History of Education in Georgia

History is not the past, but a map of the past drawn from a particular
point of view to be useful to the modern traveler.
-- Henry Glassie

History is important to understanding any policy discussion.  Without the proper facts, how can we know what works, what doesn't, and, in the case of education reform, what the best avenues for change are?

The Center for an Educated Georgia, along with our partners at the Center for Policy Studies at Georgia Family Council, have compiled this history of education in Georgia to help inform and empower advocates, students, educators, parents, and the general public with a look back at how far we have come in educating our children.

Select a time period below or from the links at left.  For your convenience, the sources for our research are identified in end notes at the bottom on each page.  Most sources are readily available either online or through your local library.

     The Colonial Era through the Civil War (1732 to 1865)
     Reconstruction through the Great Depression (1865 to 1936)
     Post- Great Depression through the Civil Rights Era (1936 to 1975)
     Recent History and Beyond (1975 to present)