-
MOST IMPORTANT First Education Laws: Massachusetts
The Massachusetts Bay colony passed the first law requiring children to be taught to read and write. Later another law was passed requiring all towns to establish and maintain public schools. Without this first education law, who knows where our educational laws and practices would be today.
http://www.massmoments.org/moment.cfm?mid=113 -
Northwest Land Ordinance
Since people were moving west, and every town with 50 or more households was required to have a school. This caused for many schools to be built. Many of them were all ages taught by one teacher. -
Monitorial Schools, Charity Schools, & Infant Schools
These types of schools were some of the first. They each served a different purpose, but they taught the only education most children received at that time. -
The Impact of Jefferson, Rush, & Webster
Jefferson proposed the idea of three years of schooling for all white children. Rush believed in free public education, as well as colleges where science, law, physics, etc. could be taught. Webster believed schools should teach patriotism, by creating a distinct national language and curriculum. -
MOST IMPORTANT Impact of Horace Mann "Father of American Education"
He was the first secretary of the Board of Education. He standardized schools, hired more qualified teachers, and helped improve educational legislation and practices. If he had not developed the first normal schools, the development of today's schools would not be where it is. http://www.pbs.org/onlyateacher/horace.html -
Frederick Douglas’s Role in Education
He was an escaped slave and noted abolitionist. He wanted admission for black children into the best schools in their own neighborhoods, and fought to end segregation in public schools. -
The Progressive Reform Movement
Fought for ban on child labor, compulsory attendance for school, and celebrating all skills. School needed to be more efficient and benefit students. -
Committee of Ten
Recommended early introduction to basic subjects, and uniform subject matter for high school and college bound students. Recommended subjects were Latin-scientific, modern language and English. -
MOST IMPORTANT The Impact of John Dewey
Father of progressive education, who taught that if schools were about the development of children, that education would be more productive than focusing on books, and the teacher. Children need to learn by doing, and learn not only how to do schoolwork, but also manners, trade skills, and home economics. Thanks to Dewey we have the curriculum that we do, and we can learn about many more subjects. http://www.pbs.org/onlyateacher/john.html -
Secondary School Movement
There was a demand for more skilled workers, so more students went to high school. Many also attended high school because there were child labor laws, as well as compulsory attendance laws that required children to go to school -
The Impact of WW2
Schools had a dominant purpose: complete, intelligent, and enthusiastic cooperation in the war effort. Many teachers left the classroom for the battlefield, many students chose to go to work. Financial support was low from the depression, then funds were used for the war effort. -
MOST IMPORTANT Brown vs. Board of Education
This marked the beginning of the Civil Rights revolution. The supreme court ruled that segregated educational facilities have no place in public education. This was very influential in desegregating schools, and thanks to the ruling, every student has the same opportunity to go to school and learn. http://www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/educational-activities/history-brown-v-board-education-re-enactment -
The Impact of the Civil Rights Movement
Title VI of the civil rights act prohibits discrimination against students on race, color, or national origin. Title VII forbids discrimination in employment. The act made it possible to withhold funds from institutions violating the law. -
Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act
Students were housed in institutions, only 1 in 5 were in school In 1975 this law was passed with a mission to educate those with disabilities. They found out that these students were smart, and could succeed in school. -
MOST IMPORTANT No Child Left Behind
No Child Left Behind required that all states must have developed standards for what every child should learn in math and reading and that students in grades 3-8 be tested annually and in grades 10 to 12 to determine their progress in meeting the standards. This is a very big part of the way we assess students now, the teachers and school are responsible for making sure each students succeeds. http://www.edweek.org/ew/section/multimedia/no-child-left-behind-overview-definition-summary.html
