The Evolution THE EVOLUTION OF PUBLIC EDUCATION IN AMERICA

The Evolution of Public Education in America Mark P. Lee Grand Canyon University: EDU-576 October 25, 2011

The Evolution The Evolution of Public Education in America Introduction At the birth of our democratic republic prominent statesmen, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Rush, Noah Webster, and others, recognized that educating the

youth of our nation was critical for the future prosperity and security of America. These men, in their writings and oratories, strongly advocated for a publicly supported, non-secularized system of education that would be available for all American children free of charge. However, the newly ratified US constitution contained no provisions for education and, consequently, the responsibility for providing public education was given unto the individual states. Indeed, of the original thirteen states, seven states included provisions for public education in their constitutions, as would each future state, only in the South was the concept of public education resisted. Over the next two centuries public education in America would change and evolve, responding to changes both from within our own society and, increasingly in modern times, from forces that are reshaping the world. We shall briefly examine four distinct phases in the development of American public education and some of the individuals who made significant contributions that helped shape our modern system of public education. Horace Mann and the Common School Horace Mann (1796-1859) was a self-made individual that expended tremendous effort both as a social reformer and as champion for a system of public education that would be available to all children tuition free, regardless of race or social class, non-secularized, staffed with professionally trained teachers, and supported by the local communities. Appointed as the first secretary of the first state board of education, Horace Mann would establish a system for providing public education in Massachusetts that would be emulated nation-wide by the end of the nineteenth century. The so-called common school system he created provided an equal

The Evolution

opportunity for all children to receive a tuition free education, thereby insuring the future of our democratic society. During his twelve year tenure as secretary, Mann, expanded the school year, established curriculum, standardized diploma requirements, created the first normal school for the training of teachers, and worked tirelessly to increase the funding and quality of the public schools in Massachusetts. The significance of Horace Manns contributions to our system of public education cannot be understated: through his vision and efforts, on behalf of public education, he laid the foundation for the funding, methods, and standards for public education in America. John Dewey and the Progressive Movement

Earl Warren and Brown vs. the Board of Education

David Gardner and A Nation at Risk

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Note: Detailed information on references can be found in the APA Manual, Chapter 4.