The Progressive Era, Part I:

The Educational Ladder & the Committee of Ten

I. Late 19^th – Early 20^th century: most kids attended the common school

A. Grades 1-8; 3 r’s curriculum + (a la Mann) basic social values

B. “Common” = shared stock of knowledge and values

II. Conflicts over the purposes of schooling.

A. Two points of view

1. Utility (Herbert Spencer)

2. Knowledge (Lester Frank Ward)

B. Advocates of Liberal Education

1. E.G., Charles Eliot and William Torrey Harris

2. Liberal education

a. The more people to whom we can give these abilities, the better will their lives be, and the better off will society be, by extension

3. Harris: arithmetic, history, geography, grammar, literature

4. Despite efforts of liberal ed advocates, Industrial & Technical Education caught on

C. Battle lines drawn: Liberal education vs. “Industrial Education”

1. Rationalism & Romanticism

2. Scientific management

a. “Experts” – like F. W. Taylor – seeking to maximize efficiency

3. Why rationalization?

a. Modern problems

b. Plus changes on a massive scale

D. The “Committee of Ten”

1. 1892, NEA (1^st blue ribbon panel on ed. in U.S. history): Committee of 10 (Charles Eliot, William Harris, 4 college presidents, 3 h.s. principals, 1 college prof.)

a. H.S. should be committed to academic excellence

i. All would benefit

b. No differentiated curriculum

2. Comm. Of 10 critics

a. Advocates of classical ed.

b. Advocates of differentiated curriculum

c. G. Stanley Hall (Clark president): most vocal and caustic critic

i. In Europe, the curriculum is differentiated: kids there received an education geared to career choices they were required to make, often before the age of 10 (a la Mann’s enthusiasm for Prussian ed. system)

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