School & District Management Series

Lessons of a Century

Americans in the 20th century made tremendous efforts to create, in the words of Noah Webster, “a system of education that should embrace every part of the community."In January 1999, Education Week began a yearlong series chronicling the successes and setbacks in those efforts over the past 100 years. Lessons of a Century appeared in 10 monthly installments, both in the print edition and on the World Wide Web. The series, now complete, examines all aspects of the educational landscape--people, trends, historical milestones, enduring controversies--with an emphasis on their continuing relevance. Essays by leading scholars and other observers offer additional perspective.You can read all 10 parts here as they originally appeared in Education Week on the Web by choosing selections on this page, or you can order the softbound book from our Products & Services Special Reports page.

School Choice & Charters A Private Choice
The term "private school" had only recently entered the lexicon of American education at the end of the 19th century. Earlier in the nation's history, few distinctions were made between institutions based on how they were financed and governed. But when the "common school" arrived on the scene, any school that did not fit that mold suddenly seemed different.
October 20, 1999
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1 min read
School Choice & Charters Uncommon Values
In November 1884, America's Roman Catholic bishops assembled in Baltimore for a series of meetings. They debated topics ranging from the appointment of church leaders to the burial of members of their flocks in non-Catholic cemeteries.
Jeff Archer, October 20, 1999
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28 min read
School Choice & Charters Public vs. Private
As ferocious as today's debate is over private school vouchers, it may be surprising that early in the history of the republic, American religious schools periodically received generous public funding.
Mark Walsh, October 20, 1999
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7 min read
School Choice & Charters A League of Its Own
Andover has remained true to its mission of building character while preparing students for college.
Jeff Archer, October 20, 1999
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29 min read
Teaching Profession Opinion Teaching in 2020: The Triumph of 'the Slow Revolution?'
American schools have long been polite places where no one confronts anyone else too directly.
Gerald Grant, September 15, 1999
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13 min read
Teaching Profession A Teaching Gem
Opal McAlister was young, ambitious, and grateful when she took her first teaching job in 1923. One teacher's journey from Calvin Coolidge to Gerald Ford.
Robert C. Johnston, September 15, 1999
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19 min read
Teacher Preparation Educating the Educators
In 1857, the year the National Education Association was founded, teacher and lecturer William Russell made a bold proposal: Give teachers control over entry into their profession.
Ann Bradley, September 15, 1999
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10 min read
Teaching Profession The Paradoxical Teacher
In a world that likes to pigeonhole people, Albert Shanker was a paradox.
Ann Bradley, September 15, 1999
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4 min read
Teaching Profession The Course of Teaching: Introduction
The men and women charged with educating the nation's young people occupy a special place in American society. Teaching has long been considered more than just a job--even a calling.
September 15, 1999
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1 min read
Teaching Profession 'The Not-Quite Profession'
The century was young when the activist Margaret Haley dared to speak from the floor of the National Education Association's convention in Detroit, challenging the assertions made by its president. Teachers, she complained, were grossly underpaid.
Ann Bradley, September 15, 1999
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29 min read
Assessment The Assessment Culture: Introduction
Gauging the knowledge students acquired was an endeavor of educators long before the 20th century dawned, but it has become a national obsession as the century ends.
June 16, 1999
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1 min read
Assessment Testing Across Time
Over the century, students have been faced with various forms of assessments. What follows is a sampling of questions; wording and punctuation are as they appeared to test-takers.
June 16, 1999
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2 min read
Assessment Mass-Produced Pencil Leaves Its Mark
Over the 20th century, the tests designed to measure what students know have changed like the seasons, but one thing has remained a constant: the tool necessary to record such measurement--the lead pencil.
Adrienne D. Coles, June 16, 1999
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3 min read
Assessment Quiz Biz
How the standardized testing of students grew into a big business.
Mark Walsh, June 16, 1999
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26 min read
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