rivate schools. Today, it is almost universally accepted that religion should not be part of school curriculum, and even the question of the constitutionality of student prayer has been question. Although Manns concept of Protestant school teaching in common schools is basically dead today, you can still evidence of the impact it had in the many private (especially catholic) schools that exist today.Another of Horace Manns principles, the idea of tax funded schools, took hold in his time, and still exists today. Many positive benefits have come about as a result of this. As Mann envisioned, education is wholly public, and available to those of any economic level. This enabled a great deal of social mobility then as well as now. Also, this brought about a great deal of community involvement in the school system in this country. Eventually schools became almost a focal point of many communities adding dances, trips, athletic events, and other activities that involve everyone. In many cases this remains true today although it is much more difficult in todays society to see any direct involvement of tax money in the schools with the involvement of the state and federal governments in funding.Horace Mann made another profound and lasting contribution to education with his integration of Normal Schools into Massachusetts. Before this, teachers were primarily prospective lawyers and the like who were uncommitted to teaching as a career and were often uneducated in the art of teaching children. Mann began a long process towards making teaching a profession, and to training better teachers. The impact of this concept is difficult to understate, as it leads to a cycle of better taught students, some of whom become even better teachers who in turn produce even better taught students. This has continued right on to the present day where students are better educated than ever before. Teacher education has progressed as well to the point...
