Historical Perspective of Public Schools

In 1758, who wrote that the exercise of citizenship was dependent on education and that “public education . . . is one of the fundamental rules of popular or legitimate government. . . .”

• George Washington

• Thomas Jefferson

• Jean-Jacques Rousseau

• John Adams

Who drafted the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780, the oldest

existing written constitution in the world. In it, he wrote:

  “Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people.”

• John Adams

• George Bush

• George Washington

• Thomas Jefferson

America’s first School Laws included which of the following? Select ALL that apply.

• Permitted taxes for education

• Legislature required certain towns to appoint a teacher

• Little Government recognition of benefits of educating all of society.

• Only the poor were educated.

If an indigent parents declared themselves paupers, their children could be sent to specified private or paid school for free.

• True

• False

What is a rate bill?

• Parents were paid per child that they sent to school.

• Required parents to send students to school.

• Parents who could not afford to send their students to school were sent to jail.

• Required parents to pay an amount per child to supplement school revenues.

A system of education implies uniformity, pursuable curriculum, and the ability to progress through levels of education.

• True

• False

McDuffy v. Secretary of the Executive Office of Education  (1993) The judicial application of John Adams’ vision of free public schools in Massachusetts. 16 students charged Commonwealth because it "failed to fulfill its duty to provide them an education, as mandated by the Constitution.” Massachusetts Superior Court determined: “Commonwealth has a duty to provide an education to ALL children, rich and poor, in every city and town….”

Which of the following were underlying principles of McDuffy v. Secretary of the Executive Office of Education  (1993) ?

• The state government was NOT held responsible.

• Taxes allocated to ensure quality education for every child in the state.

• Education is free to all…no charges to limit access.

Public school advocates preached an educational awakening that ultimately formed the basis for state systems of public education as we know them today—free secular public schools supported by both local and state taxation.

Who led this awakening?

• Benjamin Franklin of Philadelphia

• George Washington of Virginia

• John Adams of Massachusetts

• Horace Mann of Massachusetts

The legislature is required to bear the responsibility for enactment of laws to govern the public or common schools.

• True

• False

The public schools, by and large, are NOT considered to be a cohesive unit: one organization or organic whole whose particular organizational pattern and subparts are within the prerogative of the legislature.

• TRUE

• FALSE