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Horace Mann's Common School
Horace Mann is viewed as the Father of American Education. In 1827, he started the Common School Movement, America's first government funded and regulated public school. Mann advocated that education was a fundamental human right and a necessity for educating America's future voters. He envisioned schools as the great equalizer that would end poverty and social class distinctions in America. His revolutionary ideas on education helped shape the early model of the public school we know today. -
The Cardinal Principles Report of 1918
The Cardinal Principles Report recognized that high schools needed programs that went beyond traditional methods. To meet the needs of a diverse student body, instruction on liberal arts, vocational skills, citizenship education, physical education, and instruction on personal hygiene were offered. This placed value on the skills that would prepare students for life and work. These ideas moved schools in the direction of educating the whole student and are still practiced in our schools today. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
This Supreme Court ruling declared that school segregation was unconstitutional. A decision that changed the face of America's educational system and opened the doors for many students of color. Although the progress has been slow, the discussion to desegregate schools was a step in the direction of equality. -
Individuals with Disabilities Act
Early versions of this law started in the early 1970's, which included children with disabilities in the public school setting. This changed the role of education in yet another direction towards equality. Meeting the needs of all students opened up opportunities not only for the student and their family, but also for the development of special education as a career focus. -
The World Wide Web
Technology has always affected the American public school classroom. However, the launch of the Internet in August of 1991 has and will continue to shape the process and possibilities used in education. With the introduction of online and virtual learning, classroom may become a thing of the past.
