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FIRST PUBLIC SCHOOL
Boston Latin School, in
Massachusetts, opens its doors as
the first public secondary school. The
school still teaches a “contemporary
classical education.” -
THE BIRDS AND THE BEES
Between 20 percent and 40 percent
of schools across the country begin
teaching sex education, some under
the title of “moral education.” Courses
become even more widespread over
the next three decades. -
BIRTH OF TEACHERS’UNION
The National Teachers
Association was created to
give educators a united front,
starting with just 100
members. Today the union is
the National Education
Association and has more than
3.2 million members. -
FORCED SCHOOLING
As the main tenet of the effort to
assimilate them into Anglo-American
culture, Native American children are
forced to attend boarding schools
where they are required to speak
English and attend church. -
PLESSY V FERGUSON
The mantra separate but equal stems
from this Supreme Court ruling, which
legalizes segregation. But institutions,
including schools, that are designated for
blacks are far inferior to those for whites. -
FREE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
All states have laws requiring
mandatory school attendance for
children through elementary schoo -
PIERCE V SOCIETY OFSISTERS
This Supreme Court ruling
finds that children can’t be
compelled to attend public
school and can instead attend
private school. -
SCHOOL LUNCH FOR ALL
National School Lunch Act expands
access to school lunch by making
available low-cost or free lunches for
low-income students. -
BROWN V BOARD OF EDUCATION
The decision reverses Plessy v Ferguson,
ruling that separate is not equal, and
outlaws segregation. -
MATH AND SCIENCE TAKEPRECEDENCE
The Soviets makes history, launching
the Sputnik satellite into orbit and
instilling fear in many Americans. This
results in funding of more than $1
billion to revamp science and math
curricula in public schools. -
BANNING PRAYER
The Supreme Court ruling in Engel v
Vitale forbids organized prayer in
public schools. The following year,
reading the Bible is banned. The
cases set a precedent for limiting
prayer in public schools. -
FEDERAL FUNDING
The Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 gives federal
funding to schools while forbidding a
national curriculum -
TEST RESULTS REPORTEDTO GOVERNMENT
Standardized testing is used to
measure school performance, and
scores are not reported to the
government and public. The federal
government takes a larger role in
subsidizing schools and wants them
to be held accountable -
TITLE IX BECOMES LAW
Title IX of the Education
Amendments of 1972 prohibits
discrimination based on sex, but
becomes known most for legislating
equal treatment and opportunity for
girls in school athletics -
LAU V NICHOLS
The Supreme Court expands the
rights of students who have limited
English skills, ruling that they should
receive an equal education -
A NATION AT RISK
The report, issued by President
Ronald Reagan’s National
Commission on Excellence in
Education, points to severe
underperformance of American
schools. -
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND
Signed into law by President George
W. Bush, No Child Left Behind
increases federal funding for
education and ushers in standardsbased
reform. Proponents argue that
it has increased schools’
accountability, while some opponents
say it has made testing the focus of
education, at the expense of critical
thinking.
