"You Are an American"

1900-1950: "As American as Public School" Reflection

The common school from 1900 to 1950 biased to immigrants, children, and race during the era 1900 to 1950 many immigrants from around the globe. The immigrant parent wanted their children to go to school to have that education to become Americaniza have a better life than them. Major cities school was getting over crowdy due to the 125 children applying each day after getting off the steamboat.
 
The school system was teaching immigrant children how to be American and teaching them how to have hygiene. Because Americans believe that immigrants were dirty and need to take a bath in school swimming pools. Something disagrees with was when the teachers put their hands on children for not doing anything wrong. On page 72 and 73 a Mexican was talking about speaking Spanish at home but when she was at school. The teacher spanked her hard for speaking Spanish in school to another and told her we only speak English here. Any teacher should not lay their hand on a student but back then it was different, but it was still wrong to hit a child for speaking another language. During that era school wants children to be more American where you only can speak English at school.

Although the school system biased to immigrant children; also American children was not taking the full advantage of school.  The late 1900s about 50 percent of American children were not in school most of them decide to find work. That was before child labor laws were in forced where children couldn’t work under age 12. Children should be in school, but they decide instead to be working to make money then going to school. A philosopher John Dewey believed that “if the school was anchored in the whole child, in the social, intellectual, emotional, and physical development of a child, teaching would be different and learning would be different, and schools would be very different, hospitable places for children”(). He applies that teachers and school should change their ways of teaching children to keep them engaged in school.  The progressive school system came in place in Gary Indiana that most students were physical involve with school learning actives. With the example from Gary, many schools started to do the progressive system to get children more effectively in school. However, many parents were against the Gary school system because they do not want their children to be getting ready to work in a factory.

During that time IQ test was applied in the school system after world war one. Students were being tested on their intelligence. However, their ethnicity affected their knowledge in the school system. That white American children have high or better IQ then Mexican children and African American children. IQ tests and SAT was unfair to some students because some student did not learn as other children learn at different school with better education. The school system in LA called Mexican children slow readers and retarded because of their QI scores. The test was given to them when there are in kindergarten and was held back. Students were prevented to study a particular subject was forced to do other things in class then the other students were doing.

Although the American school system changes little they still have a long road to go. The school system in 1900 to 1950 was different. They force children to be more Amerincize, making them speak English only. They were teaching children to be ready to go work in factors then further their education. Also, there was bias to immigrants and children of color forced to educate the children in a different way than white American children. 

Reference

Streep, M. Tyack, D. B., Bernard, S. C., Mondale, S., & Patton, S. B. (2001). School: The Story of American Public Education. Boston: Beacon Press.