History of U.S. Education

History of U.S. Education 

Below I have listed 5 points in history that I believe to important to the history of education in the United States. 

1. 1856 - The first kindergarten in the U.S. is started in Watertown, Wisconsin, founded by Margarethe Schurz. Four years later, Elizabeth Palmer Peabody opens the first "formal" kindergarten in Boston, MA. 
1. This was a very important time for the history of U.S. education because it shows that early education was becoming important for children as young as 5 starting school. Beginning children in kindergarten shows them the importance of school and gives them the opportunity to begin learning numbers, letters, and other social interactions. When children turn 5 most of them will begin schooling and it begins a routine that every year they will start a new year with a new teachers and friends. 

1. 1929 - Jean Piaget's The Child's Conception of the World is published. His theory of cognitive development becomes an important influence in American developmental psychology and education.
1. Much of our teaching is developed from methods, ideas, and research that people such as Jean Piaget have done over the years. This was an important point in the history of education because it shapes how children learn or how he believed they learn. People either agreed with him or disagreed with his theory of cognitive development. Today teachers use the his ideas in developmental psychology to help guide their classrooms and how students learn. Piaget's theory and many others are important to each individual depending on the setting of the classroom and their philosophy. This is something we will continue to see in the future as more people find what they believe to be better ways of teaching children. 

1. 1954 - On May 17th, the U.S. Supreme Court announces its decision in the case of Brown v. Board. of Education of Topeka, ruling that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal,"thus overturning its previous ruling in the 1896 case of  Plessy v. Ferguson.   Brown v. Board of Education is actually a combination of five cases from different parts of the country. It is a historic first step in the long and still unfinished journey toward equality in U.S. education.
1. The ruling of separate educational facilities are inherently unequal in 1954 was extremely important to the history of education in the U.S. This allowed for all students to go to the same school and be given similar facilities. It was a huge turning point for education because prior to this not all students were given the same opportunities to succeed in school based on the color of their skin or heritage. This marked a point in history that not a lot of people believed would ever come especially based on the conditions and laws during that time period. Looking back I could never imagine this prior to the ruling in this case. I believe that as we move forward we need to appreciate and look at steps such as these to continue the growth of our students. 

1. 1965 - Project Head Start, a preschool education program for children from low-income families, begins as an eight-week summer program. Part of the "War on Poverty," the program continues to this day as the longest-running anti-poverty program in the U.S.   
1. Project Head Start gave impoverished families a chance for their children to succeed in schools. Head Start provides young children with the opportunity to learn and be immersed in literacy at a young age which they may not have at their own homes. Parents are able to work without working about where their children will be during that time period. The program was hoping these children grasp the importance of education and apply that in real life cases. 

1. 1974 - The Equal Educational Opportunities Act is passed. It prohibits discrimination and requires schools to take action to overcome barriers which prevent equal protection. The legislation has been particularly important in protecting the rights of students with limited English proficiency.
1. I found this to particularly important because I feel very strongly about equal rights for ELLs in schools. All students whatever their language should be given the opportunity to feel included and protected at school. It was a big stepping stone in 1974 however I feel that we are till overcoming this now in our schools. We are becoming more and more diverse and schools are beginning to change to 2 way immersion. This helps students learn in both their native language and English. It is extremely important that students are not losing their mother tongue or culture when starting school in the U.S. 

1. 2015 -  On January 9, President Barack Obama announces a plan to allow two years of free community college for all American students. However, with Republicans in control of both the House and Senate, there seems little hope that this proposal will be implemented any time soon.  
1. I had not heard about this before reading it on the website. I am interested to see where this leads and how it would work in our system. Personally, I think it would be a huge step right now considering all the students who are in debt from going to college. However, their are many elementary, middle, and high schools that could use money such as that to help gain materials to learn to prepare them for the next step, college.