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Boston Latin School
The Boston Latin School is a public "exam school" in Boston, Massachusetts. Established on April 23, 1635, by Sir Aidan Patrick Kelly, it is arguably either the oldest or second oldest school as well as the first public school in the United States -
The Massachusetts School Law of 1647
A law passed in Massachusetts requires towns with fifty or more families to hire a teacher, and towns with a hundred or more families to build a grammar school. -
Individual states take control of education
Individual states take control of education when the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified. -
Noah Webster (1758-1843)
Believed in cultural independence through a distinctive national language. Believed in Created the Blue-back speller. He also supported the education of women, because they would be the mothers of future citizens and the teachers ofyouth. However, he envisioned a rather limited and"female"educationfor them and counseled parents against sending their daughters to "demoraliZing" boarding schools -
Horace Mann "The Father of American Education"
He became a spokesperson for the common school movement, and led a campaign to organize schools in Massachusetts into a state system. Also established a state board of education. He also campaigned vigorously to increase public support for education and public awareness of the problems facing education. Was also critical of the status of the teaching profession and the training of teachers. This still affects public schools and the training of teachers currently. There is still a BOE. -
Roberts vs City of Boston
A court case seeking to end racial discrimination in Boston public schools. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in favor of Boston, finding no constitutional basis for the suit. -
Plessy Vs. Ferguson
A landmark constitutional law case of the US Supreme Court. It upheld state racial segregation laws for public facilities under the doctrine of "separate but equal". -
The Great Depression
In many states, especially in the hard-pressed South and Southwest, schools were closed or the school year shortened. By the first quarter of 1934 an estimated 20,000 schools nationwide, including 85% of the public schools in Alabama, had closed, affecting more than 1 million pupils. -
World War II
A large numbers of teachers left the classroom for the battlefield, and enrollment dropped significantly as youth chose not to return to school or to go to work. By the end of the war more than one-third of the teachers employed had left teaching. High school enrollments declined from 6.7 million in 1941 to 5.5 million in 1944. In addition, financial support, which was already low because of the depression, was further reduced as funds were diverted from education to the war effort. -
**Brown vs Board of Education
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that segregated educational facilities have no place in public education and generate a feeling of inferiority that affects the child's motivation to learn Brown marked the beginning of the Civil Rights revolution. Although the Civil Rights movement began with Blacks, the general principles of the movement were later applied to advancing the rights of women, racial and ethnic groups, the aged, and the disabled -
Sputnik & NDEA, 1957-58
After the Soviet Union launched the first-ever satellite, Sputnik,in 1957, President Eisenhower implemented this act in 1958 to strengthen the national defense and to encourage and assist in the expansion and improvement of educational programs to meet critical national needs and for other purposes. There is still currently a push to improve educational programs that will allow the U.S. to better compete in the global markets. -
Vocational Educational Act of 1963
Quadrupled federal funds for vocational education. -
Civil Rights Movement 1954-1968
A mass protest movement against racial segregation and discrimination in the southern United States. It began when Rosa Parks, an African-American woman, was arrested for refusing to move to the back of the bus in Montgomery, Alabama. This obviously still has an affect on the education system because there is no segregation. However, some feel there is still discrimination, as evidenced by the Black Lives Matter movement. This is an ongoing issue. -
Individuals with Disabilities Act 1975
Ensured that children with disabilities have the opportunity to receive a free appropriate public education, just like other children. It guaranteed access to a free, appropriate, public education in the least restrictive environment to every child with a disability. This is still influencing education, as many students now have IEPs, 504s, and other documents to ensure they are getting an appropriate education. -
No Child Left Behind Act
Requires all public schools receiving federal funding to administer a state-wide standardized test annually to all students. This means that all students take the same test under the same conditions. This still has an impact on education, as students are still being vigorously tested, and it is forcing teachers to "teach to the test."
