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A) What problem was this event addressing?

B) What assumptions/ideas about education are visible here?

C) Do you see echoes of these issues today?

*You may answer one, two, or all three questions in your response. Indicate which letter/s you're answering. Post for at least three different milestones.

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Commom schools movement (1930s-1850s)

This movement led to the creation of tax-supported, free public element schools to give all children a basic education.

Problem addressed

The system addressed low rates of literacy among the poor and unequal access to education.

Morril Land- Grand College Act (1862)

This law granted states federal lands to establish colleges focusing on agriculture and the mechanic arts.

Participe in the culture of their country

Problem addressed

A lack of higher education opportunities for the working class and the fields vital to the nation's economic development.

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Massachusetts Bay Colony passed the first compulsory education law in North America, requiring towns with 50+ families to establish elementary schools. This groundbreaking legislation laid the foundation for public education in America, driven by the Puritan belief that literacy was essential for reading the Bible and preventing Satan's influence.

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C) This doesn't seem to be much of an issue in public education anymore since the separation of church and state.

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The education was promoted to preserve religion and its believes. Everyone need to read the bible to keep Satan away.

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The assumption for this law in education was that all people believed in Satan. Essentially if you are a good person, you need to be able to read in order to stop Satan's influence.

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I like how you explained the Old Deluder Satan Act, Sana. It’s interesting that the law tied literacy so directly to morality and religion. What stands out to me is how it shows the early link between education and community values. Reading wasn’t just about knowledge, but about protecting yourself and society from evil as they saw it. It’s a reminder of how much education was shaped by religious beliefs in colonial America.

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A) This act was designed to create schools to combat Bible illiteracy and the perceived spread of Satan's power. This was a theological mandate, unlike other laws listed which were government mandated.

In short, the Puritans thought that every individual should be able to read and interrupt the Bible for themselves, and they strove to ensure this was possible through increased access to Chruch-based educations.

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Problem: Recognition that people cannot study the bible if they can't read. Assumption: Education has the power to influence the way people think. Everyone in town is of the same religion and has the same desired outcome from education.

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1837: Horace Mann and the Common School Movement

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1837: Horace Mann and the Common School Movement

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Horace Mann became the first Secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education, launching the Common School Movement. Mann advocated for free, universal, non-sectarian education funded by taxes. His reforms included standardized curricula, professional teacher training, and the establishment of normal schools for educator preparation.

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B) At this moment in time (1837) it seems education was not viewed as a basic human right. As if education was a privilege not a necessity.

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The idea was public education could give every child a fair chance, no matter their social class. Education teaches also moral values to build stronger democracy.

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A)Horrace Man was addressing the lack of free, universal, and high-quality education. Believers in this movement thought that this exacerbated poverty and in order to fight they, they wanted to provide education to all Americans, regardless of situation.

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Good points, Ethan. I like how you highlighted Mann’s focus on fighting poverty through education. What I find interesting is how he saw schools as not just about learning facts, but about creating equal opportunities and shaping good citizens. It shows how education was viewed as a solution to some of society’s biggest problems at the time.

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Horace Mann was a visionary for his time. Public education is still based on his ideas. We see echoes of it with standards such as NGSS or Common Core. We also see teachers that are well-educated. Previously to Mann, teachers were not always trained or educated themselves.-Shannon

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Horace Mann was a visionary for his time. Public education is still based on his ideas. We see echoes of it with standards such as NGSS or Common Core. We also see teachers that are well-educated. Previously to Mann, teachers were not always trained or educated themselves.-Shannon

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Massachusetts enacted the first modern compulsory education law in the United States, requiring children ages 8-14 to attend school for at least 12 weeks annually. This milestone established the legal precedent for mandatory schooling that would eventually spread to all states by 1918.

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A) The problem that this law addressed was the fact that even though education was provided, many children were not going. This law required that all children attended school.

Increased industrialization meant that many children were working in factories, rather than going to school. Additionally, many children at the time were immigrants.

This law was supposed to educate the workforce and help "Americanize" the immigrant population.

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Assumption: Everyone would benefit from children receiving an education and if it's mandatory more students will attend.

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A and C: This law was put in place to combat truancy and school attendance. This is something schools are still working on today, especially after the effects of COVID and online learning in combination with the pessimistic outlook students have for life after high school. Particularly effecting poorer communities.

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President Lincoln signed the Morrill Act, granting federal land to states to establish colleges focused on agriculture and mechanical arts. This act democratized higher education by making it more accessible and practical, leading to the creation of many state universities and the expansion of educational opportunities beyond the elite.

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C) Although this made the expansion of colleges and schools possible. The affordability is still questionable.

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The law gave more access to practical and affordable higher education. Also encourage progress in farming and industry.

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A) The Morrill Land-Grant Act addressed the problem that, in the mid-1800s, higher education was not widely accessible for those who were not wealthy/white elites. It also prioritized more practical and needed skills like agriculture and engineering, whereas classical subjects had been the priority.

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A) Problem was to provide funding to select land for school buildings.

B) The assumption is funding would be used for public schools only.

C) I think this sets precedent for funding private schools by the federal government.

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1896: Plessy v. Ferguson - 'Separate but Equal'

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1896: Plessy v. Ferguson - 'Separate but Equal'

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The Supreme Court's decision in Plessy v. Ferguson established the 'separate but equal' doctrine, legally sanctioning racial segregation in public facilities, including schools. This devastating ruling institutionalized educational inequality and would persist for nearly 60 years until Brown v. Board of Education.

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Separate but equal set the stage for the inequalities in public education that still exist today. The schools were never equal, and often Black and Brown children  had to give up what little they had if White children needed it. Overcrowding, lack of educated teachers, and having to subvert their culture were issues that arose. These issues haven't changed nearly as much as they should have in 100 years.-Shannon

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Separate but equal set the stage for the inequalities in public education that still exist today. The schools were never equal, and often Black and Brown children  had to give up what little they had if White children needed it. Overcrowding, lack of educated teachers, and having to subvert their culture were issues that arose. These issues haven't changed nearly as much as they should have in 100 years.-Shannon

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A) Homer Plessy was a mixed race man living in Louisiana and was turned a racial-equality activist after the end of Reconstruction (withdrawal of federal troops from the south). The state of Louisiana gradually enforced segregation and Plessy sought out to challenge this by purposely boarding a "whites only" train. This unfortunately led to the supreme court decision to legalize segregation. Truly a tragic story, a very interesting piece of history to read into.

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Plessy v. Ferguson was harmful because it made segregation legal and gave people an excuse to treat Black Americans as second-class citizens. It claimed things were “equal,” but in reality, it kept schools, buses, and public life unfair and divided for decades.

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B. This was a very clear step back in the history of education. The very obvious assumption by those disconnected from the nuance of the issue would be the phrasing 'Separate but Equal'. However, this led to things only being separated but not equal. The damage this decision had is still felt by schools and communities to this day.

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1918: All States Require Compulsory Education

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1918: All States Require Compulsory Education

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Mississippi became the last state to enact compulsory education laws, making school attendance mandatory nationwide. This milestone represented the full commitment of the United States to universal public education, though implementation and quality varied significantly across regions and communities.

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I wish this law was internationally enforced. There are way too many children who are forced into labor across the globe. They end up being illiterate, and leading a life of abject poverty.

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A) The strongest impetus behind universal education may have been to move children from child labor situations into school, but I also recall reading that a major problem at the time was the rise of urban street gangs composed of youths with nothing to do, and whose parents were now busy in factories all day. Perhaps naturally, finding a more productive environment for these children was an avenue to reduce the street crime of the time.

B) The assumption is that educating youth will both keep them busy with learning rather than crime, and reduce their future criminal behavior by providing them with enough education to enable them to be employed rather than be vagrants. Justified? I don't know, but I do know that it turned out to be more difficult than anticipated to get children to attend. Hence the bad reputation of truant officers ever since.

C) Today I often hear my fellow teachers complain that they are mere babysitters for a large portion of their students, so perhaps we have not come as far as we would like away from the idea of keeping otherwise idle hands busy.

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A) Before 1918 across the US, children were uneducated and forced to work in factories and were not required to attend school.

B) It became evident that properly educating our children would make for a smarter, more productive society.

C) Today in schools, there are safe-guards in place with protocols to follow when students are absent for prolonged periods of time to ensure they are able to receive a proper education.

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A) This law addressed the problem that even with schools available, children were not attending.

B) This law highlights the increasing value of education and the push for a more educated population during this time.

C) Today school attendance is not an issue.

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response

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The Servicemen's Readjustment Act provided unprecedented educational benefits to World War II veterans, including college tuition and living expenses. This transformative legislation democratized higher education, leading to a massive expansion of college enrollment and fundamentally changing the American workforce and economy.

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Thank you to all who serve/have served.

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Students who find it difficult to pay for college join the Army Reserves. In this way, they are then able to pay for college tuition.

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In terms of education this helped soldiers that served after 9/11 by giving them the opportunity to come back from war and be able to have all the resources they need to go to college tuition free and start the next chapter in their life. Unlike other times of war in this country when veterans were not given these same opportunities.

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A)This problem this was addressing, educational benefits for WWII veterans, giving them the opportunity to attend college with assistance in tuition and living expenses.

B) I think the assumption was that more education would benefit the United States as a whole.

C)I see a lot of people attending college, but not all receiving benefits of full tuition paid, and in turn they are increasingly struggling to pay off college loans.

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The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson. This landmark decision declared that 'separate educational facilities are inherently unequal' and launched the civil rights movement's focus on educational equity, though implementation faced massive resistance.

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A) Addressing segregation in schools. Equality in education for all races.

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The problem is segregation and this law helped to promote equal rights for everyone.

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Brown v. Board of Education was powerful because it struck down segregation in schools and declared that separate is never equal. It was a turning point, but the change was slow since many schools resisted, showing how deeply rooted inequality was in the system.

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A) Address the problem of segregated schools.

B) This started desegregation of schools, but I think municipalities and residents used other means to segregate schools - I saw it in a City I lived in NY, eventually lawsuits were filed that forced integration.

C) Unfortunately, upper class residents migrated out of towns that had integrated schools, so I think this is a persistent problem.

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In response to the Soviet launch of Sputnik, Congress passed the NDEA to strengthen American education in science, mathematics, and foreign languages. This act provided federal funding for student loans, teacher training, and educational research, marking increased federal involvement in education policy.

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This was Americas way of adapting the educational system. The rest of the world was begging to move a little faster in terms of technologies and sciences so they wanted to become stronger. The world was now more accessible and business became international so this then set in a need to learn foreign languages. The focus was not only reading and writing.

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A) The United States recognized it needed to invest time and funds into the STEM field in our schools to stay relevant on a global stage.

B) While advancement in STEM related fields is important to our society, arts and humanities are vital in keeping the soul of our students alive.

C) We see the budget cuts effecting art and music programs before anything else. The focus on science advancement seems to prevail.

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B) This act did some incredible work to advance STEM, but it did so under the assumption that these would be needed in order to win the Cold War as well as the race to space. While advancing STEM is always excellent (I may be biased as a science teacher), it is also incredibly important to make sure the humanities are included as well, and not just foreign languages. It did start the work to increase the importance of STEM for many people who may at one point have thought that math beyond what was needed to do your taxes was irrelevant.

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A) The problem here was that the U.S. was feeling like, in regards to space exploration, they were falling behind and wanted more people to become scientists, mathematicians, and linguists.

B)

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1965: Elementary and Secondary Education Act

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1965: Elementary and Secondary Education Act

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President Johnson signed ESEA as part of his War on Poverty, providing federal funding to schools serving low-income students. Title I, the act's cornerstone, aimed to close educational achievement gaps and remains the largest federal education program, demonstrating the federal government's commitment to educational equity.

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C) ESEA was the first major nexus of federal funding to early public education. Ever since then we've seen waves of political debate in how much we should be funding our schools. This was certainly reflected in Bush's No Child Left Behind Act and Obama's Every Student Succeeds Act as each of those acts had to restructure public funding for schools.

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A) The purpose of this act was to make education more equitable through funding to schools in low-income communities.

B) This act assumes that everyone should have access to resources and quality education. It also supports the idea that education is important for everyone.

C) Although I think this act took strides towards equity, we are still facing inequitable education in low-income communities. In my own experiences as well as what I have learned from others, these communities are still at a clear disadvantage when it comes to educational resources / funding and teacher availability.

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Title IX prohibited sex-based discrimination in education programs receiving federal financial assistance. This groundbreaking legislation opened doors for women in academics and athletics, dramatically increasing female participation in higher education and sports while addressing gender equity in educational opportunities.

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A) Title IX was another step towards equity in the US education system. Targeted specifically towards women, it increased their participation in school and athletics.

B) This emphasizes the value of education for women and the protections that need to be put in place to ensure it.

C) I think Title IX has promoted some great changes and there generally is equity for women in education today.

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B) Title IX was monumental in providing protections to young women in schools. This brought to light the issues that women faced in education for nearly the entire history of the United States

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Title IX said schools that take federal money cannot treat students differently because of sex. It called out a long history of girls and women being sidelined, from fewer teams and scholarships to doors closed in certain classes and careers. It opened real opportunities, but it also made clear how much work was needed to repair those old patterns of inequality.

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C) Title IX is something that is still fought for fiercely today, and while it has come a long way, there are still many things that need to be done in order for it to be what it was envisioned as. I find it interesting that the photo chosen was from a Take Back The Night march, as this is related to my former work with sexual assault survivors and advocates. It is unfortunately incredibly commonplace for schools to still sweep gender-based violence under the rug.

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1975: Education for All Handicapped Children Act

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1975: Education for All Handicapped Children Act

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Later renamed IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), this law guaranteed free appropriate public education for children with disabilities. It established the principles of least restrictive environment, individualized education programs (IEPs), and parental involvement, revolutionizing special education services.

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A) The Education for All Handicapped Children Act addressed the problem that many, many children with various disabilities were being denied access to fair public education.

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A) This allowed access to public schooling to those with disabilities, who might, at other times had access to education the way that other children had. This lead to an increase and betterment of special education services for these children.

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A) this helped to give all those with disabilities the rights and accommodations they needed in order to be apart of society. This helped special education programs and then lead to more research to help better serve the needs of students.

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President Bush signed NCLB, reauthorizing ESEA with unprecedented federal oversight of public schools. The act mandated annual testing, adequate yearly progress goals, and consequences for underperforming schools. While controversial, it brought national attention to achievement gaps and data-driven accountability in education.

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B: This was the first major education milestone in my lifetime and it shaped most of my personal education. The clear assumption was that with more numbers and data we can better diagnose issues with the education system. However, this instead led to more of a gamification of the education system and forgetting the individuals that make up the system.

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A) The thought was that this legislation would identify and improve schools with more oversight, data, and standardized tests.

B) The assumption was that the data and oversight would improve the schools performance. I think this led to pushing students through the system.

C) I think the same problems still persist. From the perspective of someone just starting in teaching - teachers are undervalued, overworked and lack the resources to succeed.

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B) When schools are driven by numbers instead of meeting educational needs, students get pushed through the system without truly understanding what they're being taught.

C) I am seeing this issue with my students who are in a post-high school program. They struggle to formulate complete sentences, they don't have good problem solving skills, and the reading comprehension skills are weak.

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A) The No Child Left Behind Act addressed the perceived problem that many students, particularly from disadvantaged backgrounds, were "falling behind" academically and that school were not being held accountable properly. It was meant to "close the gap" and help ensure that more students received a quality education.

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Inner city schools and charter schools still have administration that have data driven agendas. This probably because that is how they will remain functioning as a school and consequently get funding.

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I remember the effect that this law had immediately, because my children were the first generation of students to attend elementary school under it. The main effect I saw was that a narrow band of students in the middle of the achievement range began to get the lion's share of teacher attention, because teachers quickly realized that they would be themselves graded only on how much scores in their schools increased. Those who would pass without help got no help, and those who would not pass even with help suffered similarly. Only those students who were just below passing really got the attention they deserved. Glad it was modified later.

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A) This event was addressing achievement gaps and was data-driven, but seems to fall short in many areas. Schools who underperform are penalized when in reality equity shows that they need more assistance.

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ESSA replaced No Child Left Behind, maintaining federal commitment to educational equity while returning more authority to states and local districts. The act emphasized multiple measures of school success beyond test scores, including student engagement, school climate, and career readiness, representing a more holistic approach to educational accountability.

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ESSA has started the trend of holding schools accountable in many different ways, not simply relying on standardized testing. Standardized testing is problematic as it is generally not normed on a wide population of students, but instead on white middle class males. ESSA starts to take into account differences in cultures, SES, and learning differences. It recognizes that not all students are college bound, and allows for career readiness as well. When NCLB was enacted, we saw a sharp increase in "teaching to the test" as opposed to teaching students how to think critically and problem solve.