1. Early History of Education

2. Objectives
Give examples of how education reflected local culture and beliefs
Trace changes in the preparation, roles and status of teachers over time
Describe how educational opportunities changed from colonial times forward
Analyze how key people in early education reform responded to concerns of the time

3. Key Terms
Apprentice – someone who learns a skilled trade by watching and helping someone in that trade
Dame School – early American schools run by women in their own homes; parents paid a fee for their children to attend
Hornbook – flat wooden board with a handle; sheet of paper – usually containing the alphabet, a prayer or two, and Roman numerals – was pasted on the board and covered with a thin, flat piece of clean animal horn to protect the paper.

4. Key Terms Continued
Common Schools – public schools available to children from all levels of society
Normal Schools – school’s that prepared men and women with the necessary skills to become teachers.
McGuffey Readers – first widely used textbooks published during the American Common Schools period. Included moral lesson along with science, grammar, and other subjects

5. Key Terms Continued
Progressives – members of a reform movement that began in late 1800’s; believed that education should be more individualized and teach students skills that would improve the ills of society.
Montessori Method – teaching principals developed by Maria Montessori, an Italian doctor, emphasizing self-directed learning through sensory experience.
Career and Technical Education – courses of study that prepare students for careers related to a specific trade or occupation.

6. Key Terms Finished
Disposable Income – income beyond that needed for basic necessities, allowing people to buy or do thing they want.
Quotas - limits

7. 1600-1776 American Colonial Period
Most education took place at home
Basic reading and arithmetic skills taught
Daily life and work provided opportunities for practical learning
When schools were established:
Mainly in well-populated areas
Primarily for elementary grades
Few universities and colleges founded –so few opportunities to attend
Most older children worked on family farms and business
Others, learned a trade in an apprenticeship
Some worked without pay for agreed upon time period in exchange for their learning

8. New England Colonies
Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, & Rhode Island – all came from England
Majority Puritans
Believed in importance of religious education
Valued person’s ability to read the Bible
School viewed as a way to reach those goals and teach basic skills for farmers
1642 Massachusetts enacted a law requiring every town to establish a school – not always followed

9. Middle Colonies New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania & Delaware
All from different backgrounds
No common school system
Cultural groups developed own schools
Quakers
Settled around Philadelphia
Believed everyone should be educated
Tolerant of others beliefs
Established 1st school that welcomed all regardless of religion or race
Open to girls, African Americans and Native Americans

10. Southern Colonies
Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia
Social and economic class divisions were more rigid
Sons of wealthy plantation owners received a formal education preparing for college in colonies or Europe
Due to geographical separation of plantations were educated at home by tutors
Middle class was smaller than other areas
Middle class and poor, especially girls, had fewer opportunities
Enslaved people were only taught skills useful to their owners
Dame schools were open to both boys and girls

11. Role of Teacher Ranked right below religious leaders in importance
Were men better educated than the general population
Expected to teach and act as an example of moral behavior
Could NOT drink, smoke, date or marry
Had to:
Attend church regularly
Participate in civic events
Be industrious and honest
Routinely clean the school
Visit the sick
Perform charitable acts

12. School Curriculum
Most schools focused on basic reading, writing, simple math and religion
Some educated beyond elementary
Few formal school existed
In Middle and New England colonies training was available for trades
Sons of wealthy learned Latin, Greek and advanced math
In south sons studies astronomy for navigation and plantation management skills
Girls taught basic skills – sewing, home management skills
Wealthy daughters taught literature and poetry
Books were rare and expensive
Schools used hornbooks – used throughout the colonies until 1800’s when books became less expensive

13. 1776-1840 American Early National Period
Began with the American Revolution
Believed they could make a better society and were eager to try new ideas
Change occurred quickly in cities and slower in rural settings
Educators believed improving lives and society through the use of reason; could find rational solutions for problems
Schools were a vehicle for making a better society
Ideas & traditions of Europe less influential
Education considered way to promote the new nations ideas of freedom & liberty
Religion played less of a role; focused on teaching skills to help students enter fields such as agriculture, business and shipping

14. Benjamin Franklin One of the most important early leaders
Started a secondary school or academy in Philadelphia – open to anyone who could pay tuition
Due to his influence schools today:
Teach good citizenship
Are available to everyone
Teach a wide variety of subjects

15. Thomas Jefferson
Believed that education was the key to making the newly formed democracy a success
Introduced legislation to divide counties in Virginia into smaller districts that were responsible for education – a public system of education
Wanted elementary schools available without cost
Due to his influence schools today:
Public system of education introduced
How public schools are organized

16. Role of Teacher Continued to be positive models of good citizenship
Expected to be involved, make community better place through church participation and involvement in community issues
Taught that citizenship involved obeying laws and rules and respecting authority

17. School Curriculum
Continued teaching basics of reading, writing, math Christian principals and citizenship
Also taught Greek, Roman, English history and American history
Opportunities remained limited, especially in less populated areas
Wealthy boys were taught Greek, Latin and English grammar, advanced math, geography, literature and science in preparation for university entrance
If girls received additional education it was through a tutor at home or schools designed for girls
Education was limited to those of European ancestry

18. 1840-1880 American Common School Period
Marked by events that significantly altered the American way of life
1840 – Oregon Trail opened
Gold discovered in California
Labor saving devices developed – sewing machines and washing machines
1860’s – civil war claimed lives, freeing slaves & triumph of union altered American life
In 1840 most American children received minimal schooling if any at all
By 1880 education, including free public education for many – was more widely available

19. Horace Mann
Served as 1st Secretary of the State Board of Education in Massachusetts
Worked hard to establish free public education for every boy and girl
First public state supported schools called common schools gave the same education to people from different levels of society
Established teacher-training schools called normal schools
Successfully advocated establishment of free libraries
Increased state funding for public schools by using state taxes to pay for education – provided money to raise teacher salaries and improve materials and equipment
Believed schools should be nonsectarian since funded by taxpayers – reasoned that people should not have to pay to teach religious principals contrary to own beliefs
Since country was overwhelmingly Christian, morality based on general Christian principals still taught

20. African American Education
Before civil war very few enslaved African Americans were able to read or write
Most learned in secret due to laws in South prohibiting educating them
Former slaves in Northern states faced social and economic obstacles
Few African American schools existed
Quaker schools allowed them to attend
Struggled with very low wages so children found work as soon as old enough
After civil war
Educated African Americans set up schools
Missionaries from North set up schools
First African American colleges founded
Debates among African Americans about what was the best type of education for their people
Most efforts were short lived
Schools strictly segregated
Lacked funds for equal education

21. Role of Teacher Country was still primarily rural
Children educated at home or in small country school houses.
1 teacher taught all grades
Teachers paid by community members
Salaries quite low

22. Normal Schools
To enter a normal school for training applicants had to take a test to show that they were properly educated
Resulted in higher expectations of teachers knowledge and teaching abilities
More women enrolled and entered profession
Opportunity to make a living on own

23. School Curriculum Brought more change in how subjects were taught
Establishment of kindergartens in public school in 1870
Developed by Fredrich Froebel, a German educator
Believed young children learned best through play
First kindergarten classes established to help poor children succeed in school
Songs and games were used to teach the children
Prior to this children did not attend school until 7 years old

24. School Curriculum Continued
Textbooks became more widely available
Reverend William Holmes McGuffey asked to write a textbook
beginning of McGuffey readers
Used in schools across country
Books taught moral lessons along with reading, spelling and other subjects
Subsequent readers taught history, biology, botany, literature, speech, proper behavior
Contributed to standardization of American education

25. School Curriculum Continued
Morrill Act of 1862
Known as the Land-Grant College Act
Gave federal land to establish colleges in every state
Provided practical education in agriculture, home economics and other useful professions to people from all social classes
Second Morrill Act in 1890 expanded the system

26. 1880 – 1921 American Progressive Period
Bridged the 19th and 20th centuries
Women gained more rights
European immigrants poured into cities
Industrial revolution continued to change nature of work and society
Time of business expansion and reform
Reformation members called themselves Progressives
Wanted to regulate big business who took advantage of workers and consumers
Corrupt government officials were also targets

27. American Progressive Period Continued
Between 1880 and 1920, half the rural population abandoned farming and moved to town to find work
Over 15 million new immigrants arrived
Urban areas became overcrowded
Poverty and disease widespread
If you found work
Long hours
Working conditions were hazardous
Children worked limiting education opportunities
Progressives worked toward
Better pay for women
Passed laws reducing number of hours children could work in factories
By 1920 all states passed laws requiring children attend elementary school

28. Segregated Education Schools were still highly segregated
African American children attended separate public schools that received less funding
Educational materials were scarce and inferior, often the cast-offs from the “white” schools
African American teachers could only teach in African American schools and received lower pay then their counterparts

29. Role of Teachers Teachers were considered professionals
Teacher preparation programs in colleges replaced normal schools
More emphasis was placed on educational theories
Teachers were well trained and qualified to both run a classroom and teach a variety of subjects
Many teachers grew unhappy with emphasis on standardization
First teachers unions were formed to protect the working rights of teachers
Fought to improve pay, status and working conditions
Women entered the workforce in greater numbers
By end of progressive period, women had achieved the right to vote

30. School Curriculum
Progressives believed that schools should focus on students more as individuals, felt that curriculum was too standardized
Felt that students should be encouraged to think critically and independently, rather than simply memorize information and accept facts – these changes were significant for education
One notable change was the opening of thousands of public high schools
In 1880 there was only about 800 of these
This allowed students to continue their education and prepare for a career, even if they were not attending college
High school diploma became more important in finding a job

31. John Dewey
An educational philosopher, psychologist and writer was a leading voice for progressive education
Believed that classrooms were too rigid and inflexible, did not adapt to needs, interests, and abilities of individual students
Believed schools should place a greater emphasis on the development of problem solving and critical thinking skills
Promoted the link between learning and experience
Due to his influence schools today:
Collaborative learning on projects and discussing topics
Role of teacher as guiding learning
Real life activity that linked new information to previous experiences

32. Maria Montessori
Italy’s first female doctor, tried to find ways to help children who had difficulty learning
Believed that young children are capable of great discovery and motivated to explore the world.
Sensory experiences should come before learning to read and write
Developed the Montessori method
Considers all of a child’s needs, not just intellectual
Classrooms are stimulating environments
Many opportunities for large and fine-motor development and sensory exploration, along with language, science, art, geography, and math
Children direct their own learning with teachers as partners
Teachers encourage children to judge their own progress and choose own interests

33. Career and Technical Education
Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 established federal funds to support vocational education (now called career and technical education)
Prepares students for the many career opportunities in specific trades and occupations where skilled workers are needed
Funding greatly influenced the spread of CTE classes in public high schools

34. 1920s and the Great Depression (1921-1940)
America was the most industrialized country in the world and economic prosperity and growth were strong
Influence of the Progressive movement in education continued through this period
Economic prosperity of the 1920s increased the size of the middle class.
Most people had disposable income
Americans became consumers, rather than producers
Consumer credit issues surfaced for the first time as credit became more widely available, so consumer education became a need.
Concerns about the rate of immigration caused quotas to be set
October 14, 1929, the New York Stock Market crashed
Became known as Black Thursday
Caused the economic panic that put country into the Great Depression

35. Impact of Economy on Schools
In hard economic times schools had to respond to lost revenue
During the Great Depression
Public schools faced a shortage of cash
Many citizens were unable to pay taxes
Some districts ceased to operate
Some districts shortened the school year
Teacher pay was decreased or eliminated
Course offering cut back to basic subjects
Families found it difficult to keep children fed and dressed - not enough money for books and school supplies
Many children unable to attend due to working to supplement family income
Federal Government steps in to help
Funds helped support some schools to hire teachers and purchase supplies
Schools began offering free hot lunches for children
Better schools were built in some communities as part of the program to employ others
By end of 1930s families were getting back on their feet
Social institutions were working to recover from a decade of hardship
Americans were inward focused

36. Dick and Jane Readers
Early 1930s, a new set of reading textbooks for beginning readers were published
Taught basic reading skills with simple stories about a family.
From 1930 to 1960, over 85 million students used these textbooks
Widespread use help standardize education

37. Give examples of how education reflected local culture and beliefs
Ability to read the Bible
Religious education
Everyone educated – Quakers
Social and economic divisions
Tutors – plantation children
Nonsectarian – paid for by taxes
Segregation
Industrial revolution

38. Trace changes in the preparation, roles and status of teachers over time
Men only to men and women
Role models to professionals
Teacher dos and don’ts
Duties
Community involvement
Segregation
Normal schools to teacher colleges
Low pay
Teacher unions

39. Describe how educational opportunities changed from colonial times forward
Tutors
Apprenticeships
One-room school houses
Common schools
Kindergarten
Morrill Act
Mandatory elementary school attendance
Montessori Method
Smith-Hughes Act
Hornbooks to McGuffey readers to Dick and Jane Readers

40. Analyze how key people in early education reform responded to concerns of the time
Benjamin Franklin
Thomas Jefferson
Horace Mann
Fredrich Froebel
Reverend William Holmes McGuffey
John Dewey
Maria Montessori

41. Analytical Question Prompts
Throughout the early history of education in America, teachers were held in great respect and were expected to be role models for students. In your opinion, how are teachers regarded today? Give reasons for your view.
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, some teachers continued to work for little or no pay. What do you think motivated them? How do you think you would react, as a teacher, if a similar situation occurred? What factors would you weigh as part of your decision?