1600’s

1635-The first “free school” open in Virginia despite education primarily being provided at
home by parents in southern states
o For parents who do not have the wherewithal to educate their children or the means to
pay for it, having access to free school is very beneficial.
1635-The Boston Latin School was founded which provided a precollege education for the
country’s future leaders.
o Expanding on the importance of college and preparing the children for that part of their
lives is amazing.
1636-Harvard College, the first higher education institution, was established
o Harvard College is one of the top highest performing schools in the country so when it
was established is relevant.
1640-Henry Dunster became the President of Harvard College and taught the courses
himself
o The fact that Henry Dunster taught the courses himself while he was President is
amazing.
1642-Massachussetts Act of 1642 made it clear that the education of children was a concern
o Steps in the right direction with making education a priority.
1647-Massachussetts Act of 1647 also referred to as the Old Deluder Satan Act due to
education being the best protection against the wiles of the devil which mandated the
establishment of schools.
o Making education mandatory and fining households 5 pounds for non-compliance gave
children the best chance at being educated and providing success in their lives.
1661-An evening school for working children was created in New Amsterdam (now New
York City)
o If children know that there is a school they can attend outside of their work schedule it
allows them the ability to better themselves and get an education.
1690-New England Primer was printed which introduced children to the letters of the
alphabet using woodcuts and rhymes couplets. The first couplet was In Adam’s fall-We
sinned all and last one Zaccheus he-Did climb the Tree-His Lord to see
o Children learning the alphabet using woodcuts makes it fun and keeps the children
engaged and wanting to learn.
1698-The College of William and Mary is established in Virginia which was the second
colonial school to open and is considered Thomas Jefferson’s School
o Knowing how prestigious this school is and that my 18 year old cousin got accepted to go
here makes me very proud to add this to my timeline.
 1700’s
1700-Quaker schools for black students was established in Philadelphia
o Having schools to educate black children is a huge step in the right direction to equality
1704- One of the first schools to teach African and Native Americans was started by Elias
Neau in New York City
o The ability for African and Native Americans to be able to be educated is definitely a step
in the right direction towards people being treated as equals.
1727-The Ursaline Academy of New Orleans is founded which is a Catholic school for girls
and one of the oldest operating schools in the United States
o The fact that the school is still in operation this many years later means they have got to
be doing something right and providing the fundamentals of a faith based education.
1745-Arithmetic was introduced into grammar schools
o Today we appreciate the fact that arithmetic was introduced into grammar schools as the
importance of math is tremendous.
1779-Thomas Jefferson proposed a two-track educational system with different tracks for
the laboring and the learned
o I chose this because it’s important to know that college isn’t for everyone and that there
are other options out there for you like attending a trade school.
1785-Suopport for mandated education was later expanded through the Northwest
Ordinance which gave federal land to the states for educational purposes.
o Land being given for educational purposes allowed more schools to be built that would
be able to accommodate all children.
1789-The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is chartered by the N.C. General
Assembly and is the only public university to award degrees during the 18th century.
o The University awarding degrees had to be a rarity during those times and in doing so
gave all students an opportunity for higher education.
1790-Pennsylvania state calls for free public education for poor families.
o Giving opportunity to families that do not have the same financial benefits as other
families is a great help to children and their success.
 1800’s
1801-James Pillans invented the blackboard
o The blackboard has been such an instrumental part of how educators teach their lessons
throughout the ages.
1817-The Connecticut Asylum at Hartford for the Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons
opened which is the first permanent school for the deaf in the U.S.
o Having a school that caters to the special needs of deaf and mentally challenged students
is very important and gives these students the chance to learn at their pace and what they
need to learn based on their disabilities.
1821-Boston English High School opens being the first public high school
o The first public high school opening is a big deal as it continues the education for
children allowing them to continue growing intellectually.
1823-Catherine Beecher opens Hartford Female Seminary, a private school for girls in
Hartford, Connecticut.
o Women empowering the educational growth of more women is amazing.
1827-Massachussetts state passes a law that towns of more than 500 families are required
to have a public high school providing education to all students.
o Making it a requirement to have a high school in a town with more than 500 families
holds the parents and governing body accountable for educating the children.
1829-The New England Asylum for Blind, now the Perkins School for the Blind, Opened in
Massachusetts which was the first school for visually impaired students.
o Just like the school for deaf and mentally challenged students, having a school that caters
to the learning needs for visually impaired students is important for assisting in teaching
the skills needed for their specific disability.
1837-The African Institute opens which was later called the Institute for Colored Youth
opened in Cheyney, PA and is now called the Cheyney University being the oldest
institution of higher learning for African Americans.
o Having a university that was opened that long ago and is still in operation is such a great
display of African Americans being able to receive a higher education.
1856-The first kindergarten in the United States is started in Waterton, WI by Margarethe
Schurz
o Creating a school catered to shaping the young minds of children at such an early age and
preparing them with social skins and beginning to learn the basics was instrumental in
assisting children in getting them ready for the next steps of the education process.
 1900’s
1900-The Association of American Universities is founded which promotes higher
standards for U.S universities to put them on equal footing with their European
counterparts
o Having standards for the performance of the United States universities makes everyone
work harder and reach their potential.
1901- Joliet Junior College located in Joliet, IL opens which is the first public community
college in the U.S
o When the first community college opened is relevant especially with how important
community colleges are today and it making it a bit easier for people with lesser means to
receive a higher education.
1909-Indianola Junior High School opens in Columbus OH as the first junior high school
in the U.S. which improved the high school graduation rates
o Creating a step between elementary school and high school is paramount in making it
possible and a reality to achieve academic success and be able to graduate high school.
1919-All states pass a law providing funds to transport children to school
o Providing the funds necessary for transporting children to school is another instrumental
form of allowing those children to receive an education.
1926-The Scholastic Aptitude Test was first administered
o Having a test to see where a student places allows children that are extremely intelligent
to shine and receive accolades and academic scholarships based on that excellence and
students who are struggling to be able to know where they are struggling so they can
receive help.
1946-The need for a permanent legislative basis for a school lunch program was recognized
and the 79th Congress approved the National School Lunch Act
o There are so many families in poverty that can’t afford to feed their children 3 meals a
day, so having a system in place to help those families in need is incredible.
1957-Federal troops enforce integration in Little Rock, AK as the Little Rock 9 enroll at
Central High School
o The fact that that many years after slavery ended there had to be federal troops is so sad
and is a true reality check to how far we haven’t come.
1994-CompuHigh Whitmorte is founded which claims to be the first online high school
o Heading towards a digital age and everything being online this being the first online high
school is very important
 2000’s
2000-In another case regarding school prayer the U.S Supreme Court rules that allowing
students to pray before a football game violates the Establishment Clause of the First
Amendment
o It’s so sad to see that by praying before a football game you are in violation and shows, in
my opinion, that we are devolving as opposed to evolving.
2003-The Higher Education Act is amended expanding access to higher education for low
and middle income students
o Higher education is expensive and making it feasible for students to receive a higher
education that come from low to middle class families gives all students an equal
opportunity.
2003 The International Association for k-12 Online Learning, a non-profit organization
dedicated to enhancing K-12 online education, is "launched as a formal corporate entity."
o Having an online school for K-12 students is keeping up with everything moving towards
technology.
2009-The American and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provided more than 90-billion dollars
for education which nearly half went to prevent layoffs and for school modernization and
repair
o Teaching and the education system is one of the most important and undervalued
institutions in this country and having that much money go towards education is
fantastic!
2009-The Common Core State Standards Initiative is launched
o I do not like the way the Common Core is set up and feel it will contribute to dumbing
down our children requiring less than they are capable of
2010-The great recession causes massive budget deficits and many teachers facing layoffs
o I think that teachers are already underpaid and way undervalued and to think the
economy was doing so bad that teachers are being laid off makes me feel sick to my
stomach while all of these CEO’s continue to make millions.
2011-Each State is invited to request some flexibility in the No Child Left behind Law
o No Child Left Behind brings too much politics into the classroom and takes the focus off
of the children actually learning and shines a light on them passing…No matter what,
which I feel is a problem.
2016-Betsy DeVos is named Secretary of Education
o I chose this because it is a crystal clear indication of how much our country is devolving
and is incredibly disheartening and just sad-And a lot pathetic!!