Horace Mann

Personal Background:

• Born May 04, 1796 in Massachusetts and died August 02, 1859
• I had grown away from the church after my father had died and when my brother died while drowning the next year.
• I never attended school for more than eight or ten weeks in any one year, until preparing for college in 1816. Then in 6 months I completed a course of study allowing me to enter Brown University and graduate with high honors.
• I served in the Massachusetts legislature as Senate and then I signed the Education Bill, which became a law April 20 1837. This bill provided for a state board of education to consist of the governor, and eight citizens to be appointed by the governor. The board would make annual reports to the state legislature concerning education.

Issues

• I am a promoter refiner of public education in Massachusetts.
• I believe that public education is the great equalizer of the conditions of men and would lead to social improvements better than a prison reform, humane treatment of the insane, and temperance.
• I believe that educational conditions in Massachusetts are horrible and the teachers aren't at the top and can't control the children.
• I am motivated to reform education from what I've studied. I have seen horrendous education conditions in Massachusetts such as the teachers not being prepared and not being able to control the children. I also found that people avoided public education if they could afford a private tutor.

Solutions:

• I came to a solution by creating the Massachusetts State Board of education, which was required to collect information about public schools, and report annually to the legislature.
• I became the secretary of this board to try to bring these educational issues before the people by going around the state to show them the relationship between public education and public morality.
• I also established teachers' institutes to improve teaching methods and to discuss educational theory. I also established three state schools for teacher education.
• Many people believe I'm not loyal to a democracy because i support the Prussian system of Education.
• I am also believed to be anti-religious because i think school shouldn't be involved with religion.
• Even with all this criticisms, I have been very successful and one of the most impacting educational reformers of my time.

Relationship with others:

I would have a good relationship with anyone that agrees with public education and the importance of public education. I would have a good relationship with Robert Owen because he also promotes education. I would have a bad relationship with anyone that disagrees that the gov't should have a part in education or someone thats against to education being secular.

Wordle:http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/2716183/Horace_Mann

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