Schooling America: How the Public Schools Meet the Nation's Changing Needs

by Patricia Albjerg Graham

In this informative volume, Patricia Graham, one of America's most esteemed historians of education, offers a vibrant history of American education in the last century. Drawing on a wide array of sources, from government reports to colorful anecdotes, Graham skillfully illustrates Americans' changing demands for our schools, and how schools have responded by providing what critics want, though never as completely or as quickly as they would like.

In 1900, as waves of immigrants arrived, the American public wanted schools to assimilate students into American life, combining the basics of English and arithmetic with emphasis on patriotism, hard work, fair play, and honesty. In the 1920s, the focus shifted from schools serving a national need to serving individual needs; education was to help children adjust to life. By 1954 the emphasis moved to access, particularly for African-American children to desegregated classrooms, but also access to special programs for the gifted, the poor, the disabled, and non-English speakers. Now Americans want achievement for all, defined as higher test scores. While presenting this intricate history, Graham introduces us to the passionate educators, scholars, and journalists who drove particular agendas, as well as her own family, starting with her immigrant father's first day of school and ending with her own experiences as a teacher.

Invaluable background in the ongoing debate on education in the United States, this book offers an insightful look at what the public has sought from its educational institutions, what educators have delivered, and what remains to be done.

Genres: Education, History, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[James]

Patricia Graham is one of America's most esteemed historians of education, formerly Dean of Harvard's Graduate School of Education and Director of the National Institute of Education. In this informative volume, Graham offers a vibrant history of American education in the last century. Drawing on a wide array of sources, from government reports to colorful anecdotes, Graham skillfully illustrates Americans' changing demands for our schools, and how schools have responded by providing what critics want, though never as completely or as quickly as they would like. In 1900, as waves of immigrants swept the nation, the American public wanted schools to assimilate students into American life, combining the basics of English and arithmetic with emphasis on patriotism, hard work, fair play and honesty. In the 1920s, the focus shifted from schools serving anational need to serving individual needs; education was to help children adjust to life. By 1954 the emphasis moved to access, particularly for African-American children to desegregated classrooms, but also access to special programs for the gifted, the poor, the disabled, and non-Englishspeakers. Now Americans want achievement for all, defined as higher test scores. The public largely ignored colleges until after World War II when research received international recognition and enrollments grew. Throughout the narrative, we meet the passionate educators, scholars and journalistswho drove particular agendas, and we also meet Graham's own family, starting with her immigrant father's first day of school and moving through her experiences as a teacher. Invaluable background in the ongoing debate on education in the United States, this book offers an insightful look at what the public has sought from its educational institutions, what educators have delivered, and what remains to be done.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a Ph.D. in the history of education, so the general contours of the history presented here were familiar to me. However, Dr. Albjerg Graham introduced some historical figures I hadn't heard of. I also appreciated how she wove in both her story and that of several of her ancestors who were educators--she could seriously write a book telling the story of the evolution of American education (both K-12 and higher ed) through her family!

As a historian of education, I am always attuned to discussions of the values we expect our schools and colleges to cultivate, so I appreciated Dr. Albjerg Graham's engagement with questions like the relative weight of "the cultivation of knowledge" vs. "the cultivation of virtue" at various times, and why those things were emphasized when they were. Folks who are interested in digging deeper on the values American schools and colleges embody (whether they mean to or not, and whether or not they are successful, and how those values can be at cross-purposes) should look up the work of David F. Labaree.

This is a broad-brush, 10,000-foot survey of American education, both K-12 and higher ed, so those looking for nuanced extended discussions of particular developments or phenomena will not find them here. (See her "Further Reading" list at the end, though!) Also, this book was published in 2005, back when NCLB was in force and affirmative action was the law of the land, to name just two major changes to American education since then (to say nothing of a global pandemic). So parts of it are a bit dated, but as a broad overview of centuries other than the current one, I think it holds up.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prior to reading the full text, I had read excerpts from this book in the framework of my graduate school experience, but upon reading the full book to prepare a class in the culture of education, I found it well suited to a classroom discussion book. Graham readily frames elements of the evolution of education within the cultural, political, and industrial needs of the country and shows, in sometimes limited fashion, the push and pull of the interaction of these systems. She rather brilliantly divided the time periods into elements such as "Americanization", "Assimilation", "Access", etc. that allows a national trend to be examined and the discussion to be steered along a theme. While the trends can be restricting sometimes - I often supplemented this work with others that would gently "push back" against the concept that the trends were universally true, this book essentially gives people interested in education and its role in culture, industry, and, generally speaking, life itself, a frame of reference for how American schooling has, historically, been conducted and how that does and sometimes does not frame the conversations we are having about education today.

As I said, not a flawless work, but one of the best broad overviews of education one can encounter and it is written in a way that blends personal touches, an approachable almost story driven pace, and import in such a manner that it becomes a narrative of our country's history as much as it is an analysis of why schools must meet the nations needs.

A great book to consider for anyone interested in teaching in K-12 education.

[Diane Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a useful conceptualization of stages (assimilation, adjustment, access, achievement)of American schooling in the 20th century. I may use it with Intro. to Education students and then complicate it with additional articles. It would be a useful little book to give to someone (a parent, a grandparent, a partner) to give them some background information for when you disagree with their simplistic ideas about what would "fix" America's "broken" schools.

[Connie Liu · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written account of the history of education in America and its constantly shifting goals. Graham divides up education's history into concrete eras that helped me to understand education through a new framework. I appreciated the read: although it was dry at times it provided a lot of insightful information by weaving together how different events and people influenced each other. I would say it is a necessary read for any education leader.

[Lukas Szrot · Rating 4 out of 5]

An illuminating historical analysis of the evolution of education in America. I read this as part of (rather extensive) graduate coursework in sociology of education. I found it, and the course, fascinating, and am considering a focus on education, particularly science education, as an area of specialization.

[Erendira]

Main LA209 .G65 2005

[Alicia Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent, brief, history of schooling in America. However, the final chapter about colleges seems quite out of place for the theme of the book. Simple writing, but dense. Lots of information here.

[Halie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked how this was a book about the history of American schools