In early America, it was a societal belief that free schooling was reserved only for poor families, as wealthy families paid for private schools. Horace Mann, Secretary of Education in Massachusetts, believed that education was a key component in building a better society, and fought for free public education for all social classes. By his set standards, teachers were to be well-trained, well-paid, and provided with newer school quarters and curricula. These reforms set the standard for public education in America.
The abolitionist