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Free public education for poor
Pennsylvania state constitution calls for free public education but only for poor children. It is expected that rich people will pay for their children's schooling -
First College to admit both genders
Oberlin College becomes the first U.S. college to admit both men and women -
First college for Women
Eighty students arrive at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, the first college for women in the U.S. Its founder/president is Mary Lyon. -
Homestead Act
President Abraham Lincoln signed into law the Homestead Act, a program designed to grant public land to small farmers at low cost. The act gave 160 acres of land to the head of a household who was and 21 years or older.They had to live there for five years.
This wave of immigration forced changes in the nation's schools -
Brown v. Board
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. The Supreme Court unanimously agrees that segregated schools are "inherently unequal" and must be abolished. Almost 45 years later in 1998, schools, especially in the north, are as segregated as ever -
Head Start begins
Head-start program begins as a summer school program founded by Jule Sugarman. -
Education for all Handicapped Children Act
Stated that all physically challenged students are entitled to a fair and appropriate public education. As the courts have interpreted this program, it has led to a large increase in special education classes. Currently, there fight has moved onto mainstreaming of handicapped children in schools. -
Homeschooling legal issues
Homeschool legal defense is established -
Separation of School and State
Marshall Fritz founds the Alliance for the Separation of School and State -
No Child Left Behind Act
This Act set new government test standards that students must reach or the school district may face federal assistance money. This program was set in to help disadvantaged students reach the same goals as advanced students. Some people believe teachers are now teaching to strictly meet those standards.