While looking for what I wanted to link you to I found this really good essay- its a pretty quick read even though it is several pages long.
http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/historytour/history1.htm okay here is the one I wanted- it gets reposted here pretty regularly:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/593722/posts This gives a good history of American compulsory education. The author, John Taylo gatto, was a New York Public School Teacher and even one Teacher of the Year- twice if I remember correctly until he got fed up with what/how he was being forced to teach (I belive his "famous" quote was that he could no longer harm children.) He resignedd as a teacher in an OpEd piece- in the New York Times I believe- and if I find a copy of it I'll post the link here. If you like what he has to say he has much more on the web and in bookstores.
Thanks....
I'm aware of John Taylor Gatto...awesome thinker.
While we have HS'ed since day one..with our children...I don't have alot of time to try and figure out where the government schools went wrong. I just know..that they did.
FRegards,