Teacher Appreciation Week ｜ History Honors 250)

Teachers, the indispensable educators that help us learn and grow. But early in America's history, having a teacher at all was far from guaranteed. In the early 1800s, education was inconsistent throughout America. Some towns had schools run by churches or by local governments, while some had no schools at all. And there was no standard of teaching. Sometimes older students would be used as teachers themselves. However, after Horace Mann was appointed Secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education in 1837, he argued that teachers should be well-trained professionals and that public schools be available to all. As a result, Massachusetts made early education mandatory in 1852. Many states soon followed, ushering in new teachers' colleges to train the workforce. Today, millions of teachers educate children across America, where education is now a fundamental right.