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First Public School
The Boston Latin School in Massachusetts was the first public secondary school to open its doors. The school still teaches a contemporary classical education. -
Birth of Teachers' Union
The National Teachers Association was created on a summer afternoon in 1857. It was created to give educators a united front. It started with just 100 members. Today the union is the National Education Association and has more than 3.2 million members. -
Founding of American Federation of Teachers
This American labor union that was founded in 1916 represents the economic, social, and professional interests of classroom teachers. Since 1916, it has expanded to also benefit other departments within the education system. -
Brown v. Board of Education
This court case reversed the Plessy v. Ferguson Act of 1896, outlawing segregation. In this case the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision that separate education facilities are essentially unequal. The case itself was made up of a combination of five different cases from various parts of the country. This was the first step in the long journey toward equaliity within education of the United States. -
Title IX becomes Law
Title IX of the Education Amendments outlawed discrimination based on sex. While many people associated this law with just the participation of girls and women in sports, it was through Title IX that discrimination based on sex in all aspects of education was prohibited. -
A Nation at Risk
President Ronald Reagan's National Commission on Excellence in Education released a report that pointed out the severe underperformance of American schools. The report recognized that while other countries sought advancement and improvement in education, the United States was far behind. Because of this, they pushed to change the American education system so they could, in a way, "catch up" with the times. -
No Child Left Behind
No Child Left Behind was signed into law by President George W. Bush. The law calls for all students, including students with disabilities, to be proficient in math and reading by the year 2014. This law holds schools accountable for the achievement of the students. It also increased federal funding for education. -
Race to the Top Program
The Race to the Top Program is a program set forth by President Barack Obama. It is where schools leading the way on school reform are eligible to compete for $4.35 billion Race to the Top competitive grants to help support education reform and innovation in classrooms.
