Historical Perspectives Entry #1

After viewing the PBS link Education Innovators and the Gatto link The Real Makers of Public Schools I found that history speaks for itself in the focus of each person’s biography. The “Innovators” focused their efforts on the development of education and the “Makers” focused on industry. Each Innovator prioritized the development of education in their life’s work and seemed to focus more on the betterment of the education system overall. Whereas the Makers industry forced them to take an interest in education on different levels, but few personally took an active interest in their own education or the education of others. In my opinion the Makers making contributions to education had direct benefits for their investments, but only came as a result of their wealth.

When I read about all of the Innovators the one that struck me most was Horace Mann. Mann really paved the way for public education and started the slow wheels of change that brought about the system we currently have today. I am not certain that Mann would support all of the changes we have made, but feel that overall he wanted to see education be made available to everyone who had a desire to learn. I am sure that Mann would feel that the small steps he made were a foundation for the giant leaps that the other Innovators kept making over the decades that followed.

Although John D. Rockefeller founded a college, Andrew Carnegie, in my opinion was the Maker who made the biggest impact on education. After establishing his wealth, he really shifted his focus and gave away nearly 350 million dollars to see over 2,500 public libraries set up around the world. Although he did not tackle public education head on, he clearly desired to see people have access to a means of education through books.

I can sympathize with Gatto in that big businesses hold the key to the world. After all money does make the world go ‘round. Without people having jobs and generating income it is not possible to fund public education. However I see big business as the new slavery in that it drives peoples’ materialism and then enslaves them to work in the highest paying job instead of the field of education. Most people can’t satisfy their personal desires on an educator’s salary. Thus many feel enslaved to their high-paying industry job because of their mortgages and other self-inflicted monetary demands. Few people can bring themselves to be teachers because it simply does not pay enough.

America has come a long way in prioritizing education. Although not all intelligent people acquire an advanced education, I think everyone would agree that education opens doors and gives people more options. The economy we have been so blessed to build in this nation has helped fund public education and encourage further education for anyone who desires to pursue it. There is a delicate balance in an educated society between those who study, those who teach, and those who work to build the economy. I am thankful to have been born and lived in a time when education was available and encouraged; there are many people who have not had that same privilege.