Equal Education for All Education has always been part of American culture. In the early years of a nation's existence, many people realized how important education was to a free society. Thomas Jefferson, in particular, believed that “a continuous system of public education was the primary requirement of a free nation” (Rippa, 1993, p. 545). However, public education was not popularized until the 1830s, when financial distress hit the United States and caused people to seek reform in education as a way to improve man and society. Horace Mann, known as the father of public education, was the most influential spokesman for this reform. His ideas that education should be separated from religious influences, provide well-trained teachers, and be the responsibility of state governments remain a staple in the American education system today (Rippa, 1993, p. 546). Over the years education has grown on many different people. At the beginning of the public school system, boys and girls were not considered equal. Males provided for the family while females performed household chores such as cooking, cleaning and raising children. Therefore, the first schools were mostly made up of male students. Only several years later were girls allowed to enter the school system. However, males and females were not the only people considered unequal, African Americans were largely considered unequal compared to the majority white population. The biggest change in the public school system was the integration of African Americans into white schools in the 1950s. Around the same time, Mexican-Americans and Asian-Americans were demanding the same right to equality in education. However, even with the definitive program...... half of the paper ......ation Trust. Retrieved December 27, 2011, from http://eric.gov/PDFS/ED494820.pdfLewis, Philip. (1993). Education: 13. educational technology. Encyclopedia Americana (Deluxe Home ed. P. 727-734). Danbury, Conn.: Groiler Incorporated. Tyson, A. (1997, April 30). Looking for more money for schools. Christian Science Monitor. P. 1. Retrieved January 4, 2012, from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=9705080412&site=ehost-liveReback, Randall., Rockoff, Jonah E., Schwartz, Heather L. ( 2009). The effects of leaving no child behind on school services and student outcomes. Calder Centre. Retrieved December 27, 2011, from http://www.caldercenter.org/upload/NCLB-paper-Reback-Rockoff-Schwartz-2.pdfRippa, S.A. (1993). United States: 8. education. Encyclopedia Americana (Deluxe Home ed. P. 545-551). Danbury, Conn.: Groiler Incorporated.