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Midterm Study Guide: U.S. Education History

Ways the Past Impacts the Present in U.S. Education

Legacy of Inequity:

• European cultural imposition on Native students

• Discriminatory policies:

  • Slavery, Jim Crow laws, segregation

  • Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) - "separate but equal"

  • Brown v. Board of Education (1954) - desegregation

  • English-only policies

  • Classifying Asians as "non-white"

• Continued cultural marginalization in education

• Populations addressed in textbooks:

  • Native Americans, students of color, Mexican-American students

  • Girls/Women, immigrant groups, students with disabilities, Catholic students

Changing Demographics (2010-2020 Census Data)

• White population decreased by 8.6%

• Latinx population increased by 23%

• Asian-American population increased by 36%

• Multiracial population increased by 276%

Key Educational Figures

Gloria Ladson-Billings:

• Professor emerita at University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Former AERA president

• Developed Culturally Relevant Pedagogy:

  • High expectations for all students

  • Cultural awareness and inclusivity

Historical Legal Cases

The Lemon Grove Incident (1930-1931):

• First successful school desegregation case in the U.S.

• Mexican-American students were ruled to be of the "Caucasian race"

Book Challenges in Schools

• 2019: 566 books challenged

• 2021: 1,858 books challenged (record-breaking year)

• 2022: Over 2,500 books challenged

• 2023: 4,240 books challenged (92% increase over 2022)

• Shift from individual challenges to organized group campaigns

Education in Precolonial America

Landscape Learning:

• Survival and sustainability focused

• Inter-tribal knowledge exchange

Cultural Learning:

• Harmony with nature

• Storytelling and "culture bearers"

Discipline in Native Tribes:

• Avoidance of corporal punishment

• Encouragement through praise and rewards

European Contact:

• Introduction of fur trade, guns, alcohol

• Disease led to drastic population declines

• Forced land loss and conflict

Native American Boarding Schools

• 523 U.S. schools, 408 federally funded

• Forced assimilation; harsh punishments

• Widespread abuse and deaths of children

Colonial Education

• Home Education: Parents responsible for instruction

• Tutors: Wealthy families employed private educators

• Dame Schools: Informal education for young children, especially girls

• Apprenticeships: Training in skilled trades for social mobility

• Latin Grammar Schools: Elite education for leadership roles

• Bray Schools: Schools for enslaved African children

• Universities: Harvard (1636), William & Mary (1693), Yale (1701)

Key Education Laws

• Massachusetts School Law (1642): Required parents to educate children

• Old Deluder Satan Act (1647): Towns required to hire teachers

Common School Movement (19th Century)

• Led by Horace Mann

• Publicly funded, nonsectarian schools

• Standardized education system

• Promotion of democracy and equality

• Criticism: Instrument of social control

Horace Mann’s Six Propositions:

1. Universal education is essential in a republic.

2. Public funding for education.

3. Inclusive education for all backgrounds.

4. Schools must be free of sectarian influence.

5. Teaching should reflect a free society (no harsh punishment).

6. Teachers should be well-trained professionals.

Social & Political Influences on Education

Nat Turner’s Rebellion (1831):

• Deadliest U.S. slave revolt

• Led to harsher laws restricting Black education

Andrew Jackson’s Influence:

• Indian Removal Act (1830)

• Anti-elitist, pro-states’ rights policies

Notable Figures in Literature & Education

• Louisa May Alcott: Advocate for women’s rights; author of Little Women

• Mark Twain: Wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

• Amos Bronson Alcott: Advocate for abolition, feminism, and education

Key Takeaways

• Education in the U.S. has evolved through legal, social, and political changes.

• Marginalized communities have faced significant challenges in accessing equitable education.

• Historical cases and movements have shaped modern education policy and practice.

• Cultural shifts, technological advances, and demographic changes continue to impact educational systems today.

Additional Notes for Exam Preparation:

• Understand key court cases and their impact on education policies.

• Be able to discuss the role of major figures in shaping education.

• Recognize how historical events have influenced modern educational reforms.

• Analyze demographic shifts and their implications on school systems.

• Be prepared to discuss book challenges and their broader cultural significance.