revenue for public schools that exists to this day, making it incredibly relevant when it comes to funding public schools in this country (Films Media Group,2006, Common School Period). -
Brown v. Board of Education
This critical event declared racial segregation in American schools unconstitutional. While it did not do away with the practice at the time, it set a precedent that opened the way for legislation and further legal action against it. As a result, the Civil Rights Movement made significant progress in overturning discriminatory practices, passing anti-discriminatory laws, and extending a fair education to groups previously excluded (Films Media Group,2006 Modern Period). -
No Child Left Behind Act
One of the most significant acts in the history of American education, this act required states to create accountability systems to counter disparity. However, by tieing funding to test scores, standards were lowered and performance disparities perpetuated (Riek, Personal communication, September 2020). Standardization continues to play a significant role in American education, and such a failed overarching effort cannot be excluded from any future efforts at reform.
