Schools and School Reform

History of Schools and School Reform

The experiment of mass education in the United States began in the 1840s. Various means of schooling were present before this time; however, the number of children served was quite small, and it was primarily conducted in the context of families and voluntary societies. The goal of the Common School movement was universalism and egalitarianism, but enactment of this vision was imperfect (Tyack, 1974). Early leaders, such as Horace Mann, were inspired by the formation of a new nation based on democratic ideals. As such, the schools were a means to build a more informed citizenry, egalitarian society, and ultimately provide a workforce that could maintain the economic progress of a growing industrial country. However, these public schools disproportionately served poor and lower-middle-class children, and the rapid growth of schools led to a system that was formalized and mirrored the structure of the factories (Perrone, 2000). Instruction was dominated by a mechanistic philosophy and students' time was devoted to memorization and mastery of basic skills. Classical education, which focused on critical thinking, included instruction in humanities, the arts, and music and extended into secondary school and college, but it was reserved for White, upper-class families.

This early history of the schools defines one of the major issues that has been at the root of major reform movements: (a) Is there a common curriculum appropriate for all children, and (b) how can schools serve an equalizing function and develop an engaged citizenry that values diversity? These early systems of state education primarily focused on educating dutiful, not critical, citizens and preparing workers for their vocational roles, which were predetermined by class. Thus, the next major wave in school reform harkened back and expanded the ideas of the original founders of the Common School movement.

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