The Historical Context of The Historical Context of Public SchoolingPublic Schooling

The common school movementThe common school movement Common schools and the Common schools and the

curriculumcurriculum

Common School MovementCommon School Movement Effort of mid-nineteenth century school Effort of mid-nineteenth century school

reformers to establish a state system of free, tax reformers to establish a state system of free, tax supported, locally controlled public schools supported, locally controlled public schools (elementary)(elementary)

The impetus for this movement was in the desire The impetus for this movement was in the desire to prepare Americans for the role of democratic to prepare Americans for the role of democratic citizenship or democratic equalitycitizenship or democratic equality

Realization of the enlightenment idea that Realization of the enlightenment idea that intelligence and virtue were the key to building a intelligence and virtue were the key to building a democratic governmentdemocratic government

Why Common Schools?Why Common Schools? The arrival of large numbers of immigrants, The arrival of large numbers of immigrants,

particularly Irish Catholics and the concern that particularly Irish Catholics and the concern that they would not adjust to American societythey would not adjust to American society

The 1830The 1830’’s and 1840s as a period of reform-anti s and 1840s as a period of reform-anti slavery movement, temperance movement, slavery movement, temperance movement, humane care of the mentally retarded, humane care of the mentally retarded, penitentiary and reformatorypenitentiary and reformatory

Common schools would bring all children of the Common schools would bring all children of the Republic together and teach them useful skills Republic together and teach them useful skills and civic virtue and reward individual meritand civic virtue and reward individual merit

Civic VirtueCivic Virtue The task of the schools was to instill a The task of the schools was to instill a

commitment to the common goodcommitment to the common good Teach a non-denominational brand of Teach a non-denominational brand of

Protestant ChristianityProtestant Christianity Read the bible (King James Version) Read the bible (King James Version)

without commentwithout comment Angered large numbers of Catholics and Angered large numbers of Catholics and

set the stage for the emergence of a set the stage for the emergence of a Catholic school systemCatholic school system

Horace Mann Horace Mann (1796-1859)(1796-1859)

Massachusetts politician and first Massachusetts politician and first secretary of the Board of Educationsecretary of the Board of Education

Promoted a system of free, locally Promoted a system of free, locally controlled, tax supported, and compulsory controlled, tax supported, and compulsory common schoolscommon schools

His 12 annual reports make the case for His 12 annual reports make the case for such a system of common schoolingsuch a system of common schooling

EqualityEquality ““Education, then, beyond all other devices Education, then, beyond all other devices

of human origins is the greatest equalizer of human origins is the greatest equalizer of the condition of man…it does better of the condition of man…it does better than disarm the poor of their hostility than disarm the poor of their hostility toward the rich; it prevents being poortoward the rich; it prevents being poor”” (12(12thth Annual Report) Annual Report)

Relieves Class TensionsRelieves Class Tensions ““If education be equally diffused, it will If education be equally diffused, it will

draw property after it by the strongest of all draw property after it by the strongest of all attractions; for such a thing never had attractions; for such a thing never had happened and never can happen as that happened and never can happen as that of an intelligent and practical body of men of an intelligent and practical body of men should be permanently poorshould be permanently poor”” (12 (12thth Annual Annual Report)Report)

Social HarmonySocial Harmony ““Could there in your opinion be any police so Could there in your opinion be any police so

vigilant and effective for the protection of all the vigilant and effective for the protection of all the rights of person, property, and character as such rights of person, property, and character as such a sound and comprehensive education and a sound and comprehensive education and training as our system of common schools could training as our system of common schools could be made to impart; and would the payment of a be made to impart; and would the payment of a sufficient tax to make such education and sufficient tax to make such education and training universal be the cheapest form of self training universal be the cheapest form of self protection and insuranceprotection and insurance”” (5 (5thth annual report). annual report).

W.TW.T. . Harris Harris (1835-1909)(1835-1909)

Superintendent of the St. Louis Public Superintendent of the St. Louis Public Schools and U.S. Commissioner of Schools and U.S. Commissioner of EducationEducation

A curriculum for the common goodA curriculum for the common good A curriculum comprised of the five A curriculum comprised of the five

traditional disciplines of knowledge-traditional disciplines of knowledge-mathematics, geography, literature and mathematics, geography, literature and art, grammar, and historyart, grammar, and history

It was this curriculum that would socialize It was this curriculum that would socialize youth into their roles as citizens in a youth into their roles as citizens in a democratic societydemocratic society

Education for Harris was a process in Education for Harris was a process in which the individual is which the individual is ““elevated into the elevated into the speciesspecies”” The child is introduced into the The child is introduced into the ““rhythm of the schoolrhythm of the school”” ““Order,Order,”” for Harris for Harris is is ““heavenheaven’’s first laws first law””

Charles W. EliotCharles W. Eliot

President of Harvard and Head of the President of Harvard and Head of the Committee of TenCommittee of Ten

1894 Report of the Committee laid out the 1894 Report of the Committee laid out the components of liberal education—4 courses of components of liberal education—4 courses of study of equivalent value in preparing the study of equivalent value in preparing the student for whatever path he or she took after student for whatever path he or she took after high schoolhigh school

Any subject should be taught to any child in the Any subject should be taught to any child in the same way and to the same extentsame way and to the same extent

Challenges to Liberal EducationChallenges to Liberal Education

Developmentalism-the curriculum should be Developmentalism-the curriculum should be organized around the interest of children with organized around the interest of children with minimal direction placed upon the child; children minimal direction placed upon the child; children should pursue their own interestsshould pursue their own interests

Social Efficiency-the curriculum should prepare Social Efficiency-the curriculum should prepare students for their occupational and social students for their occupational and social destinies and should be differentiated in terms of destinies and should be differentiated in terms of ability and oneability and one’’s destination in lifes destination in life

Social Melioriam-the curriculum should be Social Melioriam-the curriculum should be organized around the key social problems organized around the key social problems and issues affecting youth and should be and issues affecting youth and should be an instrument for promoting social changean instrument for promoting social change

The contemporary curriculum as an untidy The contemporary curriculum as an untidy compromise among these positions.compromise among these positions.