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Pilgrims Come to America
American public education has a unique function, just like every other nation has their own way of educating their citizens. When the pilgrims settled in America, they brought their own ideas along with ideas from their home country. Without this mix of ideas and their desire for freedom, we would not have our current public education system. -
1st Amendment Ratified
The 1st Amendment being adopted is a large part of the reason that our public school system is secular. A secular school system means that no one is excluded because of their religious affiliations and ideas. -
Horace Mann Becomes Secretary of Massachusetts State Board of Education
Horace Mann helped bring education to the forefront of people's minds and to increase public school funding. He also pushed for more thorough teacher training. Well trained teachers and funding for the public school system are two key fixtures of a quality education. -
National Defense Education Act Signed Into Law
The NDEA Act provided funding for science, mathematics, and foreign language, which are now very large parts of the core curriculum used in public schools. The study of these subjects has helped our country move forward more quickly and make advancements that would not have been possible otherwise. -
Common Core Standards Initiative Introduced
Common Core Standards have had a significant effect on modern public schooling. The initiative introduced many changes to the curriculum being taught in classrooms and has affected the way teachers teach and students learn. Despite the disagreements over whether this is the best option for our public schools, it appears that these standards are here to stay.
