Movers and Shakers in Education: the Impact of the Past on the Present

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Movers and Shakers in Education: The Impact of the Past on the Present XXXXXXX Grand Canyon University: EDU 576 September 19, 2012 The American education system today is not what it was many years ago. There have been many changes, both positive and negative, that have shaped our view of what a good classroom should look like. We have moved from teacher-centered classrooms to student-centered classrooms. Teachers are taking on the role of facilitators of learning, rather than being in charge of the entire learning process. Students are becoming more responsibly and autonomous in the classroom. Many events and people have made a great impact on the American education system today. A few of the most notable are (1) the case of Brown vs. Board of Education, (2) the work of Mr. John Dewey, (3) the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and (4) the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Before 1954, African-American students were unable to share the same classrooms as Caucasian-American students. In the 1950’s it was normal for classrooms to be separated by race. The “separate but equal” idea, which resulted from the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson case, was still considered constitutional. Although separated by race, the schools were supposed to be equal in many districts. On May 17, 1954, a unanimous decision was reached by the United States Supreme Court in favor of desegregating schools. This decision, known as Brown v. Board of Education, declared segregation of public schools unconstitutional. The court declared that racial segregated schools caused Black children to receive a lower quality of education than their more privileged Caucasian-American peers. African-American and Caucasian-American students are now able to attend the same schools, and sit together in the same classrooms. This decision was by far one of the most important decisions made in

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