Top 12 Presidents to Influence Education

For better or worse, here are the top 12and secondary schools – including parochial
presidents to impact American education.institutions.  By signing the Child Nutrition Act into
12. Bill Clinton (1993-2001)law, Johnson also expanded Truman’s School
In 1994, President Clinton signed the Goals 2000:Lunch Act.
Educate America Act. The Goals 2000 plan was5. Gerald Ford (1974-1977)
ambitious, setting targets such as the “UnitedAlthough skeptical that the required programs
States students will be first in the world incould be properly funded, Ford signed the
mathematics and science achievement.”Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975
Although many of the goals set forth in the lawinto law. This legislation, now called the Individuals
have not yet been achieved, some experts feelwith Disabilities Education Act, continues to provide
that Goals 2000 a precursor to President Georgeguidelines and funding to states for the education
W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind program.of special needs children.
11. Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893)4. Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945)
During the late 19th century, white southernersBy 1940, FDR’s Works Progress
passed state laws that made literacy aAdministration “had erected 4,383 new school
prerequisite for voting. The Harrison administrationbuildings and made repairs and additions to over
supported the Blair Education Bill, providing federal30,000 others,” according to Jim Couch of the
aid to teach literacy to blacks living in the south.University of North Alabama on EH.Net.  In
Although Harrison’s education bill encounteredaddition to those impressive statistics, Roosevelt
resistance from Congress and never became law,signed into law the Servicemen's Readjustment
it became clear that education would be anAct of 1944, which is more commonly known as
important component of racial equality.the GI Bill. The GI Bill helped millions of soldiers
10. Harry S. Truman (1945-1953)received vocational training and college educations.
Like civil rights, the economy is often tied to3. George W. Bush (2001-2009)
education. Such was the case with the Richard B.As most modern teachers know, President
Russell National School Lunch Act, which PresidentBush’s main legacy in education is the No Child
Truman signed into law in 1946. This legislationLeft Behind Act of 2001. This law, signed by Bush
was designed to simultaneously increase profitsin early 2002, focuses on issues such as education
for farmers while providing low-cost or free mealsstandards, test scores and school choice. Although
to schoolchildren in need. Due to thesome scholars say it is too early to tell if No Child
program’s success, it was expanded twoLeft Behind has been effective, many of
decades later.today’s professional educators argue that this
9. Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)far-reaching law is both poorly written and
While president of Princeton University, Wilsonunderfunded.
attempted to do away with the elite eating clubs2. Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)
where the school’s well-to-do students oftenIn 1859, Congress passed a bill called the Morrill
congregated. It makes sense, then, that WilsonLand-Grant Act, but President James Buchanan
would become one of the first US presidentsvetoed the bill. After Lincoln took office, he signed
(perhaps the first) to successfully enact a federala revised version of the bill into law in 1862. The
aid package for education. Before federal funding,Morrill Land-Grant Act provided federal land to
schools were funded exclusively at state and localeach state, to be used in the creation of
levels. Wilson’s ideas for federal funding wouldinstitutions of higher learning. Today, 76 land-grant
influence several subsequent presidents.universities are still educating American college
8. Andrew Johnson (1865-1869)students.
President Johnson was the first president to1. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961)
officially mandate federal intervention in education.In his two terms as president, Eisenhower laid the
He established the first Department of Educationfoundation of federal participation in education as
in 1867, but his new department failed to takewe know it today. Eisenhower created the
root. After the Civil War, US citizens werecabinet-level Department of Health, Education and
frightened by the perceived increase in federalWelfare. Decades later, President Carter split that
power at the cost of states’ rights. By 1868,department in two, creating today’s
Johnson’s Department of EducationDepartment of Education.
downgraded to the much less powerful Office ofFueled by Cold War competition, Eisenhower
Education.infused tremendous federal funds into
7. Richard Nixon (1969-1974)education. After the Soviet Union launched
By the late 1960s, school integration in the southSputnik, Americans worried that the US was
had slowed substantially in the post-Brown v.falling behind in areas such as science and
Board of Ed era. President Nixon addressed thismathematics. In response, Eisenhower enacted
issue soon after taking office. By 1970, less thanthe National Defense Education Act of 1958. This
20% of black students attended an all-blacklegislation provided additional funding for all levels
school.  Nixon also signed the Educationof education, gave money to some private
Amendments of 1972. This legislation is bestinstitutions, and guaranteed that each state would
known for Title IX, which requires allcontinue to manage its own education system.
federally-funded schools to provide equalPresident Eisenhower also enforced the
education & sports opportunities for girls anddesegregation of schools following the Supreme
boys.Court’s 1954 decision in the case of Brown v.
6. Lyndon Johnson (1963-1969)Board of Education of Topeka. In one instance,
Despite a military conflict in Vietnam, PresidentEisenhower sent troops to escort 9 black
Johnson enacted two impressive education policies.students into their all-white school in Little Rock,
He created the Head Start program, which hasArkansas.
served more than 22 million children since itsIf you'd like to learn more about presidents in
inception in 1965. Johnson, a former teacher, alsoeducation, I'd recommend Maurice Berube's
managed to secure federal aid for elementaryAmerican Presidents and Education.