“EDUCATION MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE…” Its specific purpose was controversial then as it is clouded now. Everyone agreed, in general, that it would so some good. When the Colony of Massachusetts enacted the Compulsory Education Law in 1642, it was to prevent the young from degenerating into savagery. In other words, it was to preserve civilization and to prepare for the unexpected (Perkinson, 1991). Two hundreds fifty years later, American sociologist Edward Ross concurred that education was an expensive form of police, (Joel Spring, 1989).
The configuration of education had changed as the nation proclaimed its independence in 1776. Political figures and slave owners converged to draw and impose a blueprint supported by the economic and political infrastructures at that time. That is why Ira Shor and Paolo Freire (1987) complained that schools are set up to market official ideas and not to develop critical thinking. In fact, the Bill of General Diffusion of Knowledge introduced by Jefferson in 1779 proposed a three-year free education for all children wherein the most talented (the presumed future leaders) would be selected for further education at public expense (Spring, 1989).
Horace Mann, who has been hailed by many as the father of American education, objected to Jefferson’s idea for fear of creating and nurturing an aristocracy to the demise of the rest of society. Instead, Mann thought of a “Common School for All” that would teach the basic principles of a Republican form of government (Spring, 1989). Unfortunately, Mann’s dream that was more democratic than Jefferson’s was never materialized due to colliding societal interests, namely religion, slavery, and class.
Founded in 1830, a group of the Workman Party realized that Mann’s vision was not democratic enough because “sending children to a common school will not eliminate the difference in social backgrounds. The well-to-do child would return from school to a home richly furnished and full of books, whereas the poor one would return to a shanty barren of books and opportunities to learn, (Spring, 1989). The party favored that all children be removed from their families and placed in State Boarding Schools where they would all live in the same types of rooms, wear the same types of clothing, and eat the same kinds of food. In that milieu only, party members argued, education would truly allow all members of society to begin the race on equal terms.
Going along with the thinking of Henry George, a San Francisco newspaper wrote that “the progress of the few had been built on the poverty of many”. Jacksonian democrats opposed also the Jeffersonian’s philosophy. They regarded colleges and universities as seedbeds of aristocracy. They would, rather, support universal schooling wherein schools would be equalizers instead of being selectors. One can see that throughout the debates by founding fathers on education, nothing had been said about the education of the minorities, particularly the black who were languishing in servitude as the backbone of the United States economy at that time.
This has been a glance at the educational philosophies of the most influential Fathers of the nation. In very subsequent article, we shall continue to zoom at the history of education with a snapshot at the Education of the Minority in the United States.
By: Archangelo Joseph
Posts Tagged ‘Free Education’
Cover Letter for Education Jobs
February 13th, 2010
One of the biggest traps that teaches fall into when writing an education cover letter is to be so interested in showing of their own education that the cover letter ends up being dull and hard to read. While your level of education is certainly important, being able to capture the attention of the person reviewing your cover letter is even more important. The guidelines for writing any other kind of cover letter are equally true when writing an education cover letter.
It is important to remember that how you word the things in your cover letter are just as important as information it has in it. A rule of thumb is to write like you speak. Read your letter to someone who knows you, and ask them if it sounds like you. You may be the most qualified teacher that has applied for the job, but if no one reads what you’ve written your qualifications won’t do you any good. You have to be able to engage the reader, and make them want to take a closer look.
A word of warning here; don’t just cut-and-paste a free education cover letter sample. While they may have some limited use as reference for structure, there is nothing unique or interesting. Hiring managers see a lot of these types of cover letters, and they will not capture their attention.
You’re a unique individual, and your education cover letter needs to show that. Do not be afraid of letting a little of your emotion and personality shine through. If you love certain parts of your job, say so. If you are passionate about making you area of expertise come alive for your students, say so. Remember, they are hiring someone who can engage and instruct children. They are looking for a real person. If your cover letter is dull and lifeless, what does that say about you?
Make each education cover letter unique to the specific position to which you are applying. “I am applying for a teaching position at your school” is dull and generic. “I am applying for the History Teachers position at Betty Boop Elementary School” is much more specific, and is much more likely to capture the hiring managers attention.
You will need to limit your cover letter to one page, so you will not be able to mention every qualification you have. Focus on a few qualifications and accomplishments that are the most important. Make sure you relate those to the specific position, and how it makes you a better candidate. In business this is referred to as Competitive Advantage. Why should they choose you over the other people that have applied for the same position? This means you have to do more than give a list of skills. Your resume already does that. You have to tell them why you’re the best person for the job.
Do not finish your letter without asking for an interview. Successful sales people will tell you that there is power in asking. It encourages the reader to take action. After you have asked for the interview, give your contact information. Do not make the reader have to track your phone number down in your resume, give it to them. You want to make contacting you as easy as possible. Finish off your cover letter by letting them know when you will be following up. Give a specific date when you will follow up, then remember to call on that date.
Always remember to check your grammar and spelling before you send your cover letter anywhere. With the abilities to check this with most word processing software, there’s really no excuse for letting mistakes slip through, especially for someone trying to get a job in education. Run the checkers, then re-read your cover letter aloud to find any mistakes the software might have missed. If there are any mistakes or areas that are unclear, this is your chance to make corrections.
There is a lot of competition for jobs in education. In order to get one of these jobs, you have to get noticed. Your chance to make a good first impression is your cover letter. If it doesn’t get noticed, neither will you. Show the people doing the hiring that you are a unique person with the skills and abilities to engage and educate children. Show them you’re alive.
By: Mario J. Churchill
