Horace Mann: The Father of Public Education Public (COMMON) School Reform! “Our means of education are the grand machinery by which the raw material of human nature can be worked up into inventors and discoverers, into skilled artisans and scientific farmers.”- Horace Mann

Early 1800s…before reform: Best schools are private schools High tuition (cost) Available to wealthy families Private tutors also available Many children did not go to school at all School in Kansas. Frontier schools were sparse, poorly staffed, and inconsistent.

In the City…before reform: Children were breaking laws: Stealing Vandalism Arson Reformers believed that education would raise them from poverty and crime

Time for Reform! Horace Mann travelled to all the schools in Massachusetts and documented the bad conditions Change began in Massachusetts Voted to pay taxes for: Better school equipment, buildings… Higher teacher salaries Special training for teachers Still an unfinished reform… African-Americans and often young girls still couldn’t attend school

Progress! Oberlin College (Ohio) accepts women starting in 1837 Sets precedent for other public colleges (1860’s) Some common schools allow girls in elementary grades

Detriments…what stood in the way: Prudence Crandall admits an African girl to her all-girls’ school in Connecticut Parents were outraged; removed their children Crandall goes to an all-African student body Enraged whites vandalize the school, Crandall is jailed for two years School ultimately closed down

More Progress! Horace Mann becomes president of Antioch College in Ohio New college for men and women (first to integrate the sexes) “Be ashamed to die, until you have won some victory for humanity.”

Public School Reform Horace Mann He and other reformers think education will lower crime rates with children First public schools are in Massachusetts Taxes raised to build schools, pay & educate teachers From there the idea spreads More Schools begin accepting women African Americans had to wait longer