Horace Mann Research Paper

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The Utopian Dream

Equality of opportunity is the pinnacle of educational goals, or as Horace Mann stated, the “great balance wheel of society” (Spring, 2016, p. 5). Horace Mann can be considered the father of common schools due to his actions while serving on the board of education starting from 1837. Through these newly set-up common schools, everyone was to receive an equal and common education (Spring, 2016, p. 68). Mann had a belief that common schools would be the framework to build our nation upon. To be honest, he was not far off either.
In the 1800s, the ideal goals and values of a school system were extremely differentiated but contained some overlapping ideas. George Washington’s concepts of schooling were considered elitist; he wanted to use schools to create an aristocracy. Washington’s movement was protested and opened a path for other scholars to give their two cents’ on the future educational system. Johann Fichte envisioned schools where nationalism was the pinnacle. Unlike his successors, he had very militaristic views to put kids on track to social obedience. Jefferson imposed a three-year period of education to all nonslave citizens and his idea was that schooling is the best …show more content…

Meritocracy has good intentions such that progress is based on ability and talent rather than class privilege or wealth; however, meritocracy cannot be practically implemented into school education due to social differentiations. Our society has and will continue to consist of a myriad of races, ethnicities, and minorities. Immigrant students who are from an Asian cultural heritage will be accustomed differently than children born and raised in America. Therefore, when schools implement standardized testing via the sorting-machine model or the high stakes testing model, there may be disadvantaged