History And Politics Of Education - 1301 Words

The History and Politics in the Demographics of Education Education is a fundamental aspect of society in the United States of America. In order to comprehend how the current education system is at its present state, one must observe the major factors that have affected the education system. Demographics are leaving an everlasting imprint on U.S. education, spanning back to the late nineteenth century at Harvard University (Du Bois 364). According to Norman Eng (Adjunct Assistant Professor at Brooklyn College and education researcher/writer (Eng 282)), â€Å"Simply, demographics tell us what issues we are dealing with and what kind of society we are becoming† (Eng 272). It is the guiding factor in determining what course of action is†¦show more content†¦He states that â€Å"you must evolve your own social institutions†¦ You must put behind your demands, not simply American Negroes, but West Indians and Africans, and all the colored races of the world† (Franklin 383). These beliefs will remain intact for app roximately half a century, to the time when the U.S. acknowledges â€Å"that segregated public schools are inherently unequal† (Stallion 65). The Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 leads to the determination that racial segregation is unconstitutional and violates the 14th amendment right to all citizens of equal protection of the laws. This decision subsequently results in an event in 1957 when nine African American high school students in Little Rock, Arkansas - the Little Rock nine - are integrated into the exclusively white school, Central High (Boyd 36). This initial node of integration has driven us to our current system of education, with many diverse groups mixed together. New initiatives are created for the advancement of all learners. Not all students are on the same academic level in terms of their knowledge of all core school subjects. The U.S. government tries to ensure that all students are given equal opportunities to succeed. One of these methods is the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. This piece of legislation has an objective of â€Å"reducing achievement gaps between disadvantaged and other pupils† (â€Å"Overview of No Child Left Behind† 131). A part of the NCLB Act