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1635 Boston Town
Boston Town officials see the need to hire a "school master" to teach and nurture children. Boston Latin School opened, it was the first American public school. -
1647 General Court, Bay Colony, Massachusetts
Decrees that every town with 50 families should have an elementary school. Every town of hundred families should have a Latin school. -
1779 Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson proposes a two-track educational system "the laboring and the learned". Scholarships would allow a few of the laboring class to advance. -
1785 The Continental Congress
Before the US constitution was ratified, it passed a law calling for a survey of the Northwest Territory (state of Ohio). The law created "Townships" reserving a portion of township for a local school. -
1805 New York Public School
New York Public School Society formed by wealthy businessmen to provide education for poor children. These schools emphasize discipline and obedience qualities that factory owners want in their workers. -
1817 Boston Town Petition
Boston Town meeting calls for establishing a system of free public primary schools. Supported by local merchants, businessman, and wealthy artisans. -
1820 First Public High School Opens
First public high school opens in US Boston English. -
1827 Massachusetts passes a law
Massachusetts passes a law making all grades of public school open to all pupils free of charge. -
1830's Southern States Forbid slaves to learn
Most Southern states have laws to forbid teaching slaves how to read. 5% become literate at great risk. -
1848 Massachusetts Reform School
Massachusetts Reform School at Westboro opens, where children who have refused to attend public schools are sent. This begins a long tradition of "reform schools," which combine the education and juvenile justice systems. -
1851 State of Massachusetts
State of Massachusetts passes first its compulsory education law. The goal is to make sure that the children of poor immigrants get "civilized" and learn obedience and restraint, so they make good workers and don't contribute to social upheaval. -
1896 Plessy vs. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson decision. The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the state of Louisiana has the right to require "separate but equal" railroad cars for Blacks and whites. This decision means that the federal government officially recognizes segregation as legal. One result is that southern states pass laws requiring racial segregation in public schools. Homer Plessy, a mulatto 7/8 white seated himself in the whites only compartment and was challenged by the conductor and was arrested. -
1954 Brown vs. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. The Supreme Court unanimously agrees that segregated schools are "inherently unequal" and must be abolished. Almost 45 years later in 1998, schools, especially in the north, are as segregated as ever. -
1969 Tinker vs. Des Moines
Mary Beth Tinker 13-year-old junior high school student decided to wear a black armband. The black armband she wore was a representation of protest towards the Vietnam War. Mary was asked to remove her armband and was suspended. Four others were suspended including her brother. The courts ruled in her favor 7-2. Making it possible for students at public schools to exercise their rights of the first amendment. -
1972 Title IX
No person in the United States shall, on basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. -
1982 Plyler vs. Doe Immigrant Public Education
States cannot constitutionally deny students a free public education on account of their immigration status.