Opinion
Education Opinion

The Mt. Rushmore of Education

By LeaderTalk Contributor — February 18, 2009 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

In the wake of Presidents Day, and inspired by ESPN’s similar sports-related effort, I find myself wondering who would be included in a Mt. Rushmore of Education. Who are the giants; the folks upon whose shoulders we as educators stand?

Here’s how I’d construct the Mt. Rushmore of Education:

*Horace Mann - considered the “Father of American Education”

*John Dewey - the “Father of Progressive Education.” His writings continue to influence educators worldwide.

*Edward Thorndike - we have him to thank for bringing testing to bear on education. (besides, he needs to be here to make sure that Dewey doesn’t cause the monument to tilt too heavily to the left.. :-))

*Thurgood Marshall - nothing fundamentally changed the institution of public education more than desegregation. There are lots of names associated with the desegregation movement, but Marshall’s belongs at the top of the list and, therefore, on this monument.

Who would you put on the Mt. Rushmore of Education?

Jon Becker
//edinsanity.com

The opinions expressed in LeaderTalk are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.