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Common Schools
Horace Mann is the man who established common schools for all children; no matter their class, gender, or race. His goal for commons schools was to promote the idea of community. Mann's vision was that public schools would be "the great equalizer". -
Civil Rights Movement
The Civil Rights Movement provided children of color with the opportunity of an equal education; moving forward from the segregated schools. Today all children have the right to an education, no matter their ethnicity, gender, and/or race. -
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act
President Lyndon Johnson was responsible for getting the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) passed in 1965 through his war on poverty. Through the ESEA Johnson started the Head Start programs which offered children the ages three to five who come from low-income families preschool. This would help these children develop school readiness skills. -
Advances in Special Education
In 1975, the public law 94-142 also known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was passed to ensure all children have the right to an education. In 1990 this law became the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Children with learning disabilities, hard of hearing, speech/language impaired, visually handicapped, emotionally disturbed, health impaired, and orthopedically impaired all are allowed to a free and appropriate education and with individualized programs. -
No Child Left Behind Act
This ACT was the governments first serious attempt to hold states and schools accountable for the achievement gap between students. Students were to pass tests in order to ensure schools were able to stay up and running.
