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The First Public School is Founded
The first public secondary school, Boston Latin School, was opened in Massachusetts. It was designed as a grammar school for boys who were destined for leadership positions in church or state.
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Free Public Education
The Pennsylvania State Constitution called for free public education for the poor, while wealthy families were still required to pay for their children to attend a public school. -
Boston English Opens
The first tuition-free public high school, Boston English, is opened. It started with 102 students, and was the first public high school to teach no language other than English. -
Fernald State School is Established
Samuel Gridley Howe helped establish the Experimental School for Teaching and Training Idiotic Children, also called the Fernald State School, in Massachusetts. This was the first school established for children with mental disabilities. -
Birth of the Teachers' Union
The National Teachers Association is formed. It started with 100 members, and was created to give educators a united front. It is now called the National Education Association. -
Plessy v Ferguson
A Supreme Court ruling that legalized segregation in the public schools. This is where "separate, but equal" stems from.
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Mandatory Attendance
All states passed laws requiring mandatory school attendance for children through elementary school. -
Brown v Board of Education
This Supreme Court ruling reversed Plessy v Ferguson. It outlawed segregation, and ruled that separate is not equal.
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Banning Prayer
The Supreme Court ruling in Engel v Vitale forbids organized prayer in public schools. This case set a precedent for limiting prayer in public schools. -
Title IX Becomes Law
The Title IX Education Amendments of 1972 prohibit discrimination based on sex. It has become most known for legislating equal treatment and opportunity for girls in school athletics. -
No Child Left Behind
No Child Left Behind, signed into law by President George W. Bush, increased federal funding for education and added in standards-based reform. It increased schools accountability, but also made testing the focus of education, instead of critical thinking.
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