The progression of education in the United States has been a rollercoaster of a story. The difference between the American stance on academics and students from the colonial period to present day is astounding however, at no other time was the change more drastic than during the twentieth century. During this time, the United States experienced some of the most pivotal modifications to their education system and the majority of these principles are still being upheld today. Some of these alterations include changes in curriculum, society’s impact on education, and the alliance between students and teachers.
The material in which students are being taught has always been an argument amongst educators. At the start of America’s journey with
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As American society grows and develops, education changes right along with it. During the foundation of the education system, citizens did not view educating children to read and write as significant and instead focused on teaching them how to work at home or on the farm. While these teachings are important, the government realized all children need to be exposed to a proper education where they learn basic human skills in order to have a functioning society. The process of guaranteeing an education for all children in America was lengthy; however, by the twentieth century attending school became compulsory. Even though school became required for all children by the 1900’s, the quality and accessibility of a proper education was still a struggle for minorities in America. During this time period, segregation was still an issue and Southern states introduced what were called Jim Crow laws. These regulations were used to further the prejudice against African Americans even after the Civil War and their influence on the quality of the children's education was staggering (History.com Editors 2018). For instance, the school buildings for African American children were beggarly. Students were forced to learn under leaky roofs and between walls that could barely stand up on their own. Not to mention, the ratio between students and teachers was incredibly disproportionate, to the point where there were not enough desks to hold the students (Brooker 2022). Thanks to civil rights activists, in 1954 the case of Brown v. The Board of Education of Topeka was held and the Supreme Court determined that separating students based on race was unequal and deemed the act unlawful (CITATION 324). The relationship between society and the education system is forever adjusting, however the twentieth century provided the United States with an entirely new take on what education should look like for all