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John Eaton became the Commissioner of Education
In January 1899, the U.S. Government named John Eaton, former Commissioner of education, to take charge of educational affairs. Eaton, in turn, selected Mr. Víctor S. Clark as his assistant. On the instructions of Eaton, one of the first efforts of Clark was visiting the island, with order to speak with teachers, distribute books, maps, and the flag of United States of North America, as well as to inspect schools and to prepare a general report, including in this the location of schools. -
Using Massachusetts as model to Puerto Rico Education System
On the basis of the school system in Massachusetts,in May 1899 the Governor proclaimed the first law school under the American rule in Puerto Rico. The Act established the public school (Common Public School) (Graded School) grades for everyone between six and eighteen years, not more than fifty students per teacher, "coeducation"; that is, that no separated children, the academic calendar according to the American (from Monday to Friday), the division of the island into six districts (San J -
The first american school
The school of San Juan, according to Osuna, (1949) began its functions on September 24, 1899 with a high school Department and a Faculty of five teachers. The wooden building, was built from the Plaza de Colón in old San Juan, corner of Puerta de Tierra, where then located the Puerto Rico Casino, today Center of reception of the Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The school was officially opened on January 16, 1900. -
Americanization
Immediately after the American occupation, the school system underwent a series of radical changes. -
Creating the teachers
To increase the demand for teachers, emerged the need to improve their training. In 1900, a normal and industrial school was opened in Fajardo, a preparatory institution for rural and urban teachers. -
Changes
The curriculum changed and the replacement of the structures of organization and school laws, including change of language and books they wanted to reflected American life -
The goverment takes places
To begin the required changes, Eaton recommended to the Governor of Puerto Rico, Guy V. Henry, a set of strategies and reforms; among these, the construction of schools and the best for rent with educational purposes, books and desks, among other materials for teaching. -
University of Puerto Rico.
In 1908 the Government of the United States extended to Puerto Rico aid prepared by Bill Morrill - Nelson, the University became an institution by grant of land (Land Grant). This prompted the growth of higher education, and on 23 September 1911 the College of agriculture was established in Mayagüez as part of the University of Puerto Rico. -
Investment in Education system
1913 The insular Government had invested 14 million dollars in education. Six hundred thirty graduate schools (urban), 1,050 rural schools and four school above had been built. At that time there were 1,974 teachers, and the school attendance had risen to 162,000. Vocational education offered courses to students in agriculture, drawing, arts and crafts, domestic science, and music. -
English and Spanish
In 1915, the Dr. Paul G. Molinero education Commissioner was appointed. With him came a change in the method of teaching, since the American occupation had been entirely in English with the Spanish treated as a special subject. Dr. Molinero established Spanish as the medium of instruction in the first four grades, English language in three subsequent grades, and English for grades Spanish intermediate and higher. -
Commissioner of education,
Since 1900 the educational administration was conducted by The Commissioner of education, an official appointed by the President of the United States and vested with very broad powers. The post of Commissioner was occupied by Americans until 1921, when appointed to the first Puerto Rican (of pro-American sentiments), Juan B. Huyke. -
Bring the american teachers
To accelerate the Americanization of the system of instruction, during the first years of the century, hundreds of American teachers were imported -
Spanish as official language
In November 1934, when the Commissioner of investigation, José Padín ordered that the instruction imparted in Spanish in all elementary grades, with English taught as a special class of first grade. -
New changes in the curriculum
With the appointment of Dr. José M. Gallardo as Commissioner of education in June of 1937, a new curriculum was adopted laying special emphasis on the teaching of English. The statement is that Spanish in the first two grades, with English as a school subject; in the third and fourth reason is two thirds in Spanish and a third in English; in the fifth and sixth grades, Spanish half and half English; While in the seventh and eighth grades, the division was a third in Spanish and two-thirds in Eng -
The protest beging
The order of teaching in English, and not in Spanish which is the language of Puerto Ricans, led to protests, not only political parties and groups that were starting to say Puerto Rican nationality, but also of the Association of teachers and students in high school and College, among others. -
The puertorricans decided from now on
The colonial Government of the island was changed to allow Puerto Ricans to choose the Governor. Second, the Governor was vested with the authority to appoint the Commissioner of education. The elected Governor, Luis Muñoz Marín, appointed Mariano Villaronga, who by administrative decree instituted the Spanish as the language for education in Puerto Rico in the 1949-1950 school year. For the first time since 1898. -
Rights
During the 1952 approve the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico which stipulated the following rights related to education, and that reflect the desire of all those who worked and work to improve Puerto Rican education from the years of the Spanish colonization to the present day. -
Laus versus Nichols
Bilinguals programs in the Rufo school and Papa XXIII. -
Bilingual Certification
In the university of Sagrado Corazon and also in Turabo, they offered for the fisrt time a bilingual certification -
Until 2008
A significant progress has been made from 1925 to the present. The Education Department has been reorganized to achieve greater economic solvency and efficiency, performance standards have been raised in the administrative bodies, supervisors and teachers; the reorganization has been carried out in line with progressive ideas of education and a definite effort had been directed to carry out the social and economic objectives of the educational system in Puerto Rico.