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First Public High School
Boston English High School, one of the first public high schools in the U.S., opens. http://www.eds-resources.com/educationhistorytimeline.html -
First Women College
Eighty students arrive at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, the first college for women in the U.S. Its founder/president is Mary Lyon. -
Normal School
The first state funded school specifically for teacher education (then known as "normal" schools) opens in Lexington, Massachusetts. -
First Kindergarten
The first kindergarten in the U.S. is started in Watertown, Wisconsin, founded by Margarethe Schurz. Four years later, Elizabeth Palmer Peabody opens the first "formal" kindergarten in Boston, MA. -
Department of Education
The Department of Education is created in order to help states establish effective school systems. -
First Community College
Joliet Junior College, in Joliet, Illinois, opens. It is the first public community college in the U.S. -
Ellen Swallow Richards
Ellen Swallow Richards, chemist, prominent water scientist, and the first woman to attend MIT, is instrumental in founding the American Home Economics Association, now the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. -
Brown vs Board of Education
May 17th, the U.S. Supreme Court announces its decision in the case of Brown v. Board. of Education of Topeka, ruling that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal," thus overturning its previous ruling in the 1896 case of Plessy v. Ferguson. Brown v. Board of Education is actually a combination of five cases from different parts of the country. It is a historic first step in the long and still unfinished journey toward equality in U.S. education. https://youtu.be/bEQ1uG4PZcA -
No Child Left Behind
The controversial No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is approved by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush on January 8, 2002. The law, which reauthorizes the ESEA of 1965 and replaces the Bilingual Education Act of 1968, mandates high-stakes student testing, holds schools accountable for student achievement levels, and provides penalties for schools that do not make adequate yearly progress toward meeting the goals of NCLB. -
First Budget Cuts in Schools
With the U.S. economy mired in the "great recession" and unemployment remaining high, states have massive budget deficits. Many teachers face layoffs..
