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Horace Mann Becomes Secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education
In 1837 Horace Mann was appointed to the new position of Secretary the Massachusetts Board of Education. With this position he pushed for education reforms, in the quality of learning as well as the quality of the environment of learning (i.e. school houses, chairs, and equipment). These schools would later become known as Common Schools.
Unfortunately, these schools would cause problems for Roman Catholic immigrants who didn't want their children learning about protestant ideals in class. -
Native American Boarding Schools Open
In 1864 boarding schools made to house Native Americans are put into use by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The U.S. government would take Native American children from their families and homes to these schools to be "civilized" by the Americans. Children at these schools were not allowed to speak their native language, practice their religion, hold rituals, or anything that connected them with their culture. Conditions for these children were harsh, with some dying. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
In 1892, Homer Plessy, violated a law that segregated whites and blacks on railroad cars in Louisiana. Plessy was then charged, but petitioned that the segregation law violated the 14th Amendment and was therefore unconstitutional. The Louisiana court ruled against Plessy who appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court would rule 7-1 against Plessy and uphold the precedent that separate is equal. -
Brown v. Board of Education
In Topeka, Kansas, the Brown family was not able to enroll their daughter into the elementary school closest to their home because of the color of their skin. The Browns along with other families in a similar situation filed a class action lawsuit against the Board of Education. The local courts ruled against the Browns using Plessy v. Ferguson as a precedent. The Browns appealed to the U.S. Supreme court who unanimously overturned the case and ruled that separate is not equal. -
Little Rock Nine
After the desegregation of schools nationwide, the NAACP registered nine students into Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. The governor tried to prevent the nine students from attending class by using the Arkansas National Guard. President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued Executive order 10730 on September 23rd, to put the National Guard under Federal authority and instead protect the nine students. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act was passed and signed by Lyndon B. Johnson. The goal of this legislation is to create federal funding for elementary and secondary education schools. These funds helped schools get instructional materials including textbooks, and funds for educational support programs. This was also passed for Johnson's "War on Drugs" trying to keep children off the streets and in educational programs. -
Title IX
Title IX was passed as a part of the Education Amendments of 1972. This important piece of legislature prohibits sex-based discrimination in all schools and education programs. This also allowed many women to participate in athletics, and protected their rights to do so safely. The law also is used to protect women who have been victims of sexual harassment and sexual violence. -
Lau v. Nichols
Lau v. Nichols was the result of many Chinese students in San Francisco not receiving adequate English supplementary language instruction. As a result many of those students were struggling in school, and not receiving an equitable education. The Supreme Court decided unanimously in favor of Lau, that schools need to provide programs to help English learners to have a "meaningful" education. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act passed in 1975, helped protect rights for students that have physical and mental disabilities. This act uses federal funds to provide equal education and at least one meal a day for the disabled students. -
Plyler v. Doe
This court case is known for protecting undocumented immigrant children's right to education. The United States Supreme Court found that undocumented children should have the right to go to school. These children are protected under the Equal Protection Clause.