Native Americans being groomed for United States culture. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

This is part II in the series Origin of Public Education.

The idea of compulsory school has been around for much longer than most would like to think.  Around 380 BC (or so), in the Socratic dialogue The Republic, Plato discussed justice on various levels. He also deliberated on social structures and various stages of government—including a form of required government provided education. The concept was euqality and fairness and a solution to poverty.

The Aztecs didn’t just chat about it, but had a compulsory education system implemented around AD 1400-1600, requiring children to attend “school.” Girls learned how to care for the family and economics and boys were taught leadership and fighting skills (hmm…Bullying prevention and anti-violence must have come around a few hundred years later).

Our timeline of collective academic supporters would certainly not be complete without Martin Luther, who during the German Reformation in 1524 promoted compulsory education so that Protestants could read the Bible for themselves.

The Lutheran influence was very strong, even as the centuries passed.  Prussia (East Germany) engineered the model used for most modern school systems–including the one in the Untied States. Introduced by Frederick the Great in 1763, this working academic paradigm sported a tax-funded compulsory academic system through the eighth grade. Not only did “Volksschule” (translated people- or public- school) provide swell basics needed for industrial purposes, like reading, writing and mathematics. But the Prussians found mandatory schools to be an excellent conduit to groom obedience through national doctrine, preparing students for military service or bureaucratic positions. Yikes!

Yet the world over, just a century later, seemed to think this system was a groovy solution to whatever was going on in their neck of the sequoias.

Among the members of the Prussian model fan-club was Horace Mann (as discussed in Part I), and General Richard Henry Pratt, who used these techniques on Native Americans on prisoners of war and those forced into government schools (more later).

Mann and Pratt were instrumental in creating the first compulsory laws in this country, in Massachusetts, 1852, to be specific. This new law required children ages 8 to 14 to attend school three months out of the year, six weeks which had to be consecutive. A child who was poor, handicapped, or could prove mastery was exempt to mandatory schooling.

Just five years later 43 teachers congregated in Philadelphia and created the very first Teachers Union. This very organization is still alive and well today—The National Education Association (NEA).

Race still played on issue as to whether or not a child had the right to learn, how, and what. In some states it was illegal for a colored person to write. Public schooling was far behind in the southern states even prior to the Civil War. The war aggravated the destitute situation; many schools were closed, social turmoil and poverty.

Many saw the value in what some level of education could provide, even if the system was not designed with them in mind. Black literacy rates rose, and women led by advocates like Catherine Beecher began not only going to school, but take an active teaching role in the structured classrooms.

But don’t get too excited. Although our public education timeline now is nearing the 1900’s, public education still has not found a civil rights footing. In 1875 the first Civil Rights Law was passed, forbidding segregation in all public accommodations. It was short lived. The Civil Rights Law was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1883.

Native American children were sent to compulsory boarding schools. At these controversial institutions the children were forced to give up their customs, language, culture and upbringing, in exchange for an acceptable American academic doctrine.  Black children often faced exclusion as well and many started their own schools. Herein lay the great historical debate about what is segregation and discrimination, and what language and culture immersion for immigrant children today (but that’s an entirely separate blog).

The United States had by the turn of the century become the world’s largest provider of free public education, enrolling more than 12 million children.  Schools were busting at the seams, much thanks to the continuing immigration boom, and many kids were attending part-time because of space issues. Yet not all children were afforded an education. Nor was the system designed for, or capable of handling all. In 1900 merely 50% of American children attended school and the average education stint was 5 years.

Around the corner of the new century awaited two World Wars, continued immigration, poverty–and school choice.  To be continued in Origins of Public Education III.

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Until the 1800’s the closest comparison to “public schools” were the short-term schools of the British colonies. These schools were in session for 10-12 weeks per year, providing basic instruction, charged a fee along with the collected community funding, and nearly exclusively preferred teaching white boys.

Hence schooling, costly and religious, was designed for the privileged few.

Parents were considered the primary educators, and families often relied on each other and churches for additional learning partnerships. Something about “it takes a village to raise a child…”

Around the mid 1800’s the “common schools” were born.

Common schools were the brain child of Horace Mann of Massachusetts, who was the founder and editor of The Common School Journal. Mann theorized that public education was the most effective method in converting the country’s disorderly youngsters into disciplined and obedient citizens. Common schools, reformers said, would prevent crime and poverty. Such schools, claimed Mann, needed to be: funded and controlled by an interested public, inclusive of children of diverse backgrounds, non-sectarian, and taught by well-trained professional teachers. Sounds familiar?

So it was that common schools were tuition free and paid for through local property taxes in exchange for a few state regulations. These schools welcomed both genders—of white children.

School was still only an option for select few.

There was a fear of foreign influence in the recently independent Americas. The Protestant Christians whom had sought religious freedom in this country were leery of the growing immigration of the Irish, which was bringing in an increasing presence of the Catholic Church. Added tension among the Protestants was conflicting beliefs on topics such as abolitionism, temperance, and women’s rights. This divided the Protestant churches into schisms.

This discrimination was not going unnoticed. In New York, were many poor families were Irish Catholic, a grumbling grew louder and louder about the anti-Catholic and anti-Irish attitude of the free public schools as these were almost all Protestant.

A third element in the quickly expanding cities was increasing popularity of secularism. This group was also anxious about the presence of Protestant teaching.

Bishop “Dagger” John Hughes loudly protested and demanded that the New York Public School Society would make city funds available for Catholic schools too. “These children deserve their own school,” Bishop Hughes firmly argued. He also announced that “We are unwilling to pay taxes for the purpose of destroying our religion in the minds of our children.”

In an attempt to take a neutral stance, New York legislators sided with secularism as a worldview and passed the Maclay Bill passed in 1842, which unified public schools under one board and prohibit(ed) sectarian teaching in NY Schools. So instead of making public education inclusive of all variations of faith, it simply resulted in exclusions of a new group—the believers of all sorts.

A couple of years later the (Protestant) Public School Society was no more, and the New York City Board of Education elected.

“Dagger John” was named archbishop and became the founder of the privately funded national system of Catholic schools. He had tired of fighting for Catholic public schools and decided to start his own. School choice was born.

In 1859 Charles Darwin published his theory of evolution in The Origin of Species. The philosophy was blasphemous for Catholics and Protestants alike, and quickly adopted as appropriate curriculum doctrine for secular public schools.

Speaking of which, let’s not forget about compulsory school laws, Part II in our series of history of public education.

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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horace_Mann

www.pbs.org/kcet/publicschool/roots_in_history/

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hughes_(archbishop)

Public schools as a choice?

January 23-29^th is School Choice Week. In celebration we will address the most common school choice in the United States—public education. Oh, I see your heads a tilting and wrinkling of eyebrows. But if we recognize that there are indeed other options—homeschooling, charters, private schools etc.—then we must acknowledge all education versions as a choice. This means that traditional public schooling should also be celebrated in School Choice Week.

So what is public education? What purpose was it designed to serve? Who should public education benefit? Does it?

These are the questions we will explore this week. Our goal is not to take sides, or poke you in the eye with our opinion. As an all-inclusive school choice supporting website, we hope to share a journey through history through current state, and to start conversations.

Without further ado, Happy School Choice Week! Next entry will be the History of Public Education.

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Courtesy Steve Spangler Science

Next time your kiddo comes dragging to the breakfast table with the sleep deprived look like he has been up all night partying with Guns and Roses, consider blaming science.

You read right—science.

This just happened at our house and we are here to tell you a cautionary tale.

A dear friend, super-blogger Barb Likos aka Chaotic Mom, gave my 11 year old a Hydrodynamic Deluxe Building Set from Steve Spangler. Without considering what effect this may have on a tweenage boy, I handed him the box right before bedtime. Eyes lit up. “Ooh’s” and “Aah’s” followed. And great plans were made about waking up early to dig into the great science box as quickly as possible.

I turned off the bedtime lights. Went to bed. And all was well until morning. Or so I thought.

Flash back to the introductory paragraph of this page.

Yep. That was the scene the next morning.

A million horses could not get my child to crack his eyelids open. He was out cold. He did have a pulse. I checked. So, by about 10 a.m. I did what every other mature mother of…ehem…25, would do: I pinched his nose shut with my fingers until he was most certainly both alive and awake.

I reminded him about the waking up early and his awaiting science project. He played a long for a few minutes, and then broke down in crocodile tears.

“Mom, I can’t live a lie!” he sobbed, while peaking at me with one eye. Yeaah, I’ve seen this before. I tapped my fingers and waited for the rest.

He disappeared into his bathroom and pulled the shower curtain aside. Right there, among the soap and rubber duckies sat the weirdest contraption I have ever seen (besides what my husband keeps telling me is a laundry machine. Don’t believe it).

“It’s a vinegar distillation system,” my son explained.

“It’s a who?” I asked.

“You see the fluid goes up the pipe right here and this pump…Blah! Blah…”

I couldn’t repeat it if you told me that I’d never need to do dishes again.

 “…So we need to go to the store today to buy the following list of liquids.”

Was he still talking?

What’s worse than feeling really stupid (me), was to be confused whether I should yell at him for staying up past his bedtime, or praise him for singlehandedly (with the help of his invisible co- host, Steve Spangler) being both motivated and creative.

Well, being a softy for learning I went more with door number two than door number one.

But the story doesn’t end here. Barb also lent us her son’s copy of Steve Spangler’s “Naked Eggs and Flying Potatoes.” To Be Continued.

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Gingerbread Baby, by Jan Brett

‘Tis the season to be reading. Here is a list of wonderful holiday books for the whole family:

I Spy Christmas: A Book of Picture Riddles, by Jean Marzallo and Walter Wick

I Spy books are fun for kids of all ages. Dad that means you too! In the Christmas edition you will find familiar items and some new ones too. Plus solve the riddle to find the secret items for your search.

A Is For Angel: A Christmas Alphabet And Activity Book, by Debbie Trafton O’Neal

The Christmas story told through the letters of the alphabet. What a neat book to use with your pre-readers to learn both the reason for the season and the letters.

Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend, by Julie Stiegmeyer

No Rudolph? This book is an excellent resource when your children start asking questions about Santa and who he really was.

 Classic Starts: Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott

Little Women is a classic to be appreciated any time of the year. But the story set during World War I has special meaning during the holidays as it is about family, values and sacrifice. This abridged version brings the stories of Jo and her sisters in an easier to read format for children age 4-8.

The Storyworld Box: Create-A-Story Kit, by John Matthews and Caitlin Matthews

Tell it yourself! This story set is actually a kit with 40 Celtic picture cards and an instruction booklet. The Storyworld Box is not limited to holiday tales, in fact, it is probably not designed for these purposes. But with the beautiful illustrations and instructions, the stories you and your children tell will be whatever you want them to be. It is likely each time the box is cracked open a new masterpiece will weave together.

A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens

 Bah Humbug! This list would not be complete without Dickens holiday classic. While there are tons of versions of the tale, there is none like the unabridged. If it is too big of a read, listen to the audio version.

The Gingerbread Baby, written and illustrated by Jan Brett

 This is one of the few paperback books that are stored in my kid’s keepsakes boxes. It is so beautifully illustrated that my kids and I would savor each page read before turning to the next paragraph. The endearing story of a ginger baby that turns the village topsy-turvy in pursuit for a nibble comes complete with delicious pictures. 

Word problem of the day

  A recent Indiana University study clearly shows that size really matters when it comes to school districts. That is, when it comes to student achievement and budget efficiency—the Holy Grail for public education. The research concludes that out of Indiana’s 292 school districts, it is the 49 districts with fewer than 1,000 kids that take the cake.

A bigger picture of the idea that smaller is better crops up if you compile this data with other research. Use the review of 31 studies on smaller schools and achievement (Kathleen Cotton), for example, plus the ever-changing information on class sizes. Sounds like good things in education tends to come in small packages.

And in government, just like corporations, it seems that less is more when it comes to size in relations to fiscal efficiency. That is not an attempt to dis any political views, just a simple observation that spending can be harder to manage in a larger environment than in a smaller one. The same is a fact when our household grows with a kids or two. The more children’s needs and wants to tend to, the easier it is to overspend if not careful.

Oddly enough more than a dozen states are contemplating mergers of smaller school districts into mega districts in effort to save money.  This idea is even supported by the National Governor’s Association.

Sounds like some lawmaker’s have gotten so big so fast that they need to be reminded of common sense by the little guys. Maybe even the really little guys.  In the event that you are looking for a really creative topic to teach math (mathematical, probablillity and statistical elements of the facts above), government, and writing; why not use this information with your student(s) this week? After coming to their own conclusion, your child could compose a powerful message to your governor, proving that even in the case of critical thinking and communication—smaller is sometimes more efficient.  

More information

Easy, peasy link to email your governor

Should we pay for private schools with public moneys? Would vouchers be the end-all of public schools? You have heard the worries. Here are some answers.

“There must be a special place in hell for these Privatizers, Charterizers, and Voucherizers,” wrote former Speaker of the Colorado House Education Committee, Michael Merrifield, in an infamous 2008 email. Mr. Merrifield later apologized.

Indeed, school choice causes pulses to rise and tempers to flare in some circles. This blog speaks openly in support of all education options, and is our own special place (without Dante’s Inferno, thank you very much!) to debate each controversial topic.  So grab your heart-burn medication and your 10-step anger management program, because today we are talking vouchers.

What is a “voucher,” and what is the big deal?

A “voucher” in edu-speak is like a government-issued coupon which allows parents to spend taxpayer moneys on private education.

Although unusual in the United States, many other industrial countries have publicly funded private schools as an option for families. While the U.S. tops the charts of most money spent on public education compared to these countries, the stats are in reverse when it comes to academic performance. No wonder parents keep wondering why it’s such a damnation to offer private schools as an option.

Why can’t families who attend private schools just expect to pay for it out of their own pocket?

This has been customary for as long as private schooling can be remembered.  But is that fair to kids? Keep in mind that the fairness-card has been played many a time to argue the mere existence of public schools. Therefore the same logic should apply for all schooling choices.  

Is it fair that only children of upper middle-class and wealthy can send their kids to private schools? Sure, sure, there are some scholarship programs, but that is far from a solution for making the United States truly make good on the promise of “fair and equal access to education.”

It is nearly guaranteed that voucher opponents do not feel that kids from poor families do not deserve the same opportunities as other kids. Oddly enough, vouchers opponents typically oppose vouchers because they believe kids from middle- and upper-class backgrounds ought not to have publicly paid for private schools… This certainly raises the question how “fair and equal access” can ever happen, as long as we keep sorting kids into compartments of “those who deserve” and “those who do not.” When it comes to discrimination (socio-economic, or otherwise), there is no reverse discrimination. It is all discrimination. You can test this theory by running it in reverse. If we said only kids from wealthy families are deserving of private options (although the case as stated), there would be an uproar. Hence I proved my case.

Other common sense can be applied to much other anti-voucheritis, such as:

1. Ailment/Symptom: There would be such a mass exodus from public schools they’d hemorrhage to death financially.

Cure/Fact:  Not one country, the world over report having to shut down the public school system upon the introduction for a public finance system of private schools.

2.  Ailment/Symptom: Vouchers are bad for teachers.

Cure/Fact: You know, those professionals who teach kids in private schools are also called teachers. And private school employment is not contagious for the involuntary. Instead, should an increase in school options offer up additional schools of any sort, more teachers are needed for these additional jobs.

3. Ailment/Symptom: Vouchers would drive up the cost of education in the United States.

Cure/Fact: Somehow that has already happened without offering parents the option of private schools (see above about United States being most expensive education country in the world).

 4. Ailment/Symptom: It is bad business to invest public funds in private organizations. 

Cure/Fact: This is a poor argument if private schools yield higher academic results, lower drop-out rates, and fewer remedial college requirements than the public school peer. As a matter of fact, is it a sound practice NOT to invest our tax moneys in schools that serve children effectively?

 5. Ailment/Symptom: It cannot be done. In the United States there is a separation of church and state; therefore moneys through the government (taxes) cannot be used toward private education, which often is religious based.

Cure/Fact: “Cannot” is a dirty word when it comes to pursuing excellent education for kids. Most of the time “cannots” are really “will-not’s” or “we-do-not-want-to-try(s).”

Let’s start with the fact that there are gobs of secular private schools. Yet edu-baby gets thrown away with the funding-bathwater each time we snub our noses at vouchers for the church-and-state-reasons.

To further address the “cannot-crowd,” most countries that finance private schools with public dollars also have a separation of “church and state”  (Sweden, Australia, France and so on). If other countries can figure it out—so can the United States.

Admittedly the argument of [state separation from the church] has historically been an obstacle to vouchers in the United States, ruling some voucher programs “unconstitutional.” The First Amendment to the Constitution states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” I am not an attorney. This is a blog written to provoke thought and spar discussions—not to provide legal advice. For the sake of debate, it appears vouchers are not “unconstitutional” per se. If so, the programs in Maine, Vermont, and Milwaukee would not be around. It also seems the First Amendment is saying that free exercise of religion cannot be prohibited, which makes one wonder if the constitution is actually misinterpreted when taking away a family’s right to choose a religious school—as long as secular publicly funded schools are also an option.

For the record, I am not in favor of blanket statement vouchers. I am for a solid education funding formula, which is all inclusive.

As with every education policy, there are good ones and bad ones. There are voucher proposals that are so poorly written they can do more harm than good for true school choice. For example, some vouchers place such heavy regulations on the private schools that they end up looking like public schools. The goal is increased options for families—not to put the kabosh on private schools.

There are also best practices in public funding policies which are recognized internationally, that should be considered, such as weighted funding formulas for more expensive-to-educate-students.

The goal is not vouchers for vouchers sake; it is fair and equal access to education for all children—for the children’s sake.

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The new school year has begun for ump-teens of students around the country. But unless your kids are bringing in the hay, a three month summer break may not make much sense.

In many instances it is more disruptive to both families and learning to suddenly have a complete change of schedule. Then change it back come September.

More and more families are beginning to extend learning into a year-round routine, whether through homeschooling, camps, private outfits, or good ole school districts which are beginning to catch on.

It makes sense.

Millions of children experience what experts refer to as Summer Brain Drain. That long summer break in the middle of the year which causes children to lose momentum in learning and often revert months in ability. It has been proven over and over again that extended breaks from learning is bad for kids. Not unlike too many absences or days out for illness.

Besides, why make children go to school from dawn to dusk to get their learning hours in, when a steady course might be more effective.

No, we are not suggesting that children should be in school (or even taught at home) without breaks and vacation. That would be nuts.

Instead some families are enjoying learning differently during those months off.

They dive into favorite topics together and make special projects, or do tour de museums, join summer reading programs—or focus on a subject where their kiddos either need extra help or is ready to advance in. It is the sort of stuff your family can do too.

Another fringe benefit is that whether your kiddos head toward a brick-and-mortar school or continues learning at home end of summer, the culture shock of back-to-school is virtually non-existent.

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Is there a Ramona in every little girl?

That’s what I kept asking myself while watching the preview of Ramona and Beezus, the upcoming movie based on Beverly Cleary’s beloved Ramona books.

Ramona, a fun loving nine-year-old, is not an ordinary girl. She is quite extraordinary. E-x-t-r-a-o-r-d-i-n-a-r-y. What some would call a “complete mess,” is quite defining for Ramona. But somebody else’s mess is someone else’s treasure. I really depend on how you look at it.

For this movie review we had several age-groups in attendance. Each of us had something to say.

Caley, our own fun-loving-soon-to-be-nine-year-old could relate with Ramona from a peer perspective. She gasped with horror as Ramona had an unfortunate egg-incident right before her class photos. Caley has only for the past two years been able to take a picture at school without being bribed, coaxed, and coerced on the last day of make-ups. Not sure where the phobia came from, but she has desperately tried to make up for last time the past two years by planning her outfit and smiling big. So the story line hit a homerun with her.

Collin is almost eleven. Some of the heavier issues covered in the movie are things we talk about at night before bedtime. Like what happens if someone’s parent loses a job, or if two parents divorce? These are things Collin feels fortunate we have not had to deal with directly—but has friends who are dealing with—right now! Then there is the question of life and death. Is there anything more serious on a pre-teen’s mind? Collin loved the humor in the movie, but it was the more serious tones that won. If you are a parent of a child about this age—this movie might seed the conversation for some very important topics.

We also brought grandma with us to see this movie. Grandma is over the age of two-quarters-and-a dime (as we like to say). It’s been awhile since she attended a movie without a Steele Magnolia’s kinda theme. Grandma is also from Sweden, so her English is so-so. Although she didn’t catch every detail of the ending and needed to have a thorough explanation from the grandkids over ice-cream afterward (or maybe just kept the kids busy talking so she could enjoy her cone), she loved the movie as a whole. She compared it to the tales of Maddicken, by world famous author Astrid Lindgren (better known in the US for Pippi Longstocking). Grandma also commented on the young cast’s acting talents as remarkably natural.

Finally there is moi. A mother of three. I am a children’s movie connoisseur. A veteran. I have seen nearly every movie bound, rated G flick since 1997 in one form or the other. And I must agree that this one is a winner. And Cleary makes such a good job at making us see things from Ramona’s perspective. I mean, regardless of how old you get, remember how long you could hang on those money bars? Or how hard we all tried to be pretty, smart, or helpful? And remember how it felt when things did not exactly turn out how we had intended. Besides, as grown-ups, how many times have we gotten upset over a spill or accident without really understanding how it all started? Ramona and Beezus reminds us that each of us are somehow perfectly imperfect. In the end, maybe there isn’t just a Ramona in every little girl—but every big girl too.

For more information

Ramona and Beezus (the movie) coming to theaters July 23, 2010

Ramona, by Beverly Cleary (books)