Horace Mann, referred to as "the father of the public school," was the one of the first to suggest there be common schools--now known as the public elementary schools. The purpose Mann found for creating these public schools was because he believed that "public education could serve both practical and idealistic goals," as stated in the 6th edition of Teachers, Schools, and Society, written by Myra Pollack Sadker and David Miller Sadker. At the time businesses and industries were booming therefore he recognized the importance of not only teaching religion but the basic concepts in the work field.
I believe the greatest accomplishment that Mann was able to do was fight to allow people of all classes, although only white, to attend these public schools. Before, only the rich white children were able to attend school, not just because they were more literate, but also because they had the money to go to school. Being able to establish common schools was allowing for the integration of the rich and the poor. Not only would the rich and the poor be attending the same school but the poor would have the chance to be literate. Slowly but surely, the poor were able to develop a better standard of life.
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