The History of Education

The History of Education Has Been One Born Out of Struggle and Conflict
Sadovnik points out that actual classroom

practice has not changed-this interpretation may be open to debate Differences have arisen over
What is the purpose of schooling? Who is being served? What should be taught and how?

Education Has Been Politicized Since the Beginning of the U.S.

This trend has only increased

It is important to recognize that there is no

one interpretation of the history of education

Three Historical Themes/Conflicts

As the nation progressed, schools have

increasingly taken on roles once held by family and community Schooling and larger societal issues are linked and often cannot be separated There is no consensus on school reform issues

The History of Education

The Colonial Era

The Rise of the Common School

The Progressive Movement

Post World-War II Era

Reform Era

The Colonial Era

Education did not begin with the colonists

Even then there was concern of the demise

of the educational role of the family Even now we cannot agree on the purposes of and policies in education Education early on in the Colonial era was only for the upper class-they would be future rulers

The Colonial Era

In New England Some schools for

strong connections to Puritan ideas and education-delude the devil through schooling Much memorization Secondary education was through tutors or private academies

slaves, usually churchrun Native Americans taught be missionaries Benjamin Franklin one of the first to advocate a more utilitarian education (progressive)

Colonial Era in CT
Before 1650 schools were voluntary and

church supported By 1650 CT Code-each town was to have a schoolmaster Funds raised by taxes-controversial (even to this day)

Colonial Era in CT
1795-Sold off a huge Beginning of civil

tract of land the Western Reserve in the Ohio Territory Instead of using funds for the ministry, the legislature set aside money for School Fund

education

The Common School Era

Early to mid 1800s Horace Mann; Henry

rise of populist movement; A Jackson president Beginning of Industrial Revolution Rise of those calling for free and public education

Barnard
Mann believed in the

power of schools to socialize

Horace Mann
Mann advocated for a state board of education and

became its first Secretary in 1837 Started states first normal school for teacher training Mann was advocating for free, public education.it would both provide good bases for citizenship and also provide equality of opportunity Schools can change society Education can foster social mobility

Henry Barnard
1838 proposed a state board of education and

became its secretary Emphasis on accountability Began a process of some uniformity across the state in curricula and methods albeit primitive 1840-1870-73% rise in CT population Towns given local authority-thought to be more efficient Parents continued to pay tuition 1854-local property tax instituted to help pay for education; his idea of a state tax did not fly

Barnard
An early progressive

Laid groundwork for towns to major

authority in educational matters-supposed to be more efficient (school boards) Eventually his idea of a local property tax took hold Ideas on establishment of public high schools

The Common School Era Continued

Expansion of opportunities for women as

19th century progressed; Education for women had been considered too stressful for them-began to change mid century African-Americans won the right to educate their own-establishment of separate schools

Common School Era in CT

Women excluded
After meeting with

early on Gave rise to academies and schools for girls Miss Porters founded in 1834 Prudence Crandall founded an academy in Canterbury

resistance for enrolling a black young woman she opened an all black academy School had to close in 1834 after losing its legislative battle with the CT General Assembly Academies partly the model for public schools

Further thoughts on Common School Era in CT

Normal School Act passed

in 1849 State Board of Education formed in 1865 220 men and women admitted. Opened in 1850 in New Britain By 1868 all public elementary schools were free By 1872 all high schools as well

Not until almost 1900

were women fully integrated into the system with compulsory attendance

The Progressive Movement

Continued rise of social Government needs to take

reform movements Second Industrial Revolution (late 1800searly 1900s) Rise of immigration to US from Eastern and Southern Europe John Dewey takes center stage

on education in a more deliberate and systematic way Schools can preserve and promote democratic principles John Dewey The emergence of the High School Continued rise in numbers of pupils attending school

During the Progressive Era the trend began toward compulsory school laws
By 1918 all states had such laws

CT Revision Act 1918

Affirmed the right of towns to control

schools Always tension between the various governing authorities

1950s in CT
Sentiments that the state of the state

education was in crisis Still hopes that it would be the great equalizer Increase in immigration and baby boom

The High School

Little consensus on what to teach Classical-vocational-literary? Committee of Ten-prepare students for the

duty of life Model curricula-classical and modern languages, English, mathematics, history and science No talk of vocational education-all students taught the same

The High School

Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement

of Teaching-Carnegie Units around 1900 All sorts of reports came out with differing views on what should be taught What got adopted depended to a large degree on political and other power structures

Post World War II Era

Continued debate over

goals of education
Education for whom? Purposes of education

Elementary and

Calls for expansion of

educational opportunities, especially post high school-GI Bill Tensions between equity and excellence Sputnik 1962 a watershed

Secondary Education Act 1965-continually amended to this day Continued debate between liberal/progressives and conservatives over nature and purposes of schooling

Post World War II Era

Social unrest of the Brown vs. Board of

60s was coupled with a rising awareness of educational inequities between classes and ethnicities/races Exponential rise of politicization of education due to stresses upon the system

Education 1954 Continued debate between progressives and traditionalists over aims and methods Contention over the means of equal access continues this day

US Department of Education Founded in 1979

Purpose was to foster both equity and

excellence in education This, interestingly, at a time of conservatism in the U.S. presidential administration More and more we are seeing the federal government involved in education

Educational Reform 1980-present

Conservatives began to blame liberals for the lowering of standards and decline of authority and discipline 1983-Nation at Risk published by the National Commission on Excellence in Education Set the stage for later legislation such as No Child Left Behind

Other Reform

Measures
School based management Teacher empowerment School choice

1980s and 90s in CT

Sheff vs. ONeill case

Addressed directly inequalities between

blacks and whites in education We are seeing the legacy of this today in magnet and charter schools

Additional Issues Related to CT

We now receive over
This issue reached a head

70% of financing from local support. There is a patchwork of funding sources: state, local, federal and public borrowing.

in the mid 70s with the Horton vs. Meskill case, an attempt to equalize the funding across the state 1979-General Assembly developed the Guaranteed Tax Base formula The GTB is still an issue with changes in the legislation-stay tuned

Conclusion
More and more students have entered the system Increased demand for access and equality of

opportunity Continued conflict over goals and purposes of education We still have not as a nation resolved the sticky issues associated with social class and education Do we educate for a common, American culture or toward a more pluralistic view of culture? Do we educate toward excellence or toward inclusion of all with a view toward equity?