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Horace Mann Takes Hold
Horace Mann, "The Father of American Education", was quintessential in transforming the American education system. He was the first of his time to believe and recognize each student as an individual learner. He knew that memorization and recitation were not effective and believed that teachers would need to adapt their lessons to accommodate the different learning skills of their students for effective education. Mann championed teaching for all students and his influence was permanent. -
Continuing A Legacy: John Dewey
Dewey believed that society was a key part of education. His emphasis was on how students needed to develop insights and a sense of community consciousness. Schools should become a place ehre students embraced their differences and commonalities, where vocation and education could coexist and where tolerances prevailed. He developed that by teaching life skills, you could attribute that to education. Over time, his work changed both teachings and learning in the public education system. -
Brown v. Board of Education: Separate But Equal No More
Brown v. B of E was quintesential in shaping education for all African Americans at that time. While others failed before, the question remained, could segregated schools be equal and allow African American children equal protection under the laws? In 1954 the Supreme Court ruled no, that separate but equal was not equal. They determined that we needed to prepare all students to be good citizens and get them ready for professions later in life. While it took years to do, it was a pivotal point. -
Public Law 94-142: Finally A Good IDEA
What about our special education base? There were 8 million students and only 4 million of those were able to receive and education prior to 1975. Finally, congress got on board with the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. The law specified they had the right to free and appropriate education, individualized education program, special ed. services, due process procedures and LRE (least restrictive environment) in which to learn. This continued the fight for inclusive teaching. -
A Nation At Risk
The precipice of the report was that we were becoming "too" student-centered and no longer curriculum centered. We as a country were failing academically and our foreign powers were going to take over. Standardized testing took hold for all along with a rigorous high-end curriculum no matter the student skill level. It put public education front and center on a national level. While it weakened the system in some areas it did focus attention on how to strengthen them in others.
