-
First Latin Grammar School
In Boston, the first public school was established. It offered free education to white boys of any status, rich or poor. -
First College
Harvard University was originally named "New College" and was founded by Minister John Harvard in Newtowne (Cambridge), Massachusetts. Its initial purpose was to educate the clergy but is now a very prestigious ivy league school. -
First Textbook
The New England Primer was the first elementary reading book for students published by Benjamin Harris who came to Boston in 1687. It was 3x5 inches and had 88 pages teaching basic reading skills and about God. -
First Speller *Important Event*
Noah Webster created the "Blue-backed Speller" to help students pronounce words correctly and to teach about America. He wanted to replace British textbooks and make George Washington the most prominent figure.He organized his speller beginning with the alphabet and moving through the sounds of vowels and consonants, then syllables, then simple words, then more complex words, then sentences. It is the forerunner to our current day Webster's Dictionary.
https://vimeo.com/111018690 -
First Academy for Girls
The Young Ladies Academy of Philadelphia was founded in 1787 to give girls an education equal to that of boys. The young ladies who attended these academies were generally from relatively wealthy families. Women from more modest families usually had to be content with basic literacy, learned in the home or in community schools. -
First State Governed School
The Tenth Amendment was introduced to the U.S. Constitution by James Madison. It enabled education to become a function of the states rather than the national government. -
First Public School Opens
"At first, publicly supported education only continued through grammar school. The first free high school was established in Boston in 1821. The Massachusetts State Board of Education recommended that free high schools be instituted everywhere to be instructed by persons "of good morals," who would be competent to given instruction in diverse subjects ranging from U.S. history to bookkeeping." (https://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h3530.html) -
First Secretary of Education
Horace Mann was a reformer from Massachusetts who wanted to serve the economy and believed in building institutions. He believed that we should, "Educate in a proper way and for a good cause only," and felt that all citizens should pay for children's education. He wanted everyone taught a "common body of knowledge" that would give all students an equal chance in life because he didn't want the family one was born into to determine their station. He was called "The Equalizer of men." -
First Compulsory Education Laws
Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to enact a compulsory education law in 1852, having already passed a similar law in 1647 when it was still a British colony. The 1852 law required every city and town to offer primary school teahing grammar and basic arithmetic. Parents who refused to send their children to school were fined and some stripped of their parental rights, and their children apprenticed to others. They were trying to help immigrant children become skilled workers. -
First Court Case to Affect Education
Plessy v. Ferguson (U.S. Supreme Court) passed the “separate but equal” doctrine for assessing the constitutionality of racial segregation laws. This was the first major inquiry into the meaning of the 14th Amendment’s equal-protection clause, which prohibits the states from denying “equal protection of the laws” to any person within their jurisdictions. This allowed racial segregation by means of separate and supposedly equal public facilities and services for blacks and whites. -
First Montessori School Opened in NY
Dr. Maria Montessori, Italy's first female doctor, opened the Casa dei Bambini (Children's House) to provide education to low-income children in Rome. Instead of using traditional teaching methods, she began testing her own child-centered educational theories in the classroom. She focused on each child's own development stage, encouraged them to take ownership of what they wanted to learn and helped each child create a personalized education that played to that child’s strengths. -
First Hands-on Teaching Method
John Dewey, Father of Progression of Education, thought that the whole child (emotional, social, and intellectual) needed to be taught. This would make the students more engaged in school and make it more enjoyable for them. He believed that the successful classroom teacher possesses a passion for knowledge and an intellectual curiosity in the materials and methods they teach.The students thrive in an environment where they are allowed to experience and interact with the curriculum. -
First Desegregation Act *Important Event*
Brown vs Board of Education ruled that State-sanctioned segregation of public schools was a violation of the 14th amendment and was therefore unconstitutional. This historic decision marked the end of the "separate but equal" precedent set by the Supreme Court nearly 60 years earlier in Plessy v. Ferguson and served as a catalyst for the expanding civil rights movement during the decade of the 1950s. -
First Official Government Funding of Schools *Important Event*
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was passed as a part of United States President Lyndon B. Johnson's "War on Poverty." The act funded primary and secondary education. The bill shortened the achievement gaps between students by providing each child with equal opportunities to achieve an exceptional education. The funds were for professional development, instructional materials, for resources to support educational programs, and for parental involvement promotion. -
First Public Law for Students with Disabilities (IDEA-1975) *Important Event*
The Education of Handicapped Children Act supports special education and related services for students with disabilities. Law ensured that children with disabilities be granted a "free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment." All children with an identified disability receive special education & related services to address their individual needs, are prepared for employment & independent living, rights of children with disabilities & their families are protected. -
First National Implementation of Standardized Testing
President Ronald Reagan's, "A Nation at Risk" report stated that the economy had changed in terms of global competitiveness, and schools were no longer adequately preparing our students for work or college. He instituted many new education reforms including more and longer school days, higher graduation standards, and national standardized testing. This controversial report drew attention to the importance of education policy and led to a focus on school accountability.
