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Education in the Colonial Period
There were only schools available if people or families in the town or village wanted to pull together their funds to hire a teacher. This was also known as Dame School. Children were give a hornbook that contained the alphabet and a small prayer. -
Impact of Thomas Jefferson
MOST IMPORTANT
Thomas Jefferson was one of the forefathers of education. He drafted a bill that would guarantee three years of public schooling for all children and advanced schooling for a select few. He wanted everyone to get an education that way they could later on serve the country as he did. He even allowed females to attend public schools with a vision that it would prepare them to get married and become mothers. His ideas were often seen as "radical" by others. -
Impact of Noah Webster
He was known as "The School Master of America." He published the Blue-Backed Speller. His book became America's textbook of the English Language. -
Northwest Land Ordinance
The United States enacted this ordinance to establish settlement and political incorporation in the Northwest. Land for schools was designated at this time. -
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Common Schools
These were the first forms of public schools. Towns and villages provided the funds and hired the teachers that would work at these schools. They were often disorganized and were different from town to town. -
Impact of Horace Mann
MOST IMPORTANT
Horace Mann wanted to make public schools better so that everyone would want to use them. He promoted what was known as common schools. Here common knowledge would be taught in all public schools. These schools for him became the places where we "make Americans." It was "common" because elite and poor children could all go to school for free. He started schools on the paths that they are on now. There was a deep connection between Jefferson's and Mann's educational visions. -
Population Growth and Immigration in the 19th Century
Milions of immigrants came over from Europe. Half of New York's population was made up of new immigrants. Most of which were poor Irish Catholics. This posed quite the issue as the public schools were mostly Protestant. The public schools were very uncomfortable for the immigrants because the schools and textbooks were very anti Irish and anti Catholic. -
Roberts vs. The City of Boston
Robert Morris, an African American activist lead the law that was passed banishing segregation in public schools of Massachusetts. It was the first such law in the nation. -
Impact of Catherine Beecher
Catherine promoted female teachers as a civilizing force in the West. She saw teaching as a "woman's moral calling." She founded colleges to educate woman and to train them for teaching out West. She wanted to create a profession for woman. This brought in the caring aspect of schooling. -
Committee of Ten
The Committee of Ten decided that there should be standardization of American high school curriculum. They also wanted to hire more qualified educators for public education -
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Secondary School Movement
From 1910 to 1940, there was must pressure for the need of Secondary Schooling. This was also in consideration for brining completely tax funded. Iowa was one of the first states to begin having Secondary Schooling. -
Impact of John Dewey
John Dewey was known as the "father of Progressive Education." He believed that schools should be anchored on the social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development of a child. His child-centered education approach quickly spread to industrial communities. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
Brown vs Board of Education was a supreme court case which fought against the idea of “separate but equal”. The court ruled that any state laws that supported segregation was unconstitutional. Although this court ruling got ride of segregation in public schools, there was still a lot of racial discrimination happening at the time. -
The Civil Rights Movement
MOST IMPORTANT
The Civil Rights Movement gave equal rights, both in life and education, to African Americans and other races. Schools and other buildings were no longer separated by segregation and discrimination. This opened the doors wide open for African Americans to gain the education that they deserved. Even in today society, the Civil Rights Movement ensures that everyone is treated equal regardless of race or other factors. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act
MOST IMPORTANT
This act is one of the corner stones of what America’s education system is today. It represented a major new commitment of the government to quality and equality in public schooling. Grants for text and library books, low-income students, and scholarships for low-income students made education more accessible.The act constantly changes as educational needs change. Today the government still follows this act. http://www.ed.gov/esea -
Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act
MOST IMPORTANT
This act provided a free, appropriate, public education for all children with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. It brought to the children and adults with disabilities all the glories of equal citizenship. It supported their capabilities and everything they had to bring into our world. They were no longer isolated and hidden away, but showcased. Some now even attend college and are very successful.
http://idea.ed.gov -
A Nation at Risk Report
This report was established by President Ronald Reagan. He felt that our educational system was in crisis due to low standard, lack of purpose, and a failure to strive for excellence. 38 recommendations for reform were presented regarding curriculum, time in school, teacher's wages, and even instruction in foreign language. Standardize testing and curriculum was part of this reform. -
School Choice Movement
The School Choice Movement is a wide array of programs offering children and parents other options besides location assigned public schooling. This includes the options of charter schools, open enrollment for other public schools, homeschooling, and virtual schooling. -
No Child Left Behind Act
The purpose of this act is to create standardized curriculum to raise all children to a higher level in education, regardless of their circumstances. This is a big resource of educational funds. It still gives states the power to design their own curriculum while still sticking to the standardized curriculum.
