Chapter Three An Overview of Schooling in America

“Social Capital” Connections among individuals that give access to cultural & civic experiences Kids get libraries, travel, concerts, museums Parents know how to get the best education for kids (have info., negotiation skills) First 150 years of our nation: High-quality ed. only for rich white males Few schooling options for girls, Native Americans, African Americans, the poor

Evolution of Schools Consider: Role of wealth, privilege, & social capital Effect of geographic location on access Goals of education Effects of immigration Transmission of values & beliefs Roles of local, state, federal governments

Origins of Formal Education Old Deluder Satan Act (Mass., 1647): Why was it called that? A town of 50 households: Must appoint & pay a teacher of reading & writing 100 households: Must offer a grammar school Result: The spread of Latin grammar schools Forerunner of American high school Run by town board Financed by students’ families

Geography & Early Educational Access Northern colonies: Mostly Puritans, town schools taught scripture, schools abundant after 1647 Mid-Atlantic: Diverse population created range of grammar & private schools, apprenticeship programs South: Tutors & travel for the rich, fewer schools

After Independence Congress set aside land for public schools One-room schoolhouses, multi-age class Common schools: Public, tax-supported elementary schools (1820s) Academy: Private secondary school Broader, practical curriculum with electives For rich, some open to girls

Rise of the Public School Jefferson, Franklin, Mann: Democracy needs informed citizens & an education system that promotes meritocracy Immigration in 1830s-1840s created new tasks for schools: Workforce training Assimilation of “morally dubious” immigrants into dominant culture

“Normal Schools”: Teacher Education Two-year programs in educational philosophy & teaching methods (1830s) Catherine Beecher: Train women teachers Booker T. Washington: Train African American teachers Was your college or school of education first a normal school?

Key Events in American Education

“Essentialism”: William Bagley Core knowledge is essential to person’s life in society, so schools should teach it A.k.a. “back-to-basics,” the “three Rs” Math, science, literature, history America should have a common culture “Teacher knows best”

“Progressivism”: John Dewey Active learning through problem solving, projects, hands-on experiences School = laboratory driven by student curiosity Integrate subject matter & make connections to real life experience Teach students to collaborate

“Perennialism”: Mortimer Adler Single core curriculum focused on the enduring ideas of the great thinkers A.k.a. the “Great Books” or “great ideas” Focus on classic Greco-Roman literature, history, art, philosophy, moral instruction Curriculum inflexible and unchanging Emphasizes Socratic method

Reform Philosophies Goal: Improve society by transforming oppressive systems through education Social reconstructionism: Curriculum promotes social reform Critical theory (Paulo Freire): Students should challenge oppression Existentialism (Søren Kierkegaard): Truth lies within individual, so students should choose subjects & learning methods

Philosophy in the Classroom Watch the TeachSource Video Case, “Philosophical Foundations of American Education: Four Philosophies in Action”

Aesthetic education (Maxine Greene) Merges artistic expression with social justice Learn by doing Learn through inquiry (observation & analysis, the scientific method) Focus: Equity, quality of school experience, use of imagination to break down barriers The arts catalyze deeper understanding of ideas & critical engagement with the world

Addressing Inequities Landmarks in quest for educational opportunity for all Americans regardless of race, gender, or ethnicity: Brown vs. Bd. of Education (1954) Civil Rights Act (1964) Bilingual Education Acts (1968, 1974) Title IX (1972) Equal Educational Opportunities Act (1975) Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004)

Elementary & Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Federal $ to poorest schools (via states) Still single largest source of federal $ for K-12 Title 1: Better opportunities for disadvantaged Early childhood education (Head Start) Tutoring, other supplemental academic instruction After-school centers Computer labs for poor schools Dropout prevention Job training Name changed to No Child left Behind Act in 2002 Name Changed back to ESEA in 2010

Standards-based Reform “A nation at risk” (1983) calls for: More attention on academic skills & standards, less focus on school’s role in building social understanding Content area standards for knowledge & skills set by grade level for pre-K–12 (1989) National guidelines developed by scholars from each discipline (math, language arts, science, social studies, foreign languages, the arts) No Child Left Behind Act (2002) Accountability through standardized testing Race to the Top (2010)- to get big$$- states show evidence of proposed reform to US Dept of Education

Individuals with Disabilities Act Free, appropriate education for all students with disabilities Before 1975, such students marginalized in segregated classrooms w. inferior curricula Various approaches: Special education (students in separate class) Partial inclusion (with gen. ed. for part of day) Inclusion (class mixes students of all abilities)

Schooling Today Structure & design influenced by: Geography Legislation Demographics Educational philosophies of past & present Global events Technology We have many local & national standards but no standard student!