Homeschooling 's Liberalism By David Mills

Emmett Till, a 14 years old, African American boy from Chicago, was brutally murdered for allegedly flirting with a white woman on August 28, 1955, while he is visiting family in Money, Mississippi. In the same year, the Civil Rights Movement in America begin. Starting in 1955 to 1965, The Civil Rights Movement were characterized by countless protests and demonstrations demanding equality for black people in the United States. This movement happened in many places at United Stated: Selma, Birmingham, Albany, and Montgomery. According to the history of American, The Civil Rights Movement made a lot of progress toward the Achievement of equality between races, like the Freedom Riders, Children’s Crusade and Segregation in the schools in Birmingham.

In the early 1800’s education in America grew and developed rapidly, largely because of the works of three very important men: Noah Webster, William McGuffey, and Horace Mann. These three men were catalysts for the growth of education throughout the nineteenth century, and without them the large strides America took during this time would not have occurred. These great men all shared one goal: to educate the youth of America as well as possible. This was no small task, however, because the educational system in place was disorganized and had several large problems that had to be overcome.

Kaestle wrote the founding fathers believed that education would prepare men to vote intelligently and prepare woman to teach their sons properly (1983, p. 95). Kaestle used an example of how a school official in Vermont mentioned that teachers stamped characters on children and molded them for the places the teachers thought they would fill, whether as a political figure or in prison; they were scaffolding (1983, p. 81). This mindset mirrored an ideology the Protestant culture enforced. There was also mentioning of the republican machine, which was a person who was intelligent and free but would subject himself to the whim of the government and do things for the common good (1983, p. 79). Kaestle argued that government in education was paramount in order for people to become the virtuous citizens they were meant to

Educational policies researcher Joel Spring (1996) discussed many arguments and historical background about various education topics found in the United States. For example, Spring tells us about the historical development of the Common Schools movement and the underlying groups—such as workingmen and political parties—that influenced the movement. In addition, Spring points out some of the implications the movement had on religious, ethnic, and multicultural groups. One particular idea that caught my attention was from the chapter entitled, “The Ideology and Politics of the Common School.” Indeed, my entire conceptual understanding of K-12 education had been predicated on the idea that high schools were part of the original conception of public

Thomas Jefferson remains one of the first advocates for public education, which was later termed the Common School Movement. He recognized the inequality in education, for the wealthy stood the only ones capable of affording an education, thus the poor stayed poor and the rich stayed rich. Jefferson aspired to change the apparent injustices in the education system. He felt all children possessed the right to and education regardless of prosperity, heritage, and circumstances. Even though Jefferson remained not able to create the change he so desperately sought to make, he never stopped trying and since education stayed revolutionized, for his persistence in equality. James Conant, former president of Harvard University stated, “In short, as I view the American scene of the 1960’s, I am ready to declare without hesitation that Jefferson’s proposals have become incorporated in the pattern of our educational structure” (Mercer, 1993).

Thomas Jefferson is one of Americas most known noble leaders. Who had a vision for public schooling in the new United States of America in Enlightment ideas yet restricted by his own understanding of race, gender, and class (Conant, J.B 1962). Jefferson trusted that a more "normal" social structure would suit the creating political attitudes of the nation. He envisioned a "meritocracy," in which instructed men would serve in public office. Since their education would at last be for the public great, Jefferson composed and presented a bill sketching out a plan for public schooling. As right on time as 1778, with the Revolutionary War in progress, Jefferson legislated for the general education of youth. His "Bill for the More General Diffusion of Knowledge" would give three years of basic schooling for white youngsters in Virginia, (cited in Webb, 2006).

In the farming society of the early 1800’s, education was not possible for many children. Horace Mann, a farm boy himself and an early advocate for educational reform, saw the deficiencies in the educational system. He pushed for “common schools” that would retain local control, be co-educational and revolve around the agricultural year. Mann’s ideas began to be adopted around the country in the second half of the nineteenth century. By the start of the twentieth century, mandatory public schooling was the norm. This was the height of the industrial revolution. As Davidson notes in “Project Classroom Makeover”, “Public Education was seen as the most efficient way to train potential workers for labor in the newly urbanized factories (197).” Schools began to work like an assembly line with a focus on efficiency, attention to detail, memorization of facts and staying on task. Curriculum became standardized and states began to replace the local management of education. Critically thinking outside the box was less valued. Regardless of ability, children started school at the same age and were moved through their education in a regulated process.

Horace Mann was an early 18th century politician and a visionary in the area of education reform. He is credited as the person responsible promoting the belief that education not only be free, but should be available to all. Horace Mann’s concept for equality in education ensures “that everyone receives an education that will allow them to compete for wealth on equal terms.” (Spring, 2014 p. 58.)

In present day, most people to become successful in the future need to have an education. In the mid 1800’s, education was a very rare thing in America, and only children with rich parents could afford it. This issue was because there was only private schools in the country, making education a very difficult thing to achieve if someone’s family was not very wealthy. In 1848, Horace Mann stated: “ It does better than to disarm the poor of their hostility towards the rich; it prevents being poor”(document 7). When he says this, he is hoping that all people can have the opportunity to be able to get and education. This argument is brought up very frequently in politics mostly by the democratic party so all people can have a chance at having a future with the job they want.

The central argument of McDonald’s work is that Ryerson didn’t promote public education as a social reform, but rather as a form of social control. According to Burke and Milewski, “McDonald views Ryerson not as a humanitarian reformer but rather as a member of the elite determined to use public schooling to ensure a docile and loyal citizenry”(pg 37). This idea of McDonald's work is confirmed by McDonald himself by his views towards what is key to a stable and loyal political system. According to McDonald, “the minds of youth have always been viewed as the key to political loyalty and social stability” (pg 39). This idea that if the young minds of the next generation can be controlled by a centralized government run system, the system will mold the children to socially conform to what the government, i.e. the elites who run the government, wants.

In this essay, I will discuss how the theories of John Stuart Mill and W.E.B. Du Bois, as presented in On Liberty and The Souls of Black Folk respectively, relate to the individual’s development and necessary conditions to thrive in modern society. I will focus on the goal of self-realization and development, or in other words, an individual’s pursuit to find meaning in their lives, and close with the authors’ directions for individuals to facilitate this pursuit for themselves and others. Both were concerned that dominant opinions in a society would prevent individuals from choosing new paths in life, instead of common ones, such as attending trade school in Du Bois’ time. The pursuit of self-realization is affected by society’s prevailing sentiment toward individuals who differ from perceived norm because the majority’s mindset affects the likelihood and ability of an individual to seek self-realization. In addition, the majority opinion can dissuade the individual from deviating from the norm at all, causing social and economic stagnation. This is in part the case because self-realization often involves some deviation from the norm, which is synonymous with Mill’s concept of “plurality of paths” (Mill 69), wherein the paths are deliberately unique and novel.

Without education, a society would have not have the proper tools needed to produce literature, write documents, or carry out worldly affairs. These shortcomings would lead to bigger problems as other countries advanced in greater educational feats. In 1831, a Frenchman named Alexis de Tocqueville published a book proclaiming America exceptional after observing the American lifestyle firsthand. De Tocqueville is justified in his claim, as the public school reform movement greatly benefited the American society as a whole. Horace Mann, a main educational reformer, can be credited for advocating the need of a uniformed public school system. His persistence and the modifications made during the public school reform movement display America’s

One major problem reformers attempted to address was education. Before the time of public schools, the main education was in the home, where the mother would embody her duty of republican motherhood, and teach their kids civil virtue: the ability to grow up and contribute to the nation. Eventually public schools were founded as the role of women in society changed, however at the time of the movement, the public school system was abysmal. Children from age three to fourteen would all be educated in one room, by one teacher who was often terribly under qualified. An excerpt written by Abraham Lincoln on his childhood explains how the only requirements for a job as a teacher was to be able to read and write (Document A). This ineffective system of education was to be extensively reformed by the secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education, a man who would go on to be celebrated as the “Father of

“The child soon learns not to ask questions - the teacher is not there to satisfy his curiosity” (Holt 73). This is what John Holt thinks the American education system is all about. He thinks that school is a place where individuality and creativity come to die. He wrote an essay that explains his belief further that is titled, “School is bad for Children.” Holt uses several rhetorical devices and logical fallacies such as generalizations - stereotypes, making assumptions, and “either or fallacy” that weakens his argument.

Since the establishment of America’s first schools, the American people have disagreed not only about what the purpose of school is, but also about what schools should teach. Initially schools were supposed to “prepare men to vote intelligently and prepare women to train their sons properly. Moral training based on the Protestant Bible would produce virtuous, well-behaved citizens [who knew not only] the three R’s but [also] the general principles of law, commerce, money, and government” (Kaestle, 1983, p. 5). During the 1780’s educational theorists began calling for reform and in 1785 Massachusetts law