Public schools in the United States initially focused on values like family, religion, and community. There was not as much of an emphasis on academics like math or reading. At the time, girls were typically taught how to read, but not to write.

Harvard was the first school for higher education. It was founded in 1636. AllAboutHistory.org shares that the Puritans settled and planned to train people up to spread the gospel. Harvard’s mission was to do just that.

Public schools were not prevalent in the South during the 1600s and the early 1700s. Children were educated if their families could afford private tutors.

Public School Review notes that public schools continued to grow across the country. Yet, there was no real system for guidance.

After the Revolutionary War, Thomas Jefferson believed there should be an education system. He envisioned that it would be supported by taxpayer dollars. However, the government did not enact a formal system of education for nearly a century after his proposal.

Expectations continue to change for education. In 2001, President George W. Bush reauthorized The Elementary and Secondary Education Act. It was renamed No Child Left Behind, bringing in standards-based testing reforms and penalities for schools that fail to meet adequate yearly progress goals.

School choice programs became more prevalent. In 2011, 12 states passed legislation that either created school choice programs or expanded already-existing ones.

President Obama reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 2015 as the Every Student Succeeds Act, which provides many measures of assessments for student achievement.

The National Review shares how President Trump worked to expand school choice through initiatives such as the Educational Freedom Scholarships. 

Presently, the Biden Administration is working to create education programs that would signify the most federal involvement in almost half a century, reports The Washington Post. His plan involves 17 years of school attendance instead of the traditional 13-year method. Under this proposed plan, pre-kindergarten would be available for three-year-old children, and the first two years of community college would be free. At this date, the Biden Administration has already invested hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars into the education system.