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History of Public Education
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Creation of Common Schools
By 1920 the Norhteast was moving towards the establishment of organized school systems that were free and accessible to all children. People were not guaranteed the access to education that they would need, therefore a New England lawyer and legislator convinced the nation to create a system of "common schools." This system was cretaed to be available, equal and to have an educational purpose truly common to all. -
Normal Schools
The first normal school was founded in Lexington, Massachesetts which was an establishment of a special state-funded post-secondary institution. This was a step in building newer and bigger schools that organized children into age-based grades. This led to the architectural plan by Mann known as the egg-crate school. This plan replaced the multi-age one-room design with an assignment of students to separate rooms based on the academic abilities that were associated with their age. -
Nineteenth Amendment
The Nineteenth Amendment was ratified, giving women the right to vote. The vote would change the lives and futures of American women. It helped to improve the pay and work conditions for women teachers and created an equal access to education for women. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Oliver Brown argued that his daughter ought to be able to go to the "white" elementary school four blocks from her home rather than the black children's school across town. The U.S. Supreme Court threw out the "separate but equal" presumption and school segregation was prohibited on the basis of race. This was one of the most significant events in America towards equalizing education. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act
President Johnson formalized the role of schools in combating poverty by creating the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The ESEA established a precedent that enlists the federal government's help in equalizing educational opportunity for all children. Over the years it has also helped to provide federal funds for teacher preperation in math, science, and technology.
