Districts consisted of one-room log or
clapboard buildings where children as young as two or three mingled with older
pupils, each child memorizing and reciting his or her lessons under the
direction of a more-or-less qualified teacher.
In the early 1800's education was
largely for children WHO’S families could pay for it. At least 4,000
schoolhouses were built in the Commonwealth during this time, through volunteer
or church efforts. Parents paid a “subscription” fee to maintain the
schoolhouse and teacher.
In 1809 the
Pennsylvania legislature passed a law that require each county to provide
free education for “all children between five and 12 years of age, and whose
parents were unable to pay for their schooling.”
In 1834 Pennsylvania legislature passed
its landmark Free School Act in 1834. Each county in the state
would constitute a school division and each ward, township, or borough within
the county would form its own school district. Each district would elect its
own school board. These directors were to join with the county
commissioners to vote on whether or not to levy a county tax for public
schools.
A system for county superintendent,
elected by local school directors, was created in 1854. The first Chester
County school superintendent was Agnew Futhey. By 1867 cities and
boroughs had their own superintendent.
The Normal School Act of 1857 raised the
bar for teacher training, transferring teachers’ education from the old academies
to specialized “normal schools.” Legislation of 1857 also removed the
State Superintendent of education from the office of the Secretary of the
Commonwealth, establishing a separate State Department of Common Schools.
Normal Schools would be the foundation of the university system.
The
federal Department of Education was established in 1867, according to the U.S.
Department of Education. The original purpose of the agency was to
collect information on individual schools that would help states establish
their own effective public school systems. By 1869, Pennsylvania cities were
home to seventeen high schools – Coatesville was one of them!