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First Education Laws
The Massachusetts Law of 1642 ordered the selectmen of each town to decide whether parents were going to provide for their children's education. It determined what the child was being taught in school and established the principle of compulsory education. The Education Law of 1647 ordered every township of 50 households to provide a teacher to teach reading and writing, and all townships of 100 or more households to establish a grammar school. -
The Impact of Jefferson, Rush, and Webster
Thomas Jefferson argued that the survival of democracy depended on educating ALL Americans and pushed for public education. He proposed the General Diffusion of Knowledge Bill which goal was to provide an elementary school supported by taxes for white children to attend school for 3 years. Benjamin Rush organized the 1st abolition society in Philadelphia. He advocated education for blacks and women. Noah Webster influenced English-based education and published the "Blue-Back Speller." -
Common School 1830-1865
Most Important: The Common School was the first free public school system, funded entirely by tax dollars. It spread open its doors for ALL children. By the time of the Civil War, organized common school systems spread throughout most of the northern and mid-western states. Because of the Common School Movement, K-12 education is free and public to all students. -
Horace Mann's Impact
Horace Mann is known as the "Father of the Common School Movement." He was a strong advocate for this free public school system. In 1837, Horace Mann became the first secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education. In a time period of six years, Horace Mann visited over 1,000 schools observing physical conditions and gave recommendations for improvement. -
Committee of Ten
The Committee of Ten was a working group of educators that recommended the standardization of American High School curriculum. Its chairman was Charles Eliot, the President of Harvard University. They developed a curriculum dominated by college-preparatory courses. -
John Dewey's Impact
John Dewey was a professor of philosophy and pedagogy at the University of Chicago. He is the founder of "progressive education." Dewey argued that education is most effective when it considers the "whole child." The whole child includes not only the intellectual needs of a child, but also the social, emotional, and physical needs of a child. -
Population Growth and Immigration
Immigration of the 19th century nearly doubled. Increased immigration grew the demand for secondary schools. It also grew the demand for more school buildings because classrooms were so packed with school children. Immigration pushed the Civil-Rights Movement forward, not only for African Americans but for Mexican-Americans, Native-Americans, Latin-Americans etc. Finally, Immigration resulted in factory-like urban schools and the English-Only curriculum proposed by Theodore Roosevelt. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
Most Important: Brown vs. Board of Education was a United States Supreme Court case which declared "separate but equal" educational facilities to be unconstitutional. It therefore banned segregation in public schools.
Because of this ruling, our schools have been multicultural, and multiracial ever since. Diversity is huge in American Schools. -
The Civil Rights Act 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a law passed by the United States government that ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination. It stated that if states and school districts refused to desegregate their schools, then they would risk loosing their federal school funding. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Most Important: This Act was first named "Education for All Handicapped Children." The first mission of this Act was to provide free, public education for all children with disabilities (in the least restrictive environment). It includes amendments that authorize programs for early intervention, transition services etc. to provide access to support higher achievement in individuals with disabilities. Because of it, people with disabilities are now attending college. -
The Progressive Reform Movement
The Progressive Education movement emphasized that children actively participate in their learning and that their knowledge grows from direct experience and social interaction etc. Education was "child-centered" rather than subject-centered. Progressive Education focused on the whole child:their intellectual, social, emotional, and physical needs. -
A Nation at Risk Report
Most Important: A Nation at Risk was a report addressed by President Ronald Reagan declaring that "the educational foundations of our society are presently being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future as a nation and a people." It recommended "five new basics" for students seeking a high school diploma. Because of it, education has taught us core subjects and has raised standards for college admission. -
No Child Left Behind Act
Most Important: The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 was signed into law by President George W. Bush. It increased the federal role that schools had to be responsible for the academic success of their students. It pushed for schools to boost academic performance of certain groups of children such as: special education students, English-Language Learners, poor and minority students, etc. Because of it, these students have grown in academic performance significantly. -
Elementary & Secondary Education Act 1965
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act was passed as a part of President Lyndon B. Johnson's "War on Poverty" and has been the most far-reaching federal legislation affecting education ever passed by the United States Congress. It provided assistance to local school districts and low-income students. -
Education in the Colonial Period 1600-1776
During the colonial period, children were taught from the protestant bible, and primer. Some colonial parents paid a fee to send their youngest children to school. The Puritan Religion heavily influenced education in the way that its goal was for religious instruction and salvation. Dame schools were held either in a kitchen or living room of a neighborhood woman. Children used hornbooks to study the alphabet and they would memorize and recite their lessons in front of the teacher.
