Important Events in American Education

By philpil87

  • Franklin's Academy opens in Philadelphia

    In 1751, the Philadelphia academy was opened. The school was based on the educational ideas of Benjamin Franklin. The academy departed from European schools by being free of religious influence, and offering a practical curriculum. Students were allowed to choose some of the courses they would take. The principle of a non-sectarian curriculum with elective courses continues to be a guiding principle of American education.
    (Teachers, Schools, and Society pg. 214)

  • A bill for the more general diffusion of knowledge

    After the American revolution, Thomas Jefferson proposed "A bill for the more general diffusion of Knowledge." The bill would have created county schools for the education of all white children, rich or poor. The expanded idea that all children should be educated at taxpayer expense can be traced to the work of Thomas Jefferson. More info: (https://www.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/92uva/92facts1.htm)

  • Common schools movement

    The common schools movement, spearheaded by Horace Mann, sought to create elementary schools that were free for all children. Schools would be paid for through taxation. Today, the idea that all children should be educated through funds provided by the state forms the bedrock of American educational policy. (Teachers, schools, and Society pg. 216)

  • Kalamazoo, Michigan Court Case

    This court case established the principal that taxes could be used to pay for secondary school. This was a major victory for the secondary school movement, an extension of the common school movement. Today High schools are an integral part of the structure of American education.
    More info: (http://www.kpl.gov/local-history/education/kalamazoo-school-case.aspx)

  • First Junior High School established

    The first Junior High School was established in 1909 in Columbus, Ohio. It was founded to meet the specific educational and psychological needs of pre-adolescents. Junior High and Middle schools would spread across the country and complete the modern structure of American public education.
    ( Teachers, Schools, and Society pg. 221)