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In 1642, Massachusetts required basic education and literacy for all children, which was the first step in mandated education in what would become the USA.
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MOST IMPORTANT: Jefferson, Rush, and Webster were major contributors in the foundation of American public education. They believed that one of the major roles of education was to produce good citizens of high moral character. Webster produced a speller that was used in many schools across the country, helping to create a standard form of English that America still considers part of its culture.
https://publicpolicy.pepperdine.edu/academics/research/policy-review/2008v1/educating-citizens.htm -
MOST IMPORTANT: Horace Mann was a crusader for good public schools. He was instantly and vehemently opposed because people believed users should pay for it, rather than the general public. He persisted and helped to convince the people that education should be free, universal, non-sectarian, and character-building, which values have persisted in schools to this day.
http://www.biography.com/people/horace-mann-9397522#synopsis -
MOST IMPORTANT: Prior to this time, many public schools were Protestant-run and directed, and included religious instruction and xenophobic information about Irish people. When Irish Catholics immigrated to America, they fought for (and gained) the right to be taught in a non-hateful way. This helped to pave the way for separation of church and State for all schools in America.
http://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/archive/nativist-riots-of-1844/ -
This was a movement that helped to make American public schools the norm and studied the efficacy of different methods in producing an educational community while also satisfying students' individual needs.
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A group of ten educators worked together to create a set of standards to recommend for use in secondary schools.
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This was a time during which many high schools were established across the country, providing life skills as well as academic knowledge.
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MOST IMPORTANT: A class action suit was filed against the Topeka, Kansas school board after several black children were denied access to white schools in the district. Their main claim, that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal, was sustained by the Supreme Court and became the standard for the nation. This paved the way for education of students from all different backgrounds, which is still valued in education.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/supremecourt/rights/landmark_brown.html -
MOST IMPORTANT: The launch of the first satellite, Sputnik, by the USSR, prompted American citizens' desire for greater education. Congress passed a law to provide more funding for science curricula in schools across the country. This action was the beginning of a unified effort to strive for excellence in American public schools, which effort continues even now.
https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Sputnik_Spurs_Passage_of_National_Defense_Education_Act.htm -
Lyndon B. Johnson determined to put education at the forefront of his "War on Poverty" and wanted to provide equal opportunity education to all students regardless of economic status. To accomplish this, federal funds were provided to gain additional educational resources in schools.
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This law mandates a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment with an individualized education program for all students with disabilities, allowing many into public schools who were previously not permitted.
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Ronald Reagan asserted that schools were failing to serve their function, causing another huge push for reform and refreshing the fight for excellence in student performance.
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This movement called for clear, measurable standards by which students can be assessed to determine that their education is successful. Students are no longer judged by their placement in a bell curve, but by how they perform against the set standards.
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Rather than mandated public schooling, parents can now choose what kind of schooling their children will receive based on what is best for the child. Some options include public school, homeschooling, charter schools, and voucher programs.
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This law, enacted by President George W. Bush, called for more accountability of schools, including annual testing, annual progress, report cards, and heightened teacher qualifications. It was almost universally supported at its inception, but support fell away over time and it was replaced in 2015 by the Every Student Succeeds Act, which turned most of the responsibility for education back to the states.
