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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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The 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 HouseIn 2009, accidentally drilling into magma provided time capsules of volcanic glassWhile drilling for geothermal energy in Iceland's Krafla Geothermal Field, magma encountered at a depth of 2,100 meters quickly formed glass upon making contact with drilling fluid. By trapping dissolved gases, volatile chemicals, and the physical characteristics of magma before cooling, the glass acts as a time capsule of ancient volcanic activity and magmatic conditions. IFLScienceOne in seven US tax dollars is collected by local governmentsLocal governments collect about $886B each year to support education, infrastructure, and public health. Roughly three-quarters of this funding comes from property taxes, with the rest sourced from sales, excise, and income taxes. Institute of Taxation and Economic PolicyState and local governments fund very different servicesLocal governments allocate 39% of their spending to K-12 education, while states allocate less than 1% directly—although much of local education funding actually comes from state and federal grants to local communities. States instead allocate their budgets to public welfare and health programs (45%) and higher education (15%). Urban InstituteSee how local, state, and federal governments divide the cost of public servicesFederal, state, and local governments share responsibility for funding public services. Education, roads, and social programs are funded through a complicated mix of taxes and intergovernmental transfers. USAFactsTruth 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. Read Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan Zuckerberg's $45B letter to their daughterAfter giving birth to their daughter, the Zuckerbergs launched the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative in 2015. The pair announced the charitable organization's creation in a letter addressed to their daughter. The Zuckerbergs pledged 99% of their earnings from Facebook over the course of their lives to advance education, cure disease, and transform public policy, something the letter says is a commitment to their daughter's future. The organization has since shifted its focus to artificial intelligence and science. Austen left formal school at 9Jane Austen was the seventh of eight children. At 9, her father, a clergyman in the Church of England, removed her and her sister from the Abbey School in Reading because he could not afford the tuition. Jane continued her education at home, where the family read aloud and performed plays. Chicago Public LibraryPublic school districts are subsidizing housing for their teachersIn the face of stagnant wages and a widespread teacher shortage, some public school districts are offering subsidized housing for teachers, hoping the benefit will attract and retain highly qualified educators. California has been at the forefront since 2016, with housing complexes constructed in expensive areas like San Francisco and Daly City. The ConversationHistorians 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 MagazineDriver 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 Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed segregation and discrimination nationwideThe Civil Rights Act, signed into law in 1964, prohibited racial segregation in public accommodations and ended discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin in employment, while also strengthening protections in education. It established protections enforced across federally funded programs. Miller CenterHip-hop legends the Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, and DMX all attended the same New York high schoolAll four emcees attended George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School, a vocational public school in downtown Brooklyn. Jay-Z and Busta Rhymes were well-known as rappers when they were in school, once even battle-rapping one another in the lunchroom. (Jay-Z won.) MicThe WEF’s Edison Alliance connected more than 1 billion people to digital servicesBy 2024, the World Economic Forum-backed Edison Alliance had delivered digital connectivity and access to financial, healthcare, and education services to more than 1 billion people, using public-private partnerships across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the US. TimeMeet Clever Hans, the 1900s horse that was believed to be able to solve math equations and read GermanWhen Clever Hans was prompted with math questions, he responded by tapping his hoof to indicate his answers. Even a panel of experts found no indication of trickery in the horse's demonstrations. However, psychology student Oskar Pfungst found that Hans stopped tapping once a subtle cue on his owner's face told him to stop. The cues were so subtle that Wilhelm von Osten didn't even know he was giving them. Horse JournalsSaturnalia was a Roman festival that helped shape ChristmasAncient Romans celebrated Saturnalia in mid-December, honoring Saturn, the god of agriculture, with week-long street festivals. These celebrations featured gift exchanges, lavish meals, and gambling, which was prohibited in public at the time. Academus EducationWhat we can learn from animal societies' ethicsFor millennia before we showed up on the scene, social animals—those living in societies and cooperating for survival—had been creating cultures imbued with ethics. NOEMAThe lab coat worn on 'Bill Nye the Science Guy' is stored in the SmithsonianThe series received substantial funding from the National Science Foundation and US Department of Energy to help fulfill requirements from the 1990 Children's Television Act to support educational children's programming. The show became the first television program to run concurrently on both public and commercial broadcast stations. Smithsonian InstitutionWatch 'The Atomic Café'—Cold War satire that exposed nuclear propaganda and proliferation risksThis 1982 collage-documentary uncovers a surreal Cold War era: US civil defense films downplayed nuclear horror, arguing the films fueled public complacency, while the arms race and civilian nuclear hype fueled global proliferation fears before NPT safeguards emerged. Tubi'When you come to a fork in the road, take it.'- Baseball great Yogi Berra (1925-2015) https://www.apa.orgA majority in surveyed countries approve of the UNA 2024 Pew Research Center survey found that a median of 58% across 35 countries viewed the UN favorably, while 31% held unfavorable views. Notably, younger adults tended to view the UN more positively than older generations. The report offers a detailed, country-by-country analysis of global perceptions of the UN. Pew Research CenterUnion membership was 9.9% in 2024, the lowest in nearly 40 yearsIn 1983, for comparison, 20.1% of the US workforce was unionized, or 17.7 million people. USAFactsThe United States faces a sizeable teacher shortageTeacher vacancies have surged since 2017, with each year opening more positions than hires. Educators are quitting in record numbers, citing low pay and burnout. Today, there are 567,000 fewer education professionals than before the pandemic. National Education AssociationThe 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 ProjectHorace Mann was America’s champion of free, standardized public schoolingHorace Mann (1796–1859), Massachusetts Secretary of Education from 1837–1848, led the 19th-century Common School Movement. He established state boards, founded normal schools for teacher training, and urged universal, nonsectarian, tax-funded education. His reforms became national models. Encyclopedia BritannicaA 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 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 Initiative15 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 WeekDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, many private schools offered in-person classesBy early 2021, approximately 76% of private schools offered some form of in-person learning compared with 38% of public schools. NBC NewsAfter public schools were integrated, segregation found a home in private schools The 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling banned segregation in public schools, but it didn’t eliminate the problem: Many white families moved to “segregation academies,” which were private schools founded to skirt the new law Southern Education FoundationPierce v. Society of Sisters limited state power over how parents educate their childrenIn striking down Oregon’s attempt to ban private schools, the Supreme Court held that forcing children into public education violated substantive due process, affirming that parents—not the state—have a fundamental right to direct their children’s upbringing and education. National Constitution CenteIn 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 Washington...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 PhiladelphiaMassachusetts 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. EBSCOPrivate schools are generally smaller than public schoolsAs of 2021, 44% of private schools enrolled fewer than 300 students. By comparison, over 60% of public schools enroll more than 500 students. MarketbriefApproximately 10% of American K-12 students are enrolled in private schoolsAround 75% of those students attend religiously affiliated institutions. In Hawaii and Washington, DC, 19% of students attend private schools, the highest enrollment percentages in the country. Pew Research CenterEconomists warn that private schools can negatively affect public schoolsLower public school enrollment often means less public school funding. Private school parents, however, frequently argue that public schools simply aren’t offering the right education for their children. This podcast episode investigates that back-and-forth in San Francisco, where 30% of children attend private schools, nearly three times the national figure. Bay CuriousSchool 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 HeritageStanford’s ‘How to Start a Startup’ seriesStanford’s archive of lectures about creating a startup includes advice from Y Combinator notables such as former YC president and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and YC Cofounder Paul Graham. Y CombinatorStartup accelerators that include more training activities, such as pitch competitions, tend to have better long-term success ratesThat's according to a new study from Wharton. Y-Combinator, perhaps the most famous startup accelerator, currently has 16 alumni companies trading on the public market. But not every entrepreneur who joins a startup accelerator makes it big. Knowledge at WhartonNew rules introduced in 2021 let college athletes profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL)The NCAA’s 2021 policy shift allowed athletes to earn money through endorsements, sponsorships, and personal branding—transforming the college sports landscape and changing the dynamic of what it means to be a student-athlete. InvestopediaAsteroids were discovered by 18th-century planet huntersWhile looking for a planet between Mars and Jupiter to coincide with an apparent mathematical pattern in the distances of known planets from the sun, a group calling themselves the "Celestial Police" discovered multiple objects that fell into a new classification. European Space AgencyThe word ‘vacation’ first appeared in ‘The Canterbury Tales’The word—as the Middle English “vacacioun”—can be found in “The Wife of Bath’s Tale,” one section from Geoffrey Chaucer’s famous 14th-century text. Until the mid-1800s, the word mostly referred to a time when schools and public buildings were “vacated.” Merriam-WebsterExperience 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.OrgSee how the cost of college tuition has changed overtime Since the middle of the 20th century, higher education has been viewed as a stepping stone to well-paying professional careers for millions of Americans. But, it can be costly. As of 2024, annual tuition currently ranges from around $10K for an in-state, four-year public university to almost $40K for private institutions. 1440Some 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 TalksThe 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 Initiative
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