The 1980s Education: Headline Makers

William J. Bennett
Allan Bloom
Joe Louis Clark
Jaime Escalante

William J. Bennett (1943–) William J. Bennett served as the U.S. secretary of education from 1985 to 1989. In that position, Bennett argued strongly that while reading, writing, and arithmetic were important, American schools needed to pay greater attention to the three "Cs": content, character, and choice. He believed that schools should teach children challenging material (content), that educators should set strong moral examples (character), and that parents must have the right to send their children to the school that would provide this type of education (choice). Although controversial, Bennett's educational agenda was popular with many Americans.

Allan Bloom (1930–1993) Allan Bloom, professor of political philosophy at the University of Chicago, published The Closing of the American Mind in 1987. A best-seller, it ignited a controversy about higher education that lasted for months. In the book, Bloom criticized American universities, saying they had abandoned traditional educational approaches in favor of programs that catered to the demands of women, minorities, and trendy ideas. While some educators and critics agreed with Bloom, many labeled his ideas racist, sexist, misguided, and outdated.

Joe Louis Clark (1939–) High-school principal Joe Louis Clark became a nationwide folk hero in the 1980s when national news reports showed him patrolling the halls of his inner-city high school with a bullhorn and a baseball bat in hand. Clark's tough approach to order, including expelling failing students he believed did not deserve a diploma, angered some teachers and school-board members in his district. However, after six years under his leadership, the school was orderly and student scores on proficiency exams improved. Both students and parents praised his efforts.

Jaime Escalante (1930–) Jaime Escalante challenged his mostly Hispanic students at one of Los Angeles's poorest urban high schools to reach their full potential. Under his tutelage, students were able to pass the difficult Advanced Placement (AP) exam in calculus, which enabled them to receive college credit for classes they had taken in high school. Many of these students went on to receive college degrees from University of California campuses and Ivy League schools. In 1988, the popular film Stand and Deliver retold the achievements of Escalante and his students.