The Importance Of Public Education

Horace Mann and Jane Addams both lived in the 19th century America and were university educated reformers. However, they came of age in very different times, with Horace Mann living during the early years of American democracy and Addams the massive industrial expansion and immigration era of the late 19th century (Gutek, 2011). These differences created distinct educational needs that required very different responses. In the case of Mann the need was for quality instruction for all children and not just the children of the elite. Horace Mann used the skills he developed as a Massachusetts politician and his post as the first secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education to advocate for the creation of Common Schools. These schools

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 one of the most influential reformers in the history of American education. He was responsible for the Common School Movement, which was to ensure that every child receive free basic education funded by local taxes. Growing up in poverty where there was lack of access to education, the first secretary of Massachusetts Board of Education strongly believed that tuition- free education would be the “great equalizer,” and the key to fight against poverty and crime. As a result, Massachusetts’ residents were the

The man with the greatest effect on the government’s relationship with schools is Horace Mann. Often called the “Father of American Education,” Horace Mann wasn’t

The idea of education has advanced throughout history, constantly shifting by societal ideals and human evolvement. This change is especially prominent during the 1800s and continues to alter to this very day with education policies. Public education first began during the Industrial Revolution. During this crucial time in history, many children were required to get an education in order to learn the trades of the growing economy and business as opposed to getting hurt in from hazardous machinery. These skills were limited reading, writing, and math. Ultimately, from this concept, public education was founded and from then, our society has grown into a well-educated community in which every individual has a role into making an impressive,

For over a century, public education has been the backbone of our nation. But in recent years it has come under scrutiny for ill-preparing our youth for the futures that lie ahead of them. Originally established to teach young people the rights and responsibilities of being a citizen, public schooling has since transformed into the belief that it is solely for college and career readiness. Educational historian and policy analyst Diane Ravitch however, disagrees with the latter and firmly states her position in an excerpt from her book Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools. She supports her claim by utilizing logos and ethos to effectively show that the American schooling system has failed in its primary goal: teaching young people the rights and responsibilities of citizens.

Public schools originated in 1647 in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and soon spread across New England. They began with an elementary school for every fifty families and a Latin school for every one hundred families. Their mission was to “ensure that Puritan children learn to read the Bible and receive basic information about their Calvinist religion.”1 By 1840, conflict was at a climax in New York City. The public schools had taken on a “common school” education that included a

However, with state taxes and centralized schooling came the question of who would oversee and maintain it. Horace Mann answered with a Board of Education which was met with much opposition by those that feared the bureaucratic measures that would have to be taken to implement it. In the 1840 debate to abolish the Board of Education, Allen Dodge voiced these concerns that as it’s power grew, less improvement would be accomplished as each suggestion was mulled over by the Board. However, the goal of those in favor of centralized schooling was to improve all schools by establishing minimum curriculum standards and requirements for teaching certifications. During the republican and common school era, teaching was not seen as a profession and they were paid a small salary. Additionally, Low wages attracted less qualified individuals, but with centralized state tax funded systems, wages could be raised for

Even though the Declaration of Independence does not mention education, our founding fathers did value education. Illustrated by the ordinances they passed “in 1785 and 1787 that granted federal lands to states to create and support public school- an institution that the nation’s founders viewed as essential to democracy and national unification.” (Jennings, p3) In 1959, the admission of Alaska and Hawaii into the Union reconfirmed the Federal government’s support of education. Three distinct elements that impact education are; laws that have been passed, the removal of the church from public schools, and the role of federal government that has evolved and changed over the years. These three factors have transformed education over the

Formal schooling was not systematic in America in the mid-1800s, despite the regional efforts of strong advocates for public education. There were wide regional and cultural differences in attitudes toward the idea of tax-supported, systematic formal schooling based upon a common curriculum. Various religious groups had established schools for the perpetuation of their theology and culture, especially in the mid-Atlantic and Northern states. These groups were fearful of relinquishing responsibility to political authority. In the Southern states, slavery and a strong caste system were impediments to the development of public schools (p. 97).

Even though America's first public high school opened in 1821, the idea of a nationwide system was advocated by Horace Mann and many other educational reformers who had a longing opposition of the idea of having to purchase their own learning. Due to their efforts,

Education in America started with the Pilgrims in the early 1600’s. The first public school was opened in 1635 in Boston Massachusetts. In 1642, Massachusetts started an education reform that stated “Any child not properly educated would apprentice to a trade”. This education reform was created because they believed it was important for children and citizens to be able to read the laws of the land. This was the first law that required children to be education. If they were not properly educated they would be moved from their home to a better fit environment where they would be able to learn. Virginia then followed with a similar law in 1646. In 1647 Massachusetts founded an act called “Old Deluder Satan Act”. This act required towns of more than fifty families to hire a teacher for reading and writing. Towns of more than a hundred families had to establish a grammar school which served as college preparation. Dame schools taught reading and writing to females because this was all they were expected to learn so that they would not have the same intellect as men. Their classes were held in the teacher’s kitchen who continued her chores while the students did their lessons. At the beginning of the 20th century, parents and public schools began demanding more practical and useful curriculums.

As a high school student in 2016, school is a very stressful and important thing. I love education and learning, but school seems to be pushing students away from that. I personally am passionate about American history and politics and I want to study and interpret important pieces of American history such as the Constitution and help the world somehow with that, but I have to instead spend hours on quadratic equations and memorizing every step as to how the cell divides. School is extremely important. If it weren’t for school, then I wouldn’t have found this passion of mine. I was in 8th grade US History class when I did, and it has changed the path I am taking in life. But I think

Public schooling in the United States seems somewhat unique in the fact it is essentially a set of state-based systems unlike many other nations education systems that are managed and operated by their national government. “Although the Tenth Amendment [of the U.S. Constitution] seems merely to state the truism that all that is not delegated to Congress is reserved to the states, the Court found in this amendment a core principle of state sovereignty. This principle required that the federal government not intrude in areas traditionally controlled by the state.” (Epstein, 2004, pg. 46). There is a federal government role in education and there are many national influences such as education organization representing diverse groups from various

The educational system today as well as in the 19th century has always been funded by the state and local government. Currently, local property taxes fund the majority of elementary and secondary schools. In 1848, Horace Mann, a politician and an education reformer, was very influential about the role of education and believed that schools should provide students with a sense of virtue and character as well as providing a sense of discipline. (Horace Mann) His beliefs of providing free education along with his political influence resulted in states paying for education.