This presentation has two main parts to it: introduction to education history and educational policy especially in the context of social equity.

1. Education in the Public
Interest
Kurt Love, Ph.D.
Central Connecticut State University

2. PURPOSES OF
EDUCATION
What are reasons for having public education?
Inspiring Build a
socially/ecologically
Creative just community Responsible
Thinkers Citizens
Follow
Directions
Critically Question
Build a Labor
Privilege/Oppression
Force
Support the Accumulate
Fun Growth of the Knowledge
“Whole” Student

3. PURPOSES OF
EDUCATION
What are reasons for having public education?
Responsible Creative Critically Question
Citizens Thinkers Privilege/Oppression
Follow Build a
Directions Fun
socially/ecologically
just community
Build a Labor
Force Inspiring
Support the
Accumulate Growth of the
Knowledge “Whole” Student

4. Political Spectrum
Aristocracy
Plutocracy
Communism “Democrat” “Republican” Fascism
Liberal Conservative
Moderate Theocracy
Representative Oligarchy
Socialism
Anarchism Republic Libertarianism
“True Democracy”
Neoliberal Neoconservative
*Not to scale

5. Current Discourse
What are the reasons most often given for
the purpose of school in the U.S.?
Whose voices are generally included in the
pronouncement of these reasons?
Whose voices are generally not included?

6. Education and Getting Jobs
What were the most important reasons that an applicant
did not get a job?
To what extent are the “core curricula” important in the
hiring of hourly production workers?
How much math does an entry level worker need to have
according to ETS?
What is the correlation between paper-and-pencil tests
and getting hired?
What are the skills that are needed to get an entry level
job?

7. Employers Say...
From Education Week 2006:
“Manufacturers polled were less happy with
students’ work-related skills than with their
academic preparation.”
Employers do want basic math skills
(generally through 9th grade), reading skills,
but more importantly surveys consistently
show that they want workers who will be
on-time, have good attitudes and work
ethics.

8. What Else is Needed?
Spring brings up the point that employers need workers
that can:
Endure long periods of mundane work
Repetition
Withstand being located in uninteresting environments
Follow directions
How well does mainstream schooling prepare students for
this kind of work?

9. Education in the Public
Interest
Whose voices are strongest in shaping
education and education policy?
Whose voices are generally not included?

10. Purpose of
Schooling and Power
Starting the 19th century, goals for public schools
included teaching about:
Patriotism and political values
Morality
Providing equal opportunity
What purposes do each of these serve for political
leaders and business owners?
How do these potentially affect workers, families,
people with low income, people with middle incomes?

11. More Goals
How do the juvenile crime
purposes of school
connect with: nutritional
health
urbanization
epidemic disease
industrialization
globalization
racial and
cultural harmony

12. A little history lesson...
Indigenous Era: Prior to
the arrival of the
European colonizers (aka
“colonists”), education was
seen as lifelong, generally
informal, connected to
nature, spiritual, and in
small group or one-on-
one settings. Much of this
is echoed in what is called
“indigenous education”
today.

13. A little history lesson...
Massachusetts, 1647: The Europeans establish
a law that says teachers and grammar
schools must be made available to villages
and towns depending on population.
The original intention was to keep the “old
deluder” (Satan) away. The focus of these
teachings was on Christian morals and values.

14. A little history lesson...
1820s-1840s: Teaching common moral and
political values, equality of educational
opportunity
1880s-1920s: Americanization of immigrants,
train work force for companies, anti-
communism, anti-radicalism
1920s-1940s: Expansion of high schools to
control youth and keep youth out of labor
market

15. A little history lesson...
1950s-1980s: Radical and cultural harmony,
War on Poverty, make more scientists and
engineers, career education, equality of
educational opportunity
1980s-2000s: Standardization, testing,
preparation for a global economy

16. Thomas Jefferson
Proposed that
nonslaves should have
3 years of free
schooling.
Offered that
meritocracy should be
the guiding force in
schools

17. Thomas Jefferson
Bill for the More
General Diffusion of
Knowledge
“By this means twenty
of the best geniuses
will be raked from the
rubbish annually, and
be instructed, at the
public expense.”

18. Thomas Jefferson
Argued that reading
was fundamental, but
that people should
learn about politics in
the newspapers
Advocates for
censorship of political
texts at University of
Virginia

19. Horace Mann
Becomes the
Secretary of the
Mass Board of
Education in 1837
Establishes normal
schools and common
schools

20. Horace Mann
Advocated for the
instilling of a common
political creed in all
students to reduce or
prevent radicalism
Mann argued that
crime, class conflict,
and suffrage would
increase violence and
create mob rule.

21. Horace Mann
Political liberty is
controlled and
constrained by what
students learned and
were assimilated to in
schools.
The purpose of
schools is politically
control people.

22. Pledge of Allegiance

23. Francis Bellamy
1892: Bellamy, a
socialist, writes the
Pledge of Allegiance.
He wanted to include
the word “equality,”
but the state
superintendents reject
it because they oppose
education for women
or African Americans

24. Patriotism or Propaganda?
Reasons for using the Pledge
of Allegiance in schools:
Make immigrants loyal
Support war efforts

25. Patriotism or Propaganda?
“Under God” was added
in 1954 as a way to deny
communism
“In God We Trust” added
to money in 1955 for the
same reason

26. World War I
Patriotic songs,
Pledge of Allegiance,
and student
government all used
in schools as ways to
increase patriotism
and political
assimilation

27. Patriotism or Propaganda?
According to Spring, sports teams and cheerleading
were seen as ways for schools to build school spirit
and consequently prepare students for military service

28. School Governance in NYC
Mayor Bloomberg eliminates elected school
boards in 2002.
Brings on several CEOs to shape the
practices of the largest body of schools in
the nation

29. Yesterday & Today
Age of Reform: 1820s-1860s
Industrialization & Urbanization: 1880s-1930s
WWII: 1940s-1950s
Reform: 1960s-1970s
Standardization & Accountability:
1980’s-2000s

30. Schooling the World
Is education a
form of cultural
colonization?
What does this
film tell us about
the purposes of
schools in the
U.S.?