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The first public school is established in Boston Massachusetts.
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First laws towards a public education.
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Ensured children get the basic knowledge of a state funded school.
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Noah Webster developed the first dictionary. This dictionary not only provided students with definitions of words but also helped teachers understand how to teach the words.
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Public school attendance is increased as new immigrants flock to America
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Dewey reformed education from what used to be authoritarian to a more student centered education. Dewey believed that education should not only be centered around things like Arithmetic but the lessons should be "centered around students lives". This is relevant today because it illustrated how students should be taught and what works still today.
http://www.pbs.org/onlyateacher/john.html -
Public education grew post civil war as freed slaves were able to have access to a free education.
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Fought for laws that prohibited child labor and made school mandatory.
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The Civil Rights Movement impacted desegregation of schools. The government enforced integration by threatening to take away a schools federal funding.
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Brown vs. Board of Education deemed the ruling "separate but equal" unconstitutional. The ruling called for integration of the public school system. While the ruling was landmark it didn't fully integrate public schools because of fear of racism. This is relevant today because our schools are desegregated.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/supremecourt/rights/landmark_brown.html -
Governments commitment to equality provided 4 billion dollars of financial aid to students in poverty.
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President Ronald Reagans report that the public school system is failing.
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After the publication of "A Nation at Risk" standardized testing became more prevalent to measure students knowledge. With this became a more narrow approach to teaching to prepare students for standardized tests. This is relevant because as teachers we have to make sure we are preparing our students for standardized testing.
http://neatoday.org/2013/04/25/a-nation-at-risk-turns-30-where-did-it-take-us-2/ -
An act passed to ensure that students with disabilities get the opportunity to a free public education. Before this act students with disabilities were in horrific conditions. This act is relevant today because still today it provides students with disabilities the option to an appropriate safe education. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individuals_with_Disabilities_Education_Act
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With the passing of the "No Child Left Behind Act" schools became more "accountable for students outcomes". Schools became responsible for making sure students met the requirements and if they failed they faced consequences. This is relevant because it effects the way we teach today. http://www.edweek.org/ew/section/multimedia/no-child-left-behind-overview-definition-summary.html
