Title: Historical Roots of Education in the United States
1Historical Roots of Education in the United States
ED 1010
2The Colonial Period (1607-1775)
- Historical, geographical, and demographic
differences in the 13 original colonies led to
different approaches to education. - Religion played a major role in colonial life and
also strongly influenced schooling. - European educational thinkers emphasized more
humane and child-centered educational practices.
3European Beliefs
- U.S. practices evolved from European ideas that
were developed over the centuries. - Greeks idea that knowledge could be divided
into individual subject areas. - Athenians Wanted education for its adult
citizens who could then more fully participate in
democratic decision making. - Reformation Church leaders felt the bible held
all wisdom, thus all should be taught to read so
all Christians could have access to these truths.
4 The New England Colonies
- Saw the Church of England as the religious arm of
the government. - Puritans - Religion/Bible dominated
- Local Control of education, but no separation of
church and state. - 1642 General Court of Massachusetts Law
- Required that children attend school. First
attempt to make education compulsory - 1647 Old Deluder Satan Act
- Required every town of 50 families to hire a
teacher of reading or writing. Established
public responsibility for education. - Schools controlled by religious leaders
- Dame schools (primary) often in homes teach
reading before age 8 - Blab Schools no books, just lecture and
recitation
5 Middle Colonies
- Made of more diverse group of emigrants. Came
from different parts of England than the
Puritans. - Parochial schools started to address the needs
and wants to the various populations - Quaker Schools taught to a diverse group of
learners (Native Americans, African Americans and
others) - Franklin Academy offered students a choice in
their course of study free of all religious ties
(traditional subjects including navigation, math,
surveying, bookkeeping). Real world classes - Secondary level education had a place
6 The Southern Colonies
-
- Difficult for many of the children to attend
school because of few towns and great distances
between landowners. - Education was left to the wealthy landowners
- Traveling tutors or tutors on plantations
- Many sent sons to England to be educated in
English schools or boarding schools in the larger
cities. - Education for slaves was nonexistent educating
a slave could be a felony before the civil war.
7First Amendment
- Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom
of speech, or of the press or of the people
peaceably to assemble, and to petition the
Government for a redress of grievances.
Establishment Clause
8Current Religious Controversies from the Colonial
Period
- Should prayer be allowed in schools?
- Should federal money be used to provide
instruction in religious schools? - What role should religion play in character and
sex education?
Other discussion questions 1. How did the
diversity of the original colonies shape the
educational system in the United States? 2.
What role did religion play in colonial schools?
What are the implications of this role for
contemporary schools?
9Early National Period (1775-1820)
- Established a major educational role for states
(Tenth Amendment to Constitution) - Also established the idea that the federal
government should use education to improve
peoples lives and help the nation grow
10Tenth Amendment
- The powers not delegated to the United States by
the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the
States, are reserved to the States respectively,
or to the people.
Why is this so important and still discussed
today?
11 - Land Ordinance 1785 Northwest Ordinance
Thirty-six sections in a township Section
(block) no. 16 was the center of the township and
designated as a site for a school. - Few educational interventions were introduced.
Unskilled workers were needed for growing
industries including farming.
12Common School Movement (1820-1865)
- Horace Mann, Massachusetts lawyer and legislator,
believed in having taxpayers help finance public
education. Wanted a public school for all
including education for women, felt women were
better suited to teach the young. In 1839, first
Normal School set up to prepare people for
careers as teachers. Established the trend of
education available to all, NOT just the rich - Taxes used to support public schools
- State education departments created to coordinate
statewide efforts - Curriculum standardized and schools organized by
grade levels (versus one-room schools) - Teacher preparation improved
13List of Rules for a Teacher in 1872
- Teachers each day will fill lamps, clean
chimneys. - Each teacher will bring a bucket of water and a
scuttle of coal for the days session. - Make your pens carefully. You may whittle nibs to
the individual taste of the pupils. - Men teachers may take one evening each week for
courting purposes, or two evenings a week if they
go to church. - After ten hours in school, the teachers may spend
the remaining time reading the Bible or other
good books. - Women teachers who marry or engage in unseemly
conduct will be dismissed. - Every good teacher should lay aside from each pay
a goodly sum of his earnings for his benefit
during his declining years so that he will not be
a burden on society. - Any teacher who smokes, uses liquor in any form,
frequents pool or public halls, or gets shaved in
a barber shop will give good reason to suspect
his worth, intention, integrity, and honesty. - The teacher who performs his labor faithfully and
without fault for five years will be given an
increase of twenty-five cents per week in his
pay, providing the Board of Education approves.
14CIVIL WAR TO 1900
- Unparalleled industrial growth
- Technological innovations need skilled workers
interest in vocational education. - Huge numbers of immigrants enter Schools eager
to Americanize new students. - Kalamazoo Case ruled the state legislature had
the right to levy taxes to support both
elementary secondary schools. - Organizational activity among teachers increased.
15 1900 to World War II
- John Dewey A philosopher founded the
laboratory school at the University of Chicago. - Believed that for democracy to work, citizens had
to be educated to understand and share in the
duties and responsibilities of society. - Believed learners needed to master the Scientific
Problem Solving method - Recognized individual differences among children
- The first junior high school established in
Berkeley, Cal. In 1909. Developed a format of
6-3-3.
16List of rules for a teacher in 1915
- You will not marry during the term of your
contract. You are not to keep company with men. - You must be home between the hours of 8 p.m. and
6 a.m. unless attending a school function. - You may not loiter downtown in any ice cream
stores. - You may not travel beyond the city limits unless
you have permission of the chairmen of the board. - You may not smoke cigarettes.
- You may not under any circumstances dye your
hair. - You may not dress in bright colors.
- You may not ride in a carriage or automobile with
any man unless he be your father or brother. - You must wear at least two petticoats.
- Your dresses must not be any shorter than 2
inches above the ankles.
Apps, J. (1996). One-Room Country Schools
History and Recollections from Wisconsin. U.S.
Palmer Publications
17The Evolution of the American High School
- The comprehensive high school attempts to meet
the needs of all students. - Latin grammar school (1635) was designed to help
boys prepare for the ministry or law. - Academy (1751) focused on practical subjects such
as math, navigation, and bookkeeping open to
boys and girls. - English classical school (1821) was a free
secondary school for students not planning to
attend college.
18Junior High and Middle School
- Junior high schools, popular in the early and
mid-1900s, were miniature versions of high
schools with emphasis on individual academic
subjects. - Middle schools, popular from the 1970s, attempted
to address adolescents developmental needs. - Currently, some districts, dissatisfied with both
junior highs and middle schools, are
experimenting with K8 schools.
19The Education of Native Americans
- Mission schools in the 1700s and 1800s, run by
religious groups, were the first educational
attempt to assimilate Native Americans. - Federally funded and run boarding schools
attempted to Americanize Native American
students. - Currently, most (91) of Native American students
attend public schools, but problems persist - Underachievement
- High dropout rates
- Low rates of college attendance
20Education of African Americans
- Before the Civil War, educational participation
and literacy rates were abysmally low. - Literacy rates increased dramatically after the
Civil War, but education efforts were plagued by
substandard funding and resources. - Booker T. Washington, who endorsed separate but
equal, clashed with W.E.B. Dubois, who advocated
integration and social activism. - A separate but equal policy (Plessy v.
Ferguson, 1896) was supported by federal courts
until 1954 (Brown v. Board of Education of
Topeka).
21Education of Hispanic Americans
- Education of Hispanic Americans began in the
Southwest with Catholic mission schools. - Early emphasis on Hispanic American education was
on assimilation. - Language has been a major controversial issue in
the education of Hispanic Americans.
22Education of Asian Americans
- Asian Americans experienced discrimination, both
in schools and society at large. - Asian Americans are a diverse group of students
from many different countries and cultures. - In general, Asian American students do well in
school, excelling in achievement.
23- New Society Game
- Video The Reunion
24The Modern Era Schools as Instruments for
National Purpose and Social Change
- The Cold War with the Soviet Union during the
1950s and 1960s focused federal educational
efforts on math and science. - President Lyndon B. Johnsons War on Poverty
attempted to use schools to eliminate the
pervasive poverty in the U.S. - Compensatory education programs like Title I and
Head Start attempted to provide enriched
experiences to the children of poverty.
25The Federal Governments Role in Pursuing
Equality
- The Civil Rights movement, culminating in the
Civil Rights Act of 1964, attempted to eliminate
discrimination based on race, color, or national
origin. - Title IX, passed in 1972, attempted to eliminate
gender bias in schools. - Segregation, especially in large urban districts,
continues to be a persistent problem. - Magnet schools are designed to attract and
integrate students from diverse social and
cultural backgrounds.
26Federal Government Reform
- Federal attempts to reform schools
- Setting standards
- Creating testing programs
- Offering (or withholding) financial incentives
- Major issues with federal reform efforts
- Federal versus state and local control of
educational standards - State versus federal control of testing programs
- Incentive programs that increase the influence of
the federal government on education