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First Education Laws: Massachusetts - Most Important
These were the first laws regarding education, and were the first push to having public schools made. In 1647 Massachusetts passed another one requiring that all towns establish and maintain public schools. People believed that to be a contributing citizen, one needed to understand the bible and the laws of the land, so education became important. -
Thomas Jefferson
Jefferson proposed a bill for the More General Diffusion of Knowledge. This provided 3 years of public schooling for all children, Public education was essential to democracy. This Bill allowed students to be able to attend school for 3 years that was tax-funded. In 1819 he established the University of Virginia. -
Noah Webster - Most Important
“Father of American Education”. He was a schoolteacher in Connecticut. He pushed to eliminate British textbooks in American classrooms and created the first American text book called, The Blue Back Speller. This book promoted a new national language that was different to British language, and this book was also the basis of our dictionary. -
Common Schools
This was created by Horace Mann. He created districts and established state systems. He pushed for free education for all because it would be tax funded. States start to take control of schools and this shaped how our schools are ran today. Common schools were free tax-funded schools with high quality teachers allowing all common people to attend from low income to wealthy students. -
Frederick Douglas’s Role in Education
The schools were segregated and as African American's met together, led by Douglas, he came up with a protest. 90 African Americans drew up a petition to Boston School Committee that called for an immediate end to segregated schools. Separate causes more and does less and integration needed to be implimented in schools. -
Horace Mann - Most Important
Horrace Mann was the first Secretary Board of Education. He travelled horse back from town to town visiting school and seeing where we can improve. He improved school buildings and added chairs with backs, black boards, and textbooks. He supported teacher trainings in hopes to improve the quality of education and the retention of teachers. He created what was called common schools. Schools that are free of charge so poor could attend, but was high quality taking the rich out of the private scho -
Sarah Roberts
Sarah was a 5 year old admitted into a black school and Sarah's father, Benjamin Roberts tried to enroll Sarah in a better school, but because she was black, all schools refused admission. Outraged, Benjamin Roberts filed his suit 1849 and case reached Supreme Court to push for integration. Chief Justice upheld Sarah Robert’s case. This was the first case of deegregation. -
John Dewey
"Father of the Progressive Movement in Education". He believed education and it’s curriculum should prepare students for the world. He focused on the “Whole Child” and believed that education should be a social experience. He wanted to integrate subjects with social activities. He believed in getting the students up and moving, and that the child should learn to be a better person socially and mentally, and that school is not to just learn the facts. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
Linda Brown enrolled her children into a white public school, but was denied and so the NAACP took this case to the Supreme Court. This was the push to end segregation in school. Supreme Court rules separate facilities are unequal and inhibit education. This was a big push to finally launched desegregation and implement integration. -
Civil Rights Act
This act banned segregation based on color and race along with religion, national origin or gender. Anything that was federally funded must integrate blacks and whites. This equalized not only schools, but work and other public places. -
Following the Civil War
This was during the time of reconstruction of America and Congress required states to guarantee free education to students. Most of the teachers were women, and most administrators were men. -
IDEA
This Act first stated that any child with disabilities has an equal opportunity to free education that is given equal opportunities as a general education student. Teaching is to be accomodated to aid the disabled child in learning. -
No Child Left Behind Act
This Act created standardized testing so that no student was left not fully understanding the information learned. This act was created to fill the gaps of education between students and to give all students the same chance in obtaining their educational goals. -
The Committee of Ten - Most Important
This was a committee wanting to make changes and standardize the curriculum. This committee created “subjects” and they created the standardized 8 years of elementary school, then 4 years of secondary education. They viewed high school as preparation for college. The committee created a range of more practical courses and created courses like foreign languages, mathematics, science, English and history, and were included in each curriculum. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act - Most Important
President Lyndon Johnson and the federal government gave billions of dollars to aid low income and disabled students to be able to go to school. Any school not integrated would get their funds pulled. This pushed students to see a High School diploma no longer as a luxury but as now a necessity.
