Horace Mann is called The Father of the Common School and was one of the first progressive thinkers on education in the United States. His <i>Annual Reports to the Massachusetts Board of Education</i>, written between 1837 and 1848, are wide-ranging essays on topics, including philosophical arguments on the role of education in a democracy, curricular matters such as textbook choice and methods of reading instruction, and nitty-gritty details of classroom furnishings and buildings. Even in the much-changed society of the 21st century, much of Mann's writing still speaks to us, recalling us to the roots of our faith in education for all. - Summary by Maria Kasper
