Page 84 - EdViewptsSpring2021

Who Says That Our Public

Schools Should Be 12 Grades

Plus Kindergarten?

By Jay Billy, Principal of Ben Franklin Elementary School, Lawrence
Township Public Schools

The pandemic has caused family members at home. The purpose the “Common School” movement
many of us to look at was mostly so that children could which became our public schools.
partake in religious studies and read
In 1892, the Committee of Ten was
school differently. There are the Bible. Often, even the basics formed by the National Education
many who fear that our students, of education were only available to Association and commissioned
especially the younger students, are the wealthy and many were illiterate to provide recommendations on
falling behind and won’t ever be able or taught themselves later on in schooling. In their report, they
to catch up. Although some students life. Although Harvard University recommended 12 years of education,
are thriving during this time, many are was established in 1636, public with eight years of elementary
struggling to continue to learn at a rate education did not become a focus of education followed by four years
that societal norms deem adequate. the American education system until of high school. The committee was
So where did these norms come from? centuries later. The Prussian model explicitly asked to address tracking,
or course differentiation based
of education came to the U.S. in
Formal education was neither a the 1800s and Horace Mann, along upon postsecondary pursuit. The
priority nor a requirement in the 18th with Henry Barnard and Katherine committee responded unanimously
Century, and many were taught by Beecher are widely given credit for that "...every subject which is taught

Educational Viewpoints -82- Spring 2021