My Blog #1

Reflections on "Separate and Unequal"   In the chapter "Separate and Unequal" of an unnamed book, the author goes thoroughly into the complex history of educational inequality in America, graphically highlighting ethnic minorities' battles for equal educational opportunity. The narrative, which is rich in historical accounts and personal anecdotes, serves as a heartbreaking reminder of the difficult route to desegregation and the ongoing fight for educational justice.   The chapter begins by quoting Richard White's argument that every excellent history begins with strangeness, stating that "the past should be so strange that you wonder how you and people you know and love could have come from such a time" (p. 123). This provides context for understanding the striking contrast between 1950s America and now. In 1950, segregation was not only prevalent but also legally enforced in seventeen states, making it unsafe for ethnic minorities to attend whit...

 The Evolution of the American Public School System   The Great Depression and World War II posed additional obstacles for public schools, such as teacher shortages and deterioration of school facilities. In response, educators attempted to retain uninterested pupils by changing the curriculum to incorporate life adjustment education, which emphasized basic life skills. This movement, however, was  heavily criticized for its apparent anti-intellectualism and for watering down the curriculum for all students.   Throughout the first half of the twentieth century, the American public school system was a pillar of the country's democratic promise, providing a path to opportunity for millions of children, particularly immigrants. The transformative effect of public education at this time cannot be emphasized. Based on my own experience and family history, I can understand how the American public education system helped to Americanize immigrants and provide them with the s...

The Common School Era Instructions      According to what I read the common school was established in the middle of the 1800s to give all white children access to free public education. These schools, which were supported by local property taxes, were a dramatic departure from the unequal and commercialized educational system of the colonial era. America's educational system in the eighteenth century was primarily run by families and religious organizations, with the odd short-term school supported by municipalities. Nonetheless, this system continued inequalities based on gender, ethnicity, and family income. After decades of discussion leading up to the Civil War, the common school movement aimed to rectify these disparities and establish a more organized, publicly overseen educational system.   The idea that an educated populace would be essential to the fledgling republic's survival greatly impacted the tenets of the common school movement. Thomas Jefferson, Benj...