Let's Discuss: The Founders of the American Education System

Which of the three founders of the early American education system (Mann, Hughes, Rush) would you want serving on the board for your district/university??Why?

If I had to choose a board member to serve with, it would be Horace Mann for three reasons. (1) Push for the creation of the Unified or Common School System, (2) Promotion of Diversity & Inclusion of the System, (3) Technology Accessibility.??

Horace Mann was a major proponent for creating the "Unified or Common Schools System" that we see today (Carlton, 2020). He also worked diligently to vary the curriculum to ultimately remove sectarian instruction in the lessons, which proved to be a precursor to major legislative interpretations of church & state separations even in the discussion about school. Mann's vision included universal, public education, open to everyone; however, void of private or even religious influences.?He saw a place where moral character and ethical values were instilled in both the learners and the educators. Mann recognized that to move a society forward and expand the nation's economy, it needed an educated workforce, a disciplined generation of people, and understood moral education is vital and the way forward to our social existence. Mann's vision would promote social redemption, remove potentially discriminatory class conflicts, and enhance citizen engagement while inculcating moral habits throughout society.

Whether or not all these visions were realized, Mann's initiative began the journey to where we are today.?Mann recognized that through the use of a standard curriculum, educators could be better trained in the art of effectively delivering lessons no matter the schools they teach (Jeynes, 2007). Our schools have shared similar structures over the past decades.?The curriculums over the years have changed since then, but the curriculum remains an essential tool for consistency in learning and teaching standards.?Mann was an advocate for the removal of the attempted "indoctrination" in favor of teaching the moral and ethical principles of Christianity. No Child Left Behind that came to life in the 2000s validates the importance of an institution that values learning and teaching that account for everyone in the pipeline.

Diversity was also a central theme of Mann's vision, as indicated by the terms "universal, unified, common, everyone, and public." Today, our schools are far more diverse than when Mann originally set in motion our schools' unified/common future.?Ethnicity, socioeconomic class, religion, abilities, backgrounds, etc., and much more have also validated Mann's vision and promulgated access and inclusion into the school system that we embrace today. The citizens in Mann's time changed how they thought about education from one politically desirable path to one of preservation and improving society (Labaree, 2010). Mann's early recognition for the value of an inclusive and educated workforce is still seen today in the levels of diversity in universities and their relationship to the learners increased civic engagement and citizens involvement in their government and political environments, why, well because the more educated the people are, the more they are informed.

Technology is another aspect of learning that has been reimagined since the time of Mann. Today, the access and use of technology in the educational setting are universal, free, and accessible to learners and educators.?Although controversial, Mann's vision represented going against the norm, being disruptive, and not what society recognized as necessary for that time.?The political system played a significant role in the acceptance of the common school movement (Jeynes, 2007); however, at its core, the genius of his movement was innovative and bought together different ideas and transformed them into something new.?The more Mann's thinking caught on, the more ideas and experiences people were exposed to, the more creative they became, and the more transformative academia became.

Horace Mann checked many of the boxes I think have led to the Education system I know today.?

References:

Carleton, D. (2020). Middle Tennessee State University; Horace Mann. Retrieved from https://mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/1283/horace-mann

Jeynes, W. (2007). American educational history: School, society, and the common good. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. (Read Chapters 3–8.)

Labaree, D. F. (2010). Someone has to fail. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. (Read Chapters 1– 4.)