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The New England Primer
One of the first textbooks of the American colonies, this text reinforced the protestant religion and taught literacy so that the bible could be read. -
Massachusetts Education
Massachusetts made it's first step towards compulsory education, whereas a master or parent was obligated to provide education for their charge, at risk of removal to another master. -
IMPORTANT Noah Webster
Link text Noah Webster of dictionary fame, created the blue back speller as a way for newly created American citizens to be able to reject English authored textbooks. It was his belief that a common people should have common knowledge, and the formation of words with prefix, suffix and root accomplished literacy. Providing the foundation of the American English language and also reinforced the protestant catechism through moral fables. -
Benjamin Rush
The abolitionist Benjamin Rush (1745-1813) of Pennsylvania proposed a free national school plan, in which municipalities paid taxes to ensure education to all children regardless of the income of their parents. -
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Secondary School Movement
The need for increased education and preparation for the workforce encouraged cities like Boston (1821) and Lowell, Mass. (1831) to offer comprehensive, coed high schools. By 1918 all states had laws guaranteeing high schools for citizens. -
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The Common School Movement
The Common School Movement was a multi-state effort in the United States to develop an educational system that had state control (ie Board's of Education, and Administration), state funding (supplied by tax payers) and state curriculum -
IMPORTANT Horace Mann
Link text Horace Mann was one of the leading proponents of a common education system, in 1837 he became secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education, and acted as superintendent, traveling to schools and making recommendations that last today, such as state funding for better facilities and qualified teachers (he thought women would beneficially bring the home into the classroom). Many of his suggestions last today. -
IMPORTANT NYC School Board holds elections for office.
Link text Following debates by Irish Catholic bishop John Hughes, the people of New York rioted in order to force the protestant authorities to allow non specific secular ideals in their children's schools. As a result the Catholic, Presbyterian, and Jewish voices were able to be heard in the Elections of the NYC school board. -
IMPORTANT John Dewey
Link text A professor of Philosophy and Pedagogy at the University of Chicago, Dewey emphasized that children should be seen as a total organism and that education should be CHILD not subject centered. It was the schools responsibility to fulfill the social, emotional, and physical needs along with the intellectual. -
IQ Assessment and War
World War One had profound effects on American Education, the lack of physical and intellectual proficiency of war recruits caused the United States government to apply Simon-Binet IQ tests to see who was the most qualified for what position in the military. This form of testing became a standard of measurement http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-one/10539494/The-West-has-lost-control-of-the-world-and-disaster-awaits.html -
WW2
Much like WWI, the second world war required assessments for the military to decide job aptitude, but unlike the first war the American economy had developed into a total war machine. As such there was a requirement for American students to contribute in any way that they could. The 1944 GI bill allowed many young men to return home and finish their educations -
IMPORTANT Brown verse Board of Education
https://www.nps.gov/brvb/index.htm Brown V. Board continued the pattern of opening education and was a combined multi-city effort by the NAACP to end segregation in schools. The epicenter was Topeka, Kansas and violent outcry on both sides was heard.It got the ball rolling but many southern states ignored the findings and over 30,000 African American teachers lost their jobs to white teachers because of desegregation.Not till the 1965 Civil Rights Act by LBJ did states abide. -
1975 EAHCA education for all handicapped children act
This act would be expanded upon by the 1990 IDEA act, but required states to provide free and appropriate education for children with disabilities and introduced IEP's or Individual Education Plans -
1983 A Nation At Risk
Issued in the presidency of Ronald Reagan, the report stressed the restructuring of American education in order to compete with other advanced nations. Standardized tests were now the norm. During the Cold War, the report emphasized the importance of Science, Technology, Math and Foreign languages and pulled funding from the arts. -
IMPORTANT No Child Left Behind
http://www.edweek.org/ew/section/multimedia/no-child-left-behind-overview-definition-summary.html No Child Left Behind issued by George W. Bush, focused on measurement and responsibility. Each state was required to formulate it's own individual curriculum assessment to measure the learning of individual students, teachers, and communities withholding funding if not complied with. It has been replaced with the Every Child Succeeds Act by Barack Obama that has a relaxed focus on testing.
