Hailey Mendez Roster #11

IMPORTANT ISSUES IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN EDUCATION

1. Schools were not always as they are today, in the past, when the puritans came to
America schools were intended to teach the young to read and understand the Bible.
After young children completed this, the girls would move on to developing into a
lady who tends to the house and the boys who had the money would attend a Latin
grammar school. These schools were exclusive to boys who were wealthy, they had
European reflected curriculum, and the students were expected to become leaders and
ministers after graduating college. The grammar schools primarily focused on
teaching Latin and Greek and by the eighteenth century they were also teaching
mathematics, science, and modern language. The grammar schools were intended for
the wealthy while reading and writing schools were schools designated for minorities
and families who didn’t have the financials to enroll in a grammar school. Students of
the African American and Native American heritage, females, and the poor were
more likely to attend a reading and writing school. Here, basic education in reading
and writing were available to families who would publicly admit their poverty. In
these schools, girls learned to recite the alphabet and stich but were further trained in
how to be a good wife and mother. The main difference between these two schools
was the fact that it wasn’t intelligence that determined what school you attended, but
wealth. This is still relevant today in higher education where in most circumstances'
wealth will be the determining factor of what school you attend.

2. In 1828 the democratic ideal that common people such as immigrants-, middle- and
lower-class workers, and small farmers should be more active in Americas
democracy. Therefore, the election of Andrew Jackson paved the way for poor whites
and later people of color to have access to equal education. A major belief in this time
was that education should be provided to the common person and therefore led to the
establishment of common school, much like the public elementary school known
today. These schools were driven by two major philosophies of the 1830s. First, the
idea that business and industry would benefit from educated workers resulting in a
more productive and effective economy was the philosophy that favored the common
school movement as it became typical for a child of any status to attend school.
Secondly, the philosophy that schools should aid in the nurturing and preservation of
talents among both the poor and wealthy. This means that public schools would work
to address all students' educational needs. In addition, this philosophy also focused on
creating social harmony through schools as values surrounding morals would be a
central focus and goal of schools. During this time two important figures are critical
to mention. One being Noah Webster who helped create a language that Americans in
different parts of the country would use to speak, read, and write the same. He created
an American Spelling Book that standardized the American language that is used
today. Another important figure was Thomas Jefferson who pushed schools to be
more widely available to white children of all social backgrounds, while not totally
inclusive it was a step in the right direction.
3. William Holmes McGuffey who was a midwestern teacher wrote a series of books
that taught reading and moral principles that reflect the authors personal philosophies.
The textbook focused on work ethic, patriotism, and heroism. He created a reading
series to promote moral and patriotic lessons for each grade level. They were used to
instill the virtues of clean living, hard work and literacy. Therefore, while the children
practiced their reading, they also learned about what it means to be a hardworking
and contributing American citizen. For example, a lesson in the Second Electris
Reader series titled Henery and the Bootblack teaches words such as money, support,
manage, and boots. In addition, the story teaches the importance of acquiring money
as a male to care for his loved ones, the virtue of politeness in order to procure a job,
and the effect clothing can have on a man in society. These series were used to teach
reading and promote the morals and values such that William Holmes McGuffey
believed were crucial for students to learn and promote.

4. The United States government used several methods to deculturize education and
students of Lative, African, Spanish and Latin backgrounds. For one the method
separate but equal decided that separating black and white children from one another
in school would still be equal even though it was not. In addition, The Civil Rights
Act gave the government the power to help schools segregate, another way to erase
diversity from education. When it comes to Mexican Americans, the same methods
listed above that were used to deny equal education to African American children
were used in Mexican American schools. The government ruled that education was
dangerous for Mexican children because they move around too much for the
education boards to keep up. Also, while the government allowed for immigration, it
also caused children to suffer and be pulled out of school systems as they could not
stay in one school long enough to learn. In addition, the Land Ordinance Act and the
Northwest Ordnance Act were two government mandated acts that reserved the land
for schools between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River for
education. Although this may seem like a win, it actually hurt the Native Americans
whose reservations were in this area.

5. There are many people who play an important role for developing the school system
and way teachers teach through their development of theories. People such as John
Dewy who believed that a book was no substitute for real world experiences. He
believed students should master the scientific method and supported progressive
classrooms. Cooperative learning where students work together and are rewarded
based upon group performance is an example of what Dewy though most effective as
students guide their own learning and improve academically, emotionally, and
socially. In addition, Edward Thorndike developed the law of effect which states that
behaviors that are rewarded will be repeated and behaviors that are not rewarded are
 less likely to happen in the future. This leads to the theory of positive reinforcement
in which when one purposely rewards specific behavior in order for the desired
behavior to continue to occur in the future. For teachers, this may look like allowing
children to pick a prize from the treasure box when they turn in ten homework
assignments in a row on time in order to keep students on top of assignments.
Theorist like Johann Herbart have helped teachers develop effective lesson plans. He
created a circle of learning in which educators use his theory to effectively teach
using five steps, each crucial to teaching. Lesson plans are planned according to
theories of learning in order to sketch a picture of what learning will look like for the
grade and students that one is teaching. Collin Scott is yet another theorist who
believed in the power of social interaction and cooperative learning much like John
Dewy. He believed that through social interaction students could use the enthusiasm
and work ethic of others to lift them up while cooperative learning demands social
interaction in order to be successful. These theorist and theories were not always
around, and education is grateful for these as they enhance teachers and school
systems across the world.

6. The concept Meritocracy and Equality of Opportunity are two very distinctive
concepts. Meritocracy is the idea that teachers and students will be rewarded based on
their level of achievements and social status. For example, merit pay plays off of this
idea where teachers are paid depending on students test results, therefore as the test
scores go up, so does the teacher's salary. For students, this concept may take into
effect where only students that have a high social status from their family would
receive the highest of education. This system is heavily criticized and looked down
upon by many. Opposite to meritocracy is Equality of Opportunity. This means that
everyone should have fair and equal access to education regardless of race, financial
situation, geographical location, and other factors that would seize one's educational
rights. These two concepts very greatly in education because while one is exclusive,
the other is fair and just.

7. One of the many problems in Education that teachers and administrators are faced
with is the question, “Where does each student belong and where” or “What students
go in this classroom and what students go in that classroom.” These questions have
led to a process known as tracking which means students of different abilities follow
specified programs and courses designed for their level. Many issues have arisen due
to tracking such as the availability of opportunity given to each student. It is believed
that with tracking, schools set the future for students from the beginning because
those who test high are surrounded by enriching and challenging course material
while students who test low are given low qualified teachers with the expectation that
the student will not learn well. Today, schools provide AP, accelerated, and honors
classes for students who test above average. These students go on to accumulating
higher GPA’s and have a better chance of success down the road. In opposition,
students who don’t test into these levels, especially in areas of poverty, are assigned
 low quality teachers and become friends with other students who are on the low track.
This process is especially detrimental to areas and schools faced with poverty as they
do not offer as many advanced programs because they do not have the resources nor
the test scores to motivate teachers to move into these areas. Tracking is harmful,
though it is one of the only ways we can begin answer the question of, “What
students go in which classroom.”

8. In the history of education, African American children experienced the shorter end of
the stick and were denied their right to an education time after time. After the civil
war, many social activists worked to reform education by creating and developing
programs and schools for the poor and black youth. Many were angered by this idea
and feared the idea of mixed-race education and through this hatred and terrorism,
states began to pass laws that legalized segregated schools. The Plessy v. Ferguson
case that resulted in legalized segregation in education. This case is what developed
“separate but equal” which stated that schools would be separated depending on race,
yet they would both receive equal education. Though, the education between blacks
and whites was inevitably not equal which sparked the Brown v. Board of Education
case. This case decided and announced that “separate but equal” had no place in
education and was to be abolished. Unfortunately, even ten years after this ruling,
ninety one percent of African American children continued to attend all-black
schools.

9. Typically, when the idea of classroom enters our minds we think of a single teacher
and 20-30 students who are collectively learning the same information and moving
through curriculum. Though the idea of a classroom where students pursue their own
interest and learning goals is not often thought of. A place where students of different
levels and backgrounds come to learn nontraditionally is known as the concept open
classroom. Breaking down walls of education, students vocalize their interest and
teachers can create individual plans for these students. I believe there is great
potential in an open classroom as long as the students are empowered to accept the
responsibility that they carry the majority of decisions in determining their own
curriculum. Today, I believe that this method would be effective because when we
take a look at Finland's school system where teachers and students are given choice
and freedom in their educational standards, we see high achievement. Though
realistically, organization and financial aid are leading factors to deciding if an open
classroom could work. With students doing all types of different work, I think this
can become a distraction to many. Not to mention extra teacher preparation courses
would be needed to train teachers how to monitor and track student progress since
students will now have the power of deciding what they learn. In conclusion, while I
believe the impact of an open classroom could be astonishing, we must also face the
fundamentals of how this concept would work in terms of student achievement and
class management.
10. During the colonial period, many educational decisions were made along with the
development of educational standards and materials which influence education today.
In the early colonial period, schools served religious purposes to guide students to
heaven as they teach them the Bible. Today, such practices are not allowed as schools
must remain neutral and not promote nor discourage certain religions as a result of the
First Amendment. Therefore, if one wanted to attend a school where their own
religion will be promoted, they must attend a private school and for many, this tuition
to attend such a school is unrealistic. In addition, during the colonial era most
teachers did not have adequate teaching or preparation until the development of
normal school that provided elementary graduates with training in the teaching
profession. We see the effect that colonial periods had on today, the building of the
first normal school in Concord, Vermont sparked thousands more schools and
programs in the coming decades. Today students have higher chances of being taught
by educated teachers and therefore increases their educational and professional
opportunities in their lives. Lastly, during the colonial period the hornbook was a tool
teacher used to introduce children to reading and understanding the alphabet. Today,
education have developed more material and ways to teach young students to
understand language such as tracing letters and learning letter sounds. There are many
more factors that have influenced education today from the colonial period and
hopefully today’s education can spark even more change and improvement for the
future.