“What good’s algebra going to do for you when the Ruskies have turned your family into charcoal, huh?”
~1950’s Elementary School Principal
For most of our staffers, school was a lot like drinking Southern Comfort. We could take it or leave it, but we weren’t going to actively search for it. Also, High School was the last time any of us last drank SoCo. But from what we can remember from in between puking on our principles, the American education system involves, uh, learning and grades. Oh, and centering a curriculum primarily on achieving good test scores for government funding instead of focusing on a curriculum that actually furthers the student’s education. But whatever our system is now, it works for white kids most of the time. It’s relatively normal and pretty recognizable.
You can probably guess where we’re going with this. That’s right, it’s time for another issue of everyone’s favorite blast-from-the-past as we at AFFotD dig into our 1950’s stacks of The Informative American to see how Elementary Schools worked back in 1953. Apparently the answer was “surprisingly badass, with apologies to the ladies.” Oh, 1953, you so misogynistic!
The Informative American’s Back-To-School Special (Originally Published August, 1953)
America Fun Fact of the Day 