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Colonial Education
By the 1620's English colonists thought of their colonies as permanent self sustaining communities. The English colonists created schools which advanced English ideas, customs, language, law and literature. The English educational system was more extensive than the educational systems created by settlers from other countries. (Kaplan & Owings p. 101) These early colonial schools built the foundation of our current American education system. -
Horace Mann the "Father of American Education"
Through force of personality, Horace Mann convinced the American people that education should be universal and free. Mann was an innovator who recognized the student as a learner. He realized that all children were different and therefore teachers needed to adapt their lessons plans to accommodate all students. Mann's efforts of free education lead to a more educated population. Mann's influence was significant and permanent in the American education system. (Kaplan & Owings p.130) -
Brown vs. The Board of Education
In a unanimous 1954 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed that segregated public schools were not equal and thereby depriving the children of the equal protection of the laws. "Separate but equal" practices denied African American students equal protection under the laws. The ruling in the Brown case became a watershed moment for the American education and for larger society as well.(Kaplan & Owings, p. 151) -
A Nation at Risk
In 1983, A Nation at Risk, a report of the National Commission on Excellence in Education, sharply criticized public schools. The report claimed that American students were scoring poorly on international tests. American schools were no longer being looked at with justifiable pride instead they were considered to be mediocre. The Nation at Risk article put public education in the spotlight and efforts towards strengthening the public school system increased. (Kaplan and Owings p. 161-163) -
National Education Goals
In 1994, President Clinton signed legislation that ordered states to set achievement standards, measure student's performance against them, and improve schools with students who did not make the grade. (Kaplan & Owings p. 164). This legislation lead other Presidents to come up with their own programs to try to ensure that all American students were receiving an adequate education. President Bush came up with No Child Left Behind and President Obama enacted the Race to the Top grant program.
