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The New England Primer
The New England Primer was a textbook used by students in New England and in other English settlements in North America. It was first printed in Boston in 1690 by Benjamin Harris who had published a similar volume in London. It was used by students into the 19th century. Over five million copies of the book were sold. -
The College of William and Mary
Established in Virginia, it is the second college to open in colonial America and has the distinction of being Thomas Jefferson's college. -
Thomas Jefferson
The American Revolution established our star-spangled land in 1776, and three years later Thomas Jefferson proposed two different tracks in education for "the laboring and the learned." This contributed to class divisions that let already richer people get better education and therefore better job opportunities. -
The Blackboard
Big news. James Pillans invented the modern blackboard by hanging a big slab of slate on the classroom wall. -
First Public High School
The first government-owned/operated public high school opened in Boston, MA with the creative name of the Boston English High School. It still exists today. Read more about the establishment of public schools during the 19th century here. -
Cheyney University
The African Institute, which still exists with the name Cheyney University, was founded in Pennsylvania. Cheyney is the U.S.'s oldest institute of higher learning for African Americans. -
Indianola Junior High School
Indianola Junior High School opened, which made it the first junior high school in the U.S. The 1900's was an era of increasing flexibility in schooling, as different schools based on age opened up, and questions of race and gender started getting attention. -
First Montessori School
Maria Montessori founds the first Montessori school in Tarrytown, New York. A Montessori school is a child-centered educational approach based on scientific observations of children from birth to adulthood. -
The Association for Children with Learning Disabilities
It was an era of forcing the country to get more tolerant: The Association for Children with Learning Disabilities (now the Learning Disabilities Association of America) was formed, choosing the term "learning disability". The legislation made it public education free for special-needs students and developing special education programs followed. -
Race To The Top
President Barack Obama announced Race To The Top, a grant to incentivize innovation and reform in K-12 education. This was another in a series of reforms to try to improve teaching and learning patterns in the U.S.
