The American School: From the Puritans to the Trump Era

by Joel Spring

This current, comprehensive history of American education is designed to stimulate critical analysis and critical thinking by offering alternative interpretations of each historical period. In his signature straight-forward, concise style, Joel Spring provides a variety of interpretations of American schooling, from conservative to leftist, in order to spark the reader’s own critical thinking about history and schools. This tenth edition follows the history of American education from the seventeenth century to the integration into global capitalism of the twenty-first century to the tumultuous current political landscape. In particular, the updates focus on tracing the direct religious links between the colonial Puritans and the current-day Trump administration.

Chapters 1 and 2 have been rewritten to take a closer look at religious traditions in American schools, leading up to the educational ideas of the current U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. An updated Chapter 15 further links traditional religious fundamentalist ideas and the twentieth century free market arguments of the Chicago school of economists to President Trump’s administration and the influence of the Alt-Right.

Genres: Education, History

537 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 15, 2018

Reviews

[Taylor Manes · Rating 4 out of 5]

i mean listen, i had to read this for school, but it was really good.

[Cyrus Seyrafi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-researched history of the American educational system from the nation's inception through the twentieth century into the modern day.

I've never read a book on the history of education besides this one, so I can't comment on the bias of the information it presents, but the content was very far-reaching, and I found it incredibly informative and engaging.

The book invites you to think about the various ways educational systems inculcate children with their worldviews, and how regardless of era the tides of politics play a critical role in that process. Horace Mann, the 'father' of the common school, defended public education on those grounds, arguing it would cultivate moral character and lead to a more virtuous and unified populace. And that's also made the public school the primary battleground between proponents of multiculturalism and a unified American identity.

There is much more to discuss—the Lancastrian system used in the 1800s, the effects of education on racial and gender equality in the twentieth century, the school's use as a center of community as Christianity lost its dominance in the cities, and the different interpretations of the separation of church and state, bureaucratization, etc. But those are notes for further exploration.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable reading of the history of the American education system. Don't let the density of the book fool you. It actually was fun and coincides with some of the better books on general American history.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

An expansive overview of the philosophy, context, and history of U.S. schools. It is a fascinating read for educators as it details why, what, and how we teach and think about curricula.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to read this book for class! I thought it was very informative and also very dense. I learned a lot.

[Ursa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book taught me why white people don't season their food

[Liza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book for my ED 403 Class (Fall 2022 Semester).

[Clara Troltenier (Support Modest Behaviour) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had to read this for Foundations of Education (Education Through History). This was an excellent read--full of timelines & I got the gist of what the chapters were about.