First Schools come to America
What kind of schools were the first schools in Massachusetts?
Religious Schools
Who was Horace Mann?
a state legislator who rose from humble beginnings to graduate from Brown University and become a champion for social reforms, including public education.
He believed that free schools should be available to all citizens, regardless of race or social class,
What did a typical classroom look like at the time?
PBS describes the classroom as “sparsely decorated and furnished,” reflecting the frugality of the mostly rural times. All of the grades were taught in a single room.
Resources in the early classrooms were extremely limited, consisting of slates and chalk for writing lessons and possibly a few books for literacy.
When was the Department established?
1867
What judicial case affected segregation in education?
The U.S. Supreme Court decision, Plessy v. Ferguson, established the idea of the “separate but equal” approach that applied to everything from public transportation access to public education.
How did things change from the 19th century to today?
Public school systems are overseen by state departments of education and by local school districts and publicly-elected school boards.
or
We no longer have one-room classrooms for the entire school, we have state standards, free lunch, etc.
Who was allowed to learn in them?
White, upper class boys
Who was Henry Barnard?
Secretary of the Board of Commissioners of the Common Schools for Connecticut. He worked to solve the problems he found to be inherent in the public school system. Through plenty of hard work, Barnard successfully forced districts in his state to meet minimum standards for building, teachers and classroom resources.
Who was usually the teacher?
They were usually a single school teacher who was typically an unmarried woman who had finished primary and secondary grades. The teacher was often younger than some of the students she taught. Studies primarily focused on reading, writing and arithmetic, as well as good manners.
Did the Department of Education control education nationwide directly? What was its mission at first?
No, the original purpose of the agency was to collect information on individual schools that would help states establish their own effective public school systems.
What case made segregation unconstitutional?
Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka ruled that segregated schools were not equal and needed to be abolished.
How is the Federal government involved in education nationwide?
By providing information on how to improve the state of public education for all states, through the latest education data and research. Challenging educational issues may also be addressed at the federal level, if state departments of education are unable to find a solution on their own. Federal programs like the Free Lunch program are also offered to schools across the country.
Was there a college yet? What was it/where was it?
Harvard University was the first college in the British Colonies of North America, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
What problems was it believed that education was the key to solving?
Inequality within society overall and the lack of wealth within building available to many in the country. Addressing the lack of opportunities to all Americans.
Why do you think the teacher was usually a young unmarried woman?
Your own thoughts! But think about who we in Western Society think of as being better with kids, and how Patriarchal assumptions might be associated with that.
What is the Department of Education's current mission?
While the duties of the agency have evolved over time, this primary principle is still one that governs the department’s functions to this day.
Department of Education’s responsibilities expanded to include support for institutions of higher education. This duty continued to grow through the 20th century, as vocational education for college and high school was added to the mix to provide training in areas like agriculture, industry and home economics. After World War II, the establishment of the GI Bill allowed many military veterans to attend college.
What do people still argue about education equality?
Many would argue that the idea of equality in education still does not exist entirely, as schools in low-income areas do not tend to perform as well as those in wealthier districts as a general rule.
What new types of schools have emerged over the years?
Charter schools, online schools, magnet schools, CTE Pathway schools, etc
What was missing to assure quality education for all?
There was no centralized public education system with checks and balances to ensure quality education for everybody.
What accomplishments did Mann make for education in Massachusetts?
During his tenure with the Massachusetts Board of Education, Mann called for extending the school year to six months and fought to get better pay for teachers and more resources into classrooms.
Extra!
Who usually provided the schools' limited resources?
Other resources, including wood for the stove and desks for the students, were often provided by those who lived in the area or sent their children to the school. Local families also offered room and board to the school teachers that came to work in the schools.
Where is the disparity?
The disparity is in race, income level and background.
What are some controversies that have emerged along with these new schools?
Charter schools take funding away from public schools and force the remaining schools to stretch dollars to make ends meet.
Extra point! What dead language did they learn in the first schools?
Latin
Extra Point! What are usually named after these two?
Public and Private schools around the country.
Extra point! Your own thoughts:
Why might classrooms have had all grades in the same classroom?
We can accept -
Education was not valued as much in the 19th century - nobody would send their kids to school.
Since it was not funded publicly everywhere, most towns had 1 or 2 families that paid to create a school, and could not afford to build more than one school house
Did the Supreme Court Case take effect immediately in 1954?
The 1954 decision by the Supreme Court did not take immediate effect, it did usher in a host of new laws ensuring students throughout the United States would be guaranteed an equal quality of public education, regardless of race or income level.
What are some problems schools must deal with at the local level?
Depending on the area where the school district is located, schools must deal with very real and prevalent problems like dropout rates, school violence and overcrowding. In an era of economic slowdown, decreased funding has also become a problem for many schools grappling with how to do more for their students with less money available.