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Common Schools (Horace Mann)
Common schools were funded by local property taxes, charged no tuition, and were open to all white children. Beginning in the 1820s, Horace Mann, the "Great Equalizer", convinced a nation to create a system of common schools - good schools were good business and the future of the economy and democracy depended upon providing a "common" education to all children, no matter where they were born or the whom. The Common School is the precursor to today's public school. -
Impact of John Dewey
John Dewey is considered to be the father of progressive education. Dewey believed that teaching and learning would be different if they focused on physical, emotional, and social development. He demonstrated how children learn by doing and that they should be involved in things that interest them. -
Committee of Ten
The Committee of Ten began as an effort to standardize the curriculum. The entire curriculum was dominated by college prep classes that trained students to develop skills such as observation, memory, expression, and reasoning. This has impacted education today as it was the beginning of the realization that schools needed to be more on the same page of what is being taught in the schools. -
Secondary School Movement
This movement pushed the opportunity to expand education beyond elementary school. This came with the intensified need for skilled workers. Today this impacts education as public schools now require students to continue on to junior high and high school. -
McCollum v. Board of Education
In the case of McCollum v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court ruled that schools cannot allow "released time" during the school day which allows students to participate in religious education in their public school classrooms. -
Brown V. Board of Education
U.S. Supreme Court ruled that segregation of educational facilities has no place in public education. Although it took time before integration began to be implemented, this was a turning point for equalization in education. -
National Defense Education Act
The act increased funding for math and science education in response to the launching of SPUTNIK I -
Civil Rights Movement
The Civil Rights Act prohibited discrimination against students on the basis of race. To implement this new law the government pledged to withhold any funds from schools not complying. Immediate action took place across the nation. This created a ripple effect that impacts us today by equalizing education opportunities. -
ESEA
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act provided 4 billion dollars to aid disadvantaged students. The government stressed the focus on quality and equality of this education. -
IDEA
The Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act provided the opportunity for free, public, and appropriate education for kids with disabilities. This also entailed that this education would be tailored to their needs. -
School Choice Movement
The School Choice Movement pushed the idea that students and parents should have a choice of where to go to school. This gave the opportunity for both parents and students to personally select education opportunities instead of just on the basis of where they live. -
NCLB
The No Child Left Behind Act required more accountability for teachers and schools with test schools. This required at least annual testing to see where students were at and to document progress. Many felt that there were more sanctions than resources provided. -
ESSA
Advances equity by upholding critical protections for America's disadvantaged and high-need students. Requires that all students in America be taught to high academic standards that will prepare them to succeed in college and careers.