Most of the
"ideas" that characterize contemporary American education came
to life in the last quarter of the 19th Century. We still celebrate the
birth of the Research University, the Land Grant University, the Urban
College and the Public Library in those years. It was truly a giant step
in our national life as we came to believe that education was for every
citizen and that knowledge needed to be actively pursued and be useful in
furthering the goals of the nation.
The driving forces for this marvelous educational giant step came from the
shift from an agrarian economy to the mass industrial economy and the
concomitant shift of millions of families and citizens from the farm to
the city. It is useful to recall that only 5% of American youth graduated
high school in the year 1900 with only 1% going on to college.
http://www.quakernet.org/QuakerEducation/education_1900.htm
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Junior High Schools
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Middle Schools
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 | In 1912, the Southern States made of 34% of the United States' population but received only 3% of the education funding. |
| de jure school segregation - segregation by law |
| de facto segregation - segregation defined by society |
| Founded in 1909 |
| Brown v Board of Education - separate is not equal. |
| Supreme Court declares de jure school segregation violates the 14th Amendment |
| Bussing - In 1971, the case of Swann V. Charlotte decided that changing the lines of a school district in order to bus students to integrated school is allowed under the Constitution. |
On May 17, 1954, Chief Justice Earl Warren announced the court’s unanimous decision: “It is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education. Such an opportunity…is a right which must be available to all on equal terms. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.”
http://www.pbs.org/kcet/publicschool/photo_gallery
"Segregation was wrong when it was forced by White people, and I believe it is still wrong when it is requested by Black people."
Coretta Scott King
Milestones in American public education in the 20th Century
Eleanor Roosevelt's thoughts on public education
From 1900 to 1996 the percentage of teenagers who graduated from high school increased from about 6 percent to about 85 percent.
By the middle of the 20th century, most states took a more active regulatory role than in the past. States consolidated school districts into larger units with common procedures. In 1940 there were over 117,000 school districts in the United States, but by 1990 the number had decreased to just over 15,000. The states also became much more responsible for financing education. In 1940 local property taxes financed 68 percent of public school expenses, while the states contributed 30 percent. In 1990 local districts and states each contributed 47 percent to public school revenues. The federal government provided most of the remaining funds.
Private Education
In 1925, the Supreme Court ruled, in Pierce v. Society of Sisters, that states could not compel children to attend public schools, and that children could attend private schools instead. Instruction is provided for various religious denominations. Education could be provided exclusively for the wealthy. This was seen as an alternative for any group that finds the available forms of education unsatisfactory.
In 1999 there were:
| 27,223 private elementary and secondary schools with
| 5,162,684 students, and
| 395,317 full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers | |
In 1924, the Bureau of Indian Affairs controlled education until the 1970s. After this, Reservation Schools became community-run under the local Department of Education.
Native Americans have the highest drop-put rate at 39%. In 1998, the Integrity Task Force was formed to research the problems associated with the drop-out rate.
Hispanics attended religious mission schools and secular public schools. In 1965, the Elementary and Secondary Act was passed by Congress to help disadvantaged children achieve higher standards in education. This provided new educational support for the Hispanic community. Bilingual education programs were added to many schools. However, the Act was denounced in California and Arizona, where Hispanics were the fastest growing segment of the population.
Asian American Education
Exclusionary Acts
| 1882 - Chinese |
| 1930- Filipinos |
| Japanese |
Suffered from school segregation until 1946. Detention Camps held 110,000 Japanese Americans during WWII.
After the Vietnam War, Asian Immigration greatly increased. Today, Asian AMericans make of 3% of the population (7 million people).
In 1974, the Supreme Court found, in Lau v. Nichols, that schools must not discriminate against individuals who do not speak English. Non-speaking immigrants in public schools have the rights of:
| Equal Educational Opportunities |
| Sufficient Special Instruction |
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Respect for teachers |