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School: The Story of American Public Education

2001 - 2001

The Common School: 1770-1890

3rd September 2001

Episode 1

In the aftermath of the Revolution, a newly independent America came face-to-face with one of its most daunting challenges: how to build a united nation out of 13 colonies with little in common. Many citizens believed that education held the key. This episode profiles the passionate crusade launched by Thomas Jefferson, Horace Mann and others to create a common system of tax-supported schools that would mix people of different backgrounds and reinforce the bonds that tie Americans together. Would the grand experiment, with all of its flaws, succeed?

As American as Public School: 1900-1950

10th September 2001

Episode 2

In 1900, six percent of America’s children graduated from high school; by 1945, 51 percent graduated and 40 percent went on to college. This program recalls how massive immigration, child labor laws, and the explosive growth of cities fueled school attendance and transformed public education. Also explored are the impact of John Dewey’s progressive ideas as well as the effects on students of controversial IQ tests, the "life adjustment" curriculum, and Cold War politics. Interviews with immigrant students, scholars, and administrators provide a portrait of America’s changing educational landscape in the first half of the 20th century.

Equality: 1950-1980

17th September 2001

Episode 3

In the 1950s, America’s public schools teemed with the promise of a new, postwar generation of students, over half of whom would graduate and go on to college. This program shows how impressive gains masked profound inequalities: 17 states had segregated schools; one percent of all Ph.D.s went to women; and "separate but equal" was still the law of the land. Interviews with Linda Brown Thompson and other equal rights pioneers bring to life the issues that prompted such milestones as Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954), the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Title IX, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Bottom Line: 1980 - The Present

24th September 2001

Episode 4

In 1983, the Reagan Administration’s report A Nation at Risk shattered public confidence in America’s school system and sparked a new wave of education reform. This program explores the impact of the "free market" experiments that ensued, from vouchers and charter schools to privatization—all with the goal of meeting tough new academic standards. Today, the debate rages on: do these diverse strategies challenge the Founding Fathers’ notions of a common school, or are they the only recourse in a complex society?

Top Cast

Director

Sarah Mondale

A history of the American public education systems, beginning in the late 1700s and working up to the present day.

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Full Cast

Meryl Streep Image

Meryl Streep

Narrator (voice)

Full Crew

Sarah Mondale

Director

Sarah B. Patton

Producer

Sarah Mondale

Producer

Mead Hunt

Director of Photography

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