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Public EducationThe modern public education system in the United States took shape during New England's Common School Movement in the 1830s and 1840s. Today, the system serves approximately 83% (45 million) of enrolled K-12 students across over 98,000 schools, with the remainder attending private or nondistrict public schools such as charters.
State governments determine curriculum and academic standards, while local school boards and districts typically manage implementation—selecting materials, pacing guides, and lesson structures. For the 2023-24 school year, spending on K-12 public education was around $17,700 per student, totaling roughly $880B. A combination of local property taxes, state revenue, and federal grants funds these expenses.
In 2023-24, 87% of school funding came from state and local sources. The US Department of Education, though providing only about 8%-10% of K-12 funding, shapes national education policy by distributing targeted grants, enforcing civil rights laws, and coordinating research.Explore Public Education
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Women lost legal rights after the revolution, despite educational gainsThe revolution rolled back women's legal protections, including the Family Protection Law, and imposed the mandatory hijab. Paradoxically, women later achieved significant educational gains, with university enrollment and literacy rates dramatically improving. US Institute of PeaceThe most effective method of managing invasive species is prevention educationControlling a spread after a species has become established in an area is much more costly and time-consuming than early detection and rapid response. Control methods include the purposeful introduction of predators, the use of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides, and physical collection and removal. National Invasive Species Information CenterThe GI Bill helped expand formal jazz educationBerklee School of Music (then known as the Schillinger House) and a program at the University of North Texas (then known as Texas State University) established academia's earliest jazz programs in 1945. The GI Bill provided World War II veterans with educational funding, which helped the programs proliferate: By the end of the 1960s, there were 450 college jazz ensembles. NPRHistorians debate whether 'Hamilton' is good for historical educationIn this article, historians debate whether "Hamilton" deepens public engagement with US history or distorts it—examining accuracy and racial casting, and whether the musical's cultural impact outweighs its historical compromises. Smithsonian MagazineHamilton's formal education was cut short by the Revolutionary WarEnrolled at King's College, Alexander Hamilton planned to graduate in just a few years, racing through an intense curriculum, before the Revolutionary War interrupted his studies and he joined a New York volunteer militia. National Park ServiceThe medical profession has a dark history of 'body snatching' for educationThis term originally referred to secretly removing corpses from graves for sale—usually to medical schools where they were used for education. The practice dates back at least to the 1300s but still—much more rarely—persists today. PBSGeorge Washington had a limited formal education, leaving school at 15A few years after his father died in 1743, Washington's schooling ended. He soon began working as a land surveyor in Virginia. He later assumed management of Mount Vernon at age 22 and became the estate's master at age 29. Americana CornerDriver education was largely removed from public schools in the 1990sMaintaining fleets of cars proved too expensive for many school districts, relegating driver education to private classes taken outside of school. The Henry FordThe US Currency Education Program created a guide to authenticating currencyThis video was created to teach everyday people a few easy ways to spot some counterfeit banknotes. Specifically, it outlines the main security features to check for that are common across many US banknotes, such as the color-shifting ink visible when tiling US banknotes $10 or higher. US Currency Education ProgramFor-profit schools are not beholden to educational missionsWhile many private schools are nonprofit organizations, beholden to their missions and boards, some are for-profit entities owned by private individuals or corporations. In some cases, these institutions offer substandard courses and award unaccredited degrees. SpotifyIn 2025, President Donald Trump signed an order shrinking the Department of EducationOn March 20, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure” of the U.S. Department of Education, though complete dismantlement requires congressional approval. News From The StatesThe Individuals with Disabilities Education Act improved the lives of many children with disabilitiesBefore the IDEA, many individuals lived in state institutions and received little education—only one in five attended public schools. Today, US public schools now educate over two-thirds of children with disabilities in general education classrooms. Individuals with Disabilities Education ActThe Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 provided federal aid to tackle inequity in public schoolsSigned into law April 11, 1965, ESEA authorized over $1B in grants during its first year—boosting Title I programs which now provide $18.4B annually to support low-income students. Social Welfare History ProjectThe origins of public education in the US stem from Puritan religious viewsThe 1647 Old Deluder Satan law reflects Puritan belief that illiteracy allowed Satan’s influence. The law—the first of its kind in the colonies—mandated towns of over 50 households hire a teacher and over 100 support a grammar school. Paul Revere HouseA separate agency within the Department of the Interior manages the education of Native Americans on reservationsThe Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), housed under the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs, manages 183 elementary and secondary schools on 64 reservations across 23 states, serving around 40,000 Native American K–12 students outside state public systems. Bureau of Indian EducationLearn about the political history of the Department of EducationThe Department of Education, created in 1980, has faced calls for elimination since day one. Though it contributes a small portion of K–12 funding, it plays a vital role in civil rights enforcement, federal grant distribution, and education research—making its existence and work symbolically controversial. The Harvard EdCastThe Industrial Revolution changed childhood—including educationIndustrialization transformed childhood—from free-range, mixed-age play long embedded in human culture to the regimented, adult-controlled environments of today's schools. TEDx TalksVisually explore the federal government’s evolving role in educationThis photo collection traces the US shift from community and private schooling to federal oversight and ongoing political debates about the Department of Education. Business InsiderCatholic education has grown smaller in the 21st Century Declining numbers of priests and nuns, who often worked in the schools for free, led schools to increase tuition, which inadvertently turned away the schools’ primary demographic: working-class immigrant families. At the same time, the sexual abuse scandals of the early 2000s left many others feeling like Catholic schools were dangerous. Boston MagazineIn 1922, the Ku Klux Klan tried to ban private educationThe white supremacist organization was also staunchly anti-Catholic and sought to outlaw parochial schools by passing legislation that forced parents to send their children to public institutions. University of WashingtonMassachusetts passed the first compulsory education law as early as 1642The legislation required families to instruct children in religious and colonial law. By 1852, Massachusetts mandated that all children ages 8 to 14 attend school. By 1918, every state had a similar law. EBSCOMontessori is an educational style that's grown popular in private education Montessori, which was developed in Italy and became popular in the US in the 1950s, emphasizes child-centered learning. Though it’s often associated with younger students, the Montessori philosophy can also be found in middle schools and high schools. UConn LibrarySchool choice allows families to use public funds for private educationSome private school advocates support school choice, a broad policy that provides families with public money (sometimes called “vouchers”) to spend on private education, including religiously affiliated schools. Education WeekPrivate education offered an alternative for Black AmericansThe early public school system was ostensibly designed for all Americans, but it was also racially segregated, offering substandard schools for Black Americans. Some private schools were founded to combat that problem, including St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, the United States' oldest predominantly Black Catholic high school. Baltimore HeritageThe Flying University was an illegal initiative to provide higher education to womenRestrictions from the Russian Empire on women's education drove Polish academics to set up illegal meetings where classes could operate in secret. Lecture locations constantly changed, keeping the university secret from Russian authorities for two decades. Culture.plPlessy v. Ferguson legalized segregation until Brown v. Board of Education overturned itIn 1896, the Supreme Court upheld racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine, enabling decades of discrimination. This explainer traces how Brown later ruled school segregation unconstitutional and reshaped civil rights law. Legal Information InstituteThe future of higher education in the USIn this episode of Wired’s Have a Nice Future podcast, education journalist Paul Tough joins hosts Gideon Lichfield and Lauren Goode to tackle a big question: Is attending college in the United States still worth it? As tuition climbs and the payoff feels murkier, they dig into what’s broken in higher education, and whether it can be fixed. WIREDWhy financial literacy education in the US sucksIf you don't remember learning anything about basic financial literacy in school, you're not alone—that's the common sentiment among those who have passed through the American school system. This video explains the history of financial education in the US and points out what can be done in the future to make the financial lessons children learn in school stick with them past recess. Watch it here. VoxImmersive technologies are increasingly being used in medicine, retail, and educationMore accessible devices and user-friendly tools have increased the adoption of these technologies, which provide interactive, 3D environments that facilitate natural human learning. In 2018, Walmart purchased 17,000 VR headsets to train over a million employees in areas such as customer service and Black Friday preparation. TEDx TalksSome educators argue society's obsession with colleges at the top of rankings has hurt the US higher education ecosystemWhy are "good colleges" often the ones that accept the fewest students? Speaker Cecilia Orphan argues that society's obsession with colleges that are often private, expensive, and that reject applicants with high frequency has done harm. Instead, she argues, we should focus on regional public universities that meet the needs of students in a cost-achievable manner. TED TalksHow the rise of surgical robots affects medical educationToday's medical students are training in tools their predecessors may have only dreamed of or found locked in the pages of science fiction novels. This article explores the rising popularity and use of surgical robots and how these robots are... WIREDOpioid crisis negatively affects children's educationResearch is beginning to show that children are not immune to the effects of the opioid crisis, and their exposure may result in declines in academic achievement. Education is important for economic and social mobility, especially for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The collateral consequences of the crisis can negatively impact children’s educational achievements, and the extent of this damage corresponds to the child's exposure to the opioid crisis and the severity of the crisis in their own community. Read this article to understand the potential negative impact of the opioid crisis on children's educational outcomes and the need to better understand and address this issue in order to mitigate its long-term consequences. The Brookings InstitutionCreating educational content in augmented realityCreating playful and meaningful content experiences with AR MediumTruth joined a utopian project in the early 1840sThe Northampton Association of Education and Industry was a brief utopian community in Massachusetts that united abolitionists, reformers, and intellectuals. Truth lived and worked alongside William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass; this helped to launch her career as a public speaker and activist. Explore an interactive tool that reveals why Americans are unemployedAmong unemployed Americans ages 25 to 54, almost 30% cited being laid off as the reason for their unemployment. FlowingDataWatch Bill Nye be awarded the Presidential Medal of FreedomPresident Joe Biden bestowed the honor for Nye's work in science education, science advocacy and environmental stewardship, with the White House adding, "By sharing the magic of fun and science, he inspires generations of Americans to follow facts and reason and leave the world better than we found it." Forbes Breaking NewsEven in an infinite universe, its limited age prevents a sky full of starlightOlbers' paradox asks why the sky would ever appear dark if the universe is full of stars in all directions emitting light everywhere. Light from the farthest stars requires more time to reach our skies than the universe's age. University of SurreyFederal government supports—but doesn't run—K-12 schoolsThe Department of Education contributes about 8% of K-12 funding and administers targeted grants, civil‑rights enforcement, research, and data collection. Crucially, it is legally prohibited from directing curriculum, personnel decisions, or instructional content, leaving that control to states and districts. U.S. Department of EducationUS public K-12 spending topped $857B in 2024Public K-12 schools spent around $857B in 2024, averaging $17,277 per student. State and local sources shouldered nearly 90% of costs, and federal funds provided about $2,400 per pupil. Education Data InitiativeCharter schools are publicly-funded, autonomous schoolsCharter schools are tuition-free, publicly funded institutions operating under a contract (“charter”) that grants autonomy in curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for accountability to performance metrics. They serve millions of students nationwide. Education Week15 states offer school voucher programs, serving nearly 350,000 studentsVoucher programs direct public K–12 funding to families in the form of tuition grants for private schools and are typically targeted to low-income or special-needs students. Education Week...and allowed newly arrived European immigrants to maintain their cultures19th-century public schools often included Protestant spiritual instruction, something that was disturbing for Catholic immigrants from Ireland, Italy, Poland, and elsewhere, who found homes in neighborhood “parochial” schools. Encyclopedia of Greater PhiladelphiaCredit cards were the fourth-highest source of US consumer debt as of 2024US consumer debt nationwide totaled $17.9T as of 2024 Q3. Mortgage debt ranked as number one, with student loan debt coming in at number two. Education Data InitiativeTitle IX covers all federally funded activities, not just sportsAlthough it’s often associated with women’s sports, the law applies to “any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” That being said, the law comes with a number of exceptions, including exclusions for same-sex institutions. US Department of JusticeContributing to a friend’s child’s 529 AccountA podcast listener asks about contributing to a 529 savings plan for their friend’s child. The hosts go over the basics of what a 529 is and how it works, and then give advice on how the listener can contribute, touching on how to have conversations about money with friends. Smart Money PodcastView a diagram of Earth's atmosphere, which is composed of five layersStarting from the surface, the troposphere is home to Earth's weather, followed by the stratosphere, which houses the ozone layer, and the mesosphere, which burns up most debris from space. Above these layers lies the thermosphere, where auroras are produced, and the exosphere, which lacks a clear outer boundary as it fades into outer space. UCAR Center for Science EducationExperience games that explore Nobel Prize-winning workInspired by the educators who set laureates on their path, the Nobel Foundation has created a library of interactive activities for the general public. These allow users to make groundbreaking discoveries, showing that such work is accessible to all. NobelPrize.OrgThe average cost for an in-state, public university is close to $30K per yearTo cover the cost, students turn to a variety of sources. Parental contributions plus savings funds cover about half of the expenses on average, with students relying on other sources—typically federal aid, in the form of scholarships and loans—to cover the rest. Education Data InitiativeThe average cost of college has doubled in the 21st centuryEven for students attending in-state, public universities, the cost of attending college has risen dramatically, exceeding $27K with fees and living expenses per year. Education Data InitiativeIn 1215, the Magna Carta declared that even the king was not above the lawForced on King John by rebellious barons, the Magna Carta established limits on royal power and the principle that rulers are subject to law. Discover how this foundational text later influenced the development of constitutional government and modern human rights traditions. Australian Human Rights Commission
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