Timeline of the History of Public Education in America

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    The American Colonial Period

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    The Common school

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    The American Early National Period

  • 3 years of public school for "all" children

    Jefferson allowed schooling for kids for 3 years. Then a small group would continue education.
    Enslaved people were not allowed schooling.
  • Blue-backed Speller

    Noah Webster released a book for kids in schools to read and spell.
  • Horace Mann paragon for Public Schools

    Horace Mann would go around to public schools on a horse and assess whether or not they were good quality. Creating reform for Common Schools that the government would pay for.
  • New York's issues with Religion in Public Schools

    At the time most schools students were Protestants. A lot of Irish Catholic were immigrating to New York and going to these schools. Creating conflict among Catholics and Protestants and the conversation of religion in public schools.
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    The American Common School Period

  • NYC Board of Education

    The New York City Board of Education was created. This meant they could figure out of funding for these public schools.
  • Bible Riots In Philadelphia

    The Bible riots were a conflict between Catholics and Protestants over how religion should be presented in public schools in Philadelphia. Over 13 people died.
  • Frederick Douglass Meeting

    Overall, School Boards defended segregation in public schools. At the time most African Americans were put into poor segregated schools.
  • Case of Sarah Roberts

    Sarah Roberts was one of many children who were forced to go to Black-only schools. On her way to this school there was 5 other ones that denied her. Unfortunately, Roberts lost their case.
  • Massachusetts abolished public school segregation

  • Civil War ended

  • Kindergarten Expansion to 1900

    By the 1900s, the Kindergarten Movement was expanding, encouraging the development of student's education to start at a young age.
  • Common School - who would be teachers?

    During the Colonial period most teachers were women. This was a way to find jobs for women.
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    The American Progressive Period

  • By 1890 there were more schools than any other nation

  • John Dewey

    John Dewey was a theorist who was focused on reforming schools by a progressive education. The idea of students learning by doing.
  • Compulsory Education Laws

    Required children of ages 8 to 18 years old to regularly attend school.
  • Progressive Education Movement

    Believed in student participation and engagement. Which also helped citizens with social, political and economic benefits.
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    As American as Public School

  • IQ Testing 1905

    1905 Binet's and Simon's IQ test was the first recognized.
    Later, IQ tests were administered for those who were enlisted in the army who were entering World War 1.
  • Montessori School

    The first Montessori school opened in NY in 1911. Montessori school focused on what the students wanted to do. Gave students resources to help engage in their learning.
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    The Industrial Revolution

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    The Great Depression

    In 1929 the stock market crashed, overproduction, high employment rates and government policies. This caused people to lose their jobs and businesses. This caused children's education to decrease in quality with little resources. Students quit schools to get jobs in farms/factories.
  • Topeka Kansas Capital

    Schools were segregated - separate but unequal
    Lawyers of NACCP were visiting schools to prove the issues with segregation in education.
  • FLSA

    The fair labor standards acts was enacted to protect the rights of children. So their work did not hurt their health, education and safety.
  • Post war

    1950s generation were the post war baby boomers
    Schools had to prepare students of bombs
    There weren't any women teams in schools
    Segregation within classes
    72% of disabled children were not in schools
  • Leading to Brown v Board in Topeka

    The NACCP advised 13 African American families to enlist their children into local white schools. All 13 children were turned away.
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    A Struggle for Educational Equality

  • Brown v Board of Education

    Brown v Board of Education found schools that were "separate but equal" were unconstitutional. This is a very famous case because overall it paved the way for Civil Rights movement and desegregation in institutions.
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    The Civil Rights Movement

  • The Supreme Court ruled seperate facilities were unequal

  • Little Rock, Arkansas

    9 African American students were meant with hostility and the National Guard when trying to enter the integrated school Little Rock.
  • Chicano/a Movement

    After the Civil Rights movement, the Chicano/a movement created awareness of Mexican-American culture and people.
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    Women's Right Movement

    Women were fighting for equal rights
  • Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn into Presidency

    After Kennedy was assassinated, his running mate Johnson became president. Johnson was a teacher, he believed an equal chance at education created an equal chance to life.
  • Civil Rights Act

    Johnson signed the act that enforced schools to integrate if they did not, funding would be taken away. It prohibited discrimination in public places and discrimination in employment illegal.
  • Elementary and Secondary Education Act

    Gave colleges resources and help students financially.
  • Crystal Lake Schools

    In the Southwest most Mexican-Americans never made it to high school, they were discouraged. In the schools, 87% of the students were Mexican-American while their teachers were primarily white. Parents and students focused on the School Board to make change - 4 out of 7 board members were Mexican-American. This allowed them to speak Spanish, learn Chicano culture, and brought students back into the classroom.
  • Title IX

    A federal law stating institutions could not discriminate based on sex or gender and are treated fairly. In 1974 The federal government was charge for not enforcing Title IX and helped create resources for women. This also helps create IDEA act.
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    Bussing in the 1970s

    The U.S. Supreme Court accepted bussing students to different schools so they could integrate schools.
  • The Choice Experiment

    In East Harlem, allowed students to choose which schools they wanted to go to. Schools that did not have enough students would be shut down, this would motivate other schools to be better in fear of being shut down.
  • Bilingual Education Policy

    Provided resources for students with limited English speaking, creating programs so they are not forced to lose their culture/language.
  • Education for All Handicapped Children Act

    To protect the rights of children with disabilities. This was incredibly important for families and communities of disabled individuals to help get their needs met.
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    The Bottom Line in Education

  • A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform

  • A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform

    President Ronald Reagan spoke to the nation to reform the public education. He saw public education as failing since other countries were succeeding economically. Reagan believed public education was to raise people to become a part of the economy. This created the idea for schools being excellent, higher expectations, and this created high stakes testing.
  • Tesseract School

    A private company EAI in Baltimore helped fund public schools. Focused on teaching high tech education. Would cut teachers unions and replaced teachers with interns. Would earn money by putting sponsers around the schools.
    This had a lot of traction even the first lady Hilary Clinton.
    When tested students did not do any better than regular public schools so this did not last long
  • Voucher System

    In Wisconsin passed the first voucher system. This gave 400 low-income children to go to private schools.
  • Homeschooling made Legal

    Late 1990s right winged Christians made homeschooling legal in all 50 states.
  • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

    Reauthorized and renamed from the 1975 act. Allows disabled students to be able to go to school and get the support they need in the classroom.
  • Government gave 80 million dollars to Charter Schools

  • Core Knowledge cirriculum

    Had a traditional teacher approach that centered the teacher to the students. Focused on equity and giving the same content to the entire country.
  • Progressive Approach

    Focused on critical thinking skills. Learned by doing and more project based.