Movers and Shakers in Education There are many significant events and people that helped shape the educational system in America. The four that I have chosen to do my review on are “Engel vs Vitale (1962)”, “Creation of the State Board Of Education – Horace Mann (1837)”, “Lau vs Nichols (1974)”, “I.D.E.A. (1990)” and “Socrates: Socratic Method (470-399 B.C.)”. Even though the four choices I have made are just a few out of many, I feel that their efforts laid grounds for further changes to come in the history of education.
“Engel vs Vitale (1962)”
In the case of Engel vs Vitale, the case was trying to put into question “whether or not the Regents of New York violated the religious freedom of the students by providing time during the school day for this particular prayer” (Pearson, 2005). “Did the established Clause of the 1st Amendment prevent schools from engaging in ‘religious activity”? “The argument for the parents was that the separation of church and state requires that the government stay out of the business of prescribing religious activities of any kind”. “The Regents of New York argued that they did not establish a religion by providing a prayer for those who wanted to say it.” The Supreme Court found that the Regents prayer was unconstitutional and in violation of the First Amendment (Pearson, 2005).
“Creation of the State Board Of Education – Horace Mann (1837)”
.
Horace Mann was a lawyer in Massachusetts in 1823 and became secretary of the state board of education in 1837, when schools were run by a state system (Litz, 1975). Mann believed that teaching standards were in need of improvement and that teachers were in need of better pay. He brought the conditions of the school into the attention of the public and encouraged discussions on ways to improve them. Horace Mann was the reason the school conditions improved and were better equipped. He was also successful in helping teacher get better training through institutes and raising the standards for schools and colleges. Many have referred to him as being known as “The Father of Education”. His belief was that all children should be provided with a good education by the state for which they live (Litz, 1975).
I.D.E.A (1990)
The I.D.E.A. program was designed to meet the needs of special education without any cost to the parents and to help meet the needs of children with special disabilities (STEINBERG, 2013). . The program was started in 1975 and was known as the “Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHCA)”, but was renamed I.D.E.A. in 1991. This program helps students that are in need of special instructions. Schools are able to meet the needs of special needs students through this program and meet the needs of students that are struggling in regular classes. Many students have shown growth in the special education programs. “The safeguards, set forth in § 1415 of the IDEA, protect the rights of children with disabilities to a "free appropriate public education" (STEINBERG, 2013).
“No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) (2002)”
.
The no child left behind act was too modernize and reformed the ESEA act (Kennedy, 2005). This act was signed by President Bush in 2002. President Bush said “I am proud of all that we accomplished to write a strong, bipartisan promise into law to improve and strengthen public education for every child.” “Clearly, it is time to make that promise a reality and to chart a more effective course for realizing the goal of truly leaving no child behind.” The goal for this act was so that the learning curve among minorities could be reduced. The second reason is so that student would be at their grade level in reading and math before moving on to the next grade level. In order to accomplish these goals the school board had to find and hire qualified teachers that met the requirements for the program. “A new commitment was made to enhance the quality of state tests, align them to standards to measure what students know and can do, and include multiple measures to gain a more complete picture of student achievement” The events and people that I have chosen for my assignment are important because they have transformed how education has changed throughout history. Even though these events took place many years ago, many of them are still in effect, and the school board and government keep amending them to accommodate the students of today and future generations to come. These events have helped transform teachers into successful students and teachers that have evolved in their learning abilities and teaching abilities.
Reference
Engel v. Vitale (1962). (2005). Retrieved May 29, 2013, from http://www.infoplease.com/us/supreme-court/cases/ar10.html
Foundations of American Education(6th ed.), Webb, Metha, & Jordan (2010). EDU Timeline [Video file]. Retrieved from http://coe.gcumedia.com/edu576/eduTimeline.swf
Google Images, Engel vs Vitale, 1962, retrieved on May 29, 2013 http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1440&bih=761&q=engel+vs+vitale&oq=Engle+vs&gs_l=img.1.0.0i10l2j0i10i24l6.2138.9350.0.12231.14.10.3.1.0.0.260.1853. .Google Images, Creation of the State Board of Education – Horace Mann, 1837, retrieved on . May 29, 2013 http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1440&bih=761&q=engel+vs+vitale&oq=Engle+vs&gs_l=img.1.0.0i10l2j0i10i24l6.2138.9350.0.12231.14.10.3.1.0.0.260 Horace Mann Biography - Birthday, Photos - Who2.com. (n.d.). Retrieved May 29, 2013, from http://www.who2.com/bio/horace-mann Horace Mann. (2013). Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition, 1. http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=39020185&site=ehost-live&scope=site i.d.e.a - Google Search. (n.d.). Retrieved May 29, 2013, from http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1440&bih=761&q=i.d.e.a&oq=I.D.E&gs_l=img.1.0.0j0i24l9.2610.6398.0.12846.5.5.0.0.0.0.195.888.0j5.5.0...0.0.0..1ac.1.12.img.nMfPBeXY
Kennedy, E. M. (2005). The No Child Left Behind Act. Human Rights, 32(4), 16-18. http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=19875572&site=ehost-live&scope=site .Litz, C. E. (1975). HORACE MANN AND THE SECTARIAN CONTROVERSY. Education, . 95(3), 280. http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=4715941&site=ehost-live&scope=site no child left behind - Google Search. (n.d.). Retrieved from . http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1034&bih=713&q=no+child+left+behind&oq=nochild+left+behind&gs_l=img.1.0.0i10i24.2573.8600.0.12095.19.19.0.0.0.0.380.3412.1j16j1j1.19.0...0.0.0..1ac.1.12.img.8BcnpZQeCgA#facrc=_&imgrc=DB9tU5tiFw_sIM%3A%3Bzlvajr9GF6-9PM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Flifeschooling.com%252Fwordpress%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2011%252F08%252Fnclb-logo1.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Flifeschooling.com%252Fwordpress%252F%253Fp%253D126%3B1368%3B1307 STEINBERG, G. (2013). Amending § 1415 of the IDEA: Extending Procedural Safeguards to .
Response-to-Intervention Students. Columbia Journal Of Law & Social Problems, 46(3), 393-429. http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=87380205&site=ehost-live&scope=site .
.
.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
Justice Hugo Black, the Justice which authored the court’s opinion in Engel v. Vitale stated in the decision, stated “The prayer of each man from his soul must be his and his alone. That is the genius of the First Amendment”(qtd in Lewis). Prayer and religion needs to be between him or herself and the God in which they believe in. The government has no authority to allow these activities to exist in public education. It would not only cause schools to alienate some of the student body who happen to be in the religious minority but it is possible that it would cause great emotional stress. If religious prayer is so important to a student then I would argue for the parents to move that student to a religious based school. It would be that easy. And what of the many faiths? It would almost be impossible to allow religion in public schools because of the many faiths there are. Which religion should the prayer come from? Islam, Judaism, Hindu, Buddhist, Catholic, Pagan, Rastafarian, Taoism? The logistics of such a conquest would be an enormous and painstakingly time consuming. It would remove important time from learning. Public schools should just remain what they are, “public’. It is where the vast majority of students in a given city, of all faiths and walks of life, come to…
- 1173 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays -
Facts: In Santa Fe, Texas, students were elected by their classmates to give pre-game prayers at high school football games over the loud speaker that were mainly Christian. A Catholic and a Mormon family felt this was a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the Constitution. The school district has always done pre-game invocations before each game however while the case was pending the school district changed their policy, still permitting student led prayer but not requiring them as they were before. The District Court ordered that only nonsectarian and nonproselytizing prayers could be…
- 457 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Horace Mann was a distinguished reformer for the education system for the public; he stated “ignorance is a crime” in hopes of remodeling the education system that was present. Being a son of a poor farmer, education was hard to find in his early life but became a determined student and soon advanced to studying law at the Litchfield Law School. He entered the Massachusetts House of Rep. in 1827 then moved onto state Senate in 1833. While being on legislation, Mann supported many reforms such as, the establishment of state hospitals for the insane, restriction of slavery, and many educational improvements. Mann helped secure the passage of an education bill which instituted a state board of education.…
- 309 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
The education of the nation’s youth has always been a contentious issue. One of the largest issues facing the education system is the integration of sectarian religions such as prayers into the classroom and other extensions of the education system. In the mid to late 1900s, several court cases went before the Supreme Court involving various aspects of state sponsored prayers. The two major cases involving prayers in schools were Engel v. Vitale and Abington v. Schempp. Within these two cases, the Court successfully and diligently balanced the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause and paved the way for the Lemon Test and Endorsement Test.…
- 635 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
In 1962, the New York Law approved a prayer that sent the country into chaos. It all began when the New York Board of Regents authorized a short prayer that students would recite along with the Pledge of Allegiance. According to the school, the prayer was voluntary and non-denominational. The prayer read, "Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and beg Thy blessings upon us, our teachers, and our country." Many parents revolted and argued that the voluntary prayer was against their religious beliefs. One group of parents, lead by Steven Engel, took the case to court, claiming that the prayer violated the Establishment Clause in the First Amendment.…
- 1065 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Engal V Vitale is the supreme court decision involving Steven Engel and William Vitale. It was decided on June 25,1962. This case was about mandatory prayer was aloud in school systems. It was ruled unethical under the first amendment because of freedom of religion. This case is important because it’s a precedent for separation of church and state being that education falls under state. I am interested in this case because I went to a catholic school where prayer was required as a part of the curriculum and I’m interested in the rules in the public school system. (Engal V. Vitale, Wikipedia)…
- 575 Words
- 3 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Supreme Court to review the ruling of the court. In 1984 the court made up their mind about the ruling in 1981, now they had to decide if the ruling in 1982 was constitutional. Jaffree argued that the ruling in 1982 was not constitutional, he argued that previous school prayer cases invalidated his case. The court ruled that the ruling in 1982 did not “in any way offend the Constitution”. The court said it “neither proscribes prayer; nor affirms religious belief; nor coerces religious exercise.”…
- 827 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
The Common School Movement was a crucial aspect of the 1830s and 1840s, and it has paved the way for education today. Horace Mann, the father of Common Schools, diligently earned the title, whereas he advocated for free public education, and caused much controversy doing so. In his efforts to implement the common school, Horace Mann wrote appealing, persuasive, and controversial reports, with the twelfth report being the most popular. In Horace Mann’s twelfth report, he frames the goals of education into five categories; physical education, intellectual education, political education, moral education, and religious education. In his report Mann states many of his concerns with past education schooling, he says, “Our schools, far more than they…
- 317 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
B. In the case of Engel v. Vitale, the Board of Regents for the State of New York approved a short, voluntary prayer to be recited at the start of school each day. A group of parents whose children attended the School District disagreed with this religious practice and argued that the reading of a nondenominational prayer at the start of the school day violates the "establishment of religion" clause…
- 1310 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays -
Teaching and Training in Post- Compulsory Education 3rd Edition. Armitage, Bryant, Dunnill, Flanagan, Hayes, Hudson, Kent, Lawes, Renwick.…
- 2632 Words
- 11 Pages
Powerful Essays -
The issue was whether school sponsored nondenominational prayer in public schools violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.…
- 182 Words
- 1 Page
Good Essays -
Horace Mann was an educator and a statesman. He greatly advanced the cause of universal, free, nonsectarian public schools. Mann’s preferred cause was education. His remark that while “other reforms are remedial; education is preventative.” In 1837 Mann became Secretary to Massachusetts Board of Education. Most of his educational policies stemmed from his belief in the perfectibility of humanity and society through adherence to naturally revealed moral citizenry. During Mann’s tenure he increased the funding available to schools, improved the preparation and support of teachers, and advocated for compassionate discipline. Mann believed children in public schools should be taught the ethical principles common across Christianity, but not those doctrines about which different sects disagreed. Today Mann is still criticized by both sides. Religious conservatives often blame him for taking the steps that lead to the complete secularization of public school systems. Liberals sometimes criticize his lack of interest in making public education more comfortable for non-Christians. Mann’s compromise was possibly the…
- 394 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
The case in question is Barnette v. West Virginia Board of Educations. This case focuses on the Freedom of Religion. Can schools force children to say the pledge of allegiance? Can a school expel a student if they refuse to salute the flag? Evidence provided by the defendant, a scripture, “You must not make for yourself a carved image or a form like anything that is in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth You must not bow down to them nor be enticed to serve them, for I, Jehovah your God, am a God who requires exclusive devotion, bringing punishment for the error of fathers upon sons, upon the third generation and upon the fourth generation of those who hate me”(New World Translation Exodus 20:4, 5), This was used as part of the Beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses, who believe that pledging allegiance to a flag is a form of idol worship. The prosecution brought up a past case of Gobitas v. Minersville, reasoning that this case had already decided it was constitutional to force the pledge of allegiance be done or face expulsion. The result of thisBarnette v. West Virginia Board of Education ruled it was unconstitutional to force a student to salute the flag and forcing a student to say the pledge of allegiance was a violation of the First Amendment. The impact of this ruling was a major gain for religious freedom. It opened the…
- 904 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Educational reform was conceived in the1980’s when Peters and Waterman published a report and noted that focused on the social and economic state of the United States. It was also decided that more studies should be conducted on the excellence in education. It was noted that there is a poor quality of education in the public sector. This brought about a need for reform particularly in the secondary level.…
- 415 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
• Webb, L., Metha, A., & Forbis Jordan, K. (2000). Foundations of American Education (3rd Ed.). New Jersey: Merrill Teacher and student rights and responsibilities…
- 945 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays