How schools have changed over the last 80 years

Talia LakritzAug 18, 2022, 01:28 IST

Virtual school in 2020.Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/For The Washington Post via Getty Images

US schools in the 1940s looked very different than they do today.
Chalkboards became Smart Boards, and notebooks have been replaced with laptops.

1942: Students participated in mock air raids.

A mock air raid.AP

1944: A student named Dan Moss presented the news of D-Day to a classroom of younger students.

Giving the day's news.AP

1947: Road signs in driver's ed looked different back then.

Driver's ed.AP

1950: Students listened to a radio broadcast.

Listening to a radio broadcast.AP

1951: A teacher shows students media and time management.

Media and time management.Ernest K. Bennett/AP

1954: Schools began to integrate after the Supreme Court ruled that segregation was unconstitutional.

Integration.AP

1955: An integrated classroom in Kentucky posed for a photo.

Griffin School in Kentucky.AP

1956: Black students at Clinton High School in Tennessee sat at the back of the classroom.

Clinton High School in Tennessee.Gene Herrick/AP

1957: Arkansas National Guardsmen stood guard at Little Rock's Central High School to prevent violence over attendance at the school by nine Black students.

Arkansas National Guardsmen.AP

1958: Virginia public schools closed to protest integration, forcing students to learn in improvised classrooms.

An improvised classroom.Harvey Georges/AP

1959: Tensions around integration continued.

A friendly gesture.Bill Hudson/AP

1960: Schoolchildren in Manhattan saluted the flag.

Saluting the flag.Keystone View/FPG/Getty Images

1961: One-room schoolhouses were still in use in some parts of the US.

A one-room schoolhouse.AP

1963: After public schools in Virginia's Prince Edward County remained closed, the Prince Edward Free School Association provided schooling to Black students.

Farmville, Virginia.Henry Burroughs/AP

1964: First graders sat around a table in Chicago.

First graders.Charles E. Knoblock/AP

1968: Children read books in a school library in Queens, New York.

Reading time.Bob Wands/AP

1969: Students learned grammar.

Grammar school.AP

1970: Children played in a Montessori classroom.

A Montessori classroom.AP

1971: Students boarded a yellow bus after a day at school.

Going home.Sal Veder/AP

1972: Seventh graders in Brooklyn learned French.

Seventh grade.Anthony Camerano/AP

1973: Gifted children at President Avenue Elementary School in Los Angeles, California, worked with small computers, rabbit skeletons, and microscopes.

Gifted children.AP

1974: Valerie Banks was the only student to show up for her geography class at South Boston High School on the first day of court-ordered busing to desegregate Boston's schools.

Valerie Banks.AP

1974: Valerie Banks was the only student to show up for her geography class at South Boston High School on the first day of court-ordered busing to desegregate Boston's schools.

1975: A student at Atlantic County Vocational School in Atlantic City, New Jersey, got married during class.

A wedding.AP

1976: Ballerinas struck a pose at The School of American Ballet in New York City.

The School of American Ballet.Jerry Mosey/AP

1980: Massachusetts law required teachers to ask the students if anyone would like to offer prayer for the class.

Saying a prayer.Benoit/AP

1981: A teacher calls on students in Santa Rosa, California.

A classroom in 1981.AP

1982: San Jose High School turned a classroom into an arcade as a fundraiser.

A school fundraiser.Sal Veder/AP

1984: Democratic presidential contender Gary Hart talked to a pupil at the Garden Day Care Center Nursery School in New York.

Gary Hart.Kaye/AP

1985: Rock musician Sammy Hagar stopped by the New School in New York City.

Sammy Hagar.Mario Suriani/AP

1986: Fifth graders of the John Swett Alternative School in San Francisco, California, sang for Philippine President Cory Aquino.

Fifth graders.Paul Sakuma/AP

1987: Project D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) became a staple in schools.

Project D.A.R.E.Nick Ut/AP

1988: Second graders from P.S. 27 in New York City pet a salamander at the Bronx Zoo.

The Bronx Zoo.Joseph Schaber/AP

1989: Students started learning how to use computers.

Learning to use a computer.Reggie Lewis/AP

1990: Students learned to read at the Saturday School program at Coppin State College in Baltimore, Maryland.

Reading class.Edwin Remsberg/AP

1991: Students discussed current events such as the US war efforts in the Persian Gulf.

A class discussion.Lenny Ignelzi/AP

1992: Hillary Rodham Clinton read books to schoolchildren while campaigning for Bill Clinton's nomination.

Hillary Rodham Clinton.Bill Sikes/AP

1993: Fourth graders attended an in-class counseling session at Naranja Elementary School in Florida after Hurricane Andrew.

The aftermath of Hurricane Andrew.Marta Lavandier/AP

1994: Melville High School teacher Rodney Wilson made headlines when he came out as gay.

Coming out at school.Mary Butkus/AP

1995: Classrooms at a Pennsylvania elementary school included children with and without disabilities.

Inclusion.Paul Vathis/AP

1996: A student at J. Hayden Johnson Junior High School in Washington, DC, took notes during a single-sex class.

Single-sex classes.Ruth Fremson/AP

1997: Vice President Al Gore talked to a group of elementary school students.

A subtle yawn.Kevork Djansezian/AP

1998: President Bill Clinton gave his weekly radio address from inside a trailer used as a classroom at Glenforest Elementary School in Falls Church, Virginia.

President Clinton in a classroom.Robert Giroux/Reuters

1999: Students practiced their keyboarding skills at Richardson Independent School District's Forest Lane Academy in Dallas, Texas.

Learning computer skills.Jane Hwang/AP

2000: Virtual classrooms and online school gained popularity.

School from home.Dave Weaver/AP

2001: A boy ate his school lunch in Mason, Ohio.

School lunch.David Kohl/AP

2002: Joanne Anthony used a whiteboard instead of the traditional chalkboard at the Southeast Academy of Scholastic Excellence in Washington, DC.

Using a whiteboard.Tyler Mallory/AP

2003: Sixth-graders worked together on the computer in their English class in Kimberly, Idaho.

English class on computers.Troy Maben/AP

2004: Senator James Jeffords read to students at the South Royalton Elementary School in South Royalton, Vermont.

A visit from a senator.Toby Talbot/AP

2005: A first grader read a book in a bilingual classroom.

A bilingual classroom.Charlie Riedel/AP

2006: Elton Hills Elementary School in Rochester, Minnesota, tried standing desks in an experimental classroom.

Standing desks.Janet Hostetter/AP

2007: Language arts teachers told students not to use instant messaging slang in their writing.

Language arts.John Raoux/AP

2008: Students from the Louisa May Alcott Elementary School in Chicago, Illinois, watered herbs in the school's garden.

Watering the school garden.Nam Y. Huh/AP

2009: Stability balls replaced chairs in a Colorado classroom.

Stability balls as chairs.Ed Andrieski/AP

2010: Students at the Sharon Elementary School in Sharon, Vermont, learned about nutrition.

Learning about nutrition.Toby Talbot/File/AP

2011: Students at the Bertschi School in Seattle, Washington, collected rainwater in their science classroom.

Collecting rainwater.Ted S. Warren/AP

2012: As Facebook grew in popularity, students began adding their teachers as friends.

Should teachers be Facebook friends with students?Bebeto Matthews/AP

2013: Junie, a therapy dog at Prospect High School in Illinois, sat in a classroom.

Junie, a therapy dog.Martha Irvine/AP

2014: President Barack Obama recorded seventh graders at Buck Lodge Middle School in Adelphi, Maryland, on a classroom iPad.

President Obama speaks to students.Jacquelyn Martin/AP

2015: Students ate breakfast at the Stanley Mosk Elementary School in Los Angeles, California.

Eating breakfast in class.Nick Ut/AP

2016: Teacher Shannon Raftery used crowdfunding to pay for classroom supplies.

Shannon Raftery used crowdfunding to pay for classroom supplies.Matt Rourke/AP

2017: Kindergarten teacher Susan Cody of the Northwest Primary School in Rutland, Vermont, showed Syrian refugee Dania Khatib, 5, around a classroom.

A new arrival.Lisa Rathke/AP

2018: Students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School held a walkout to protest gun violence.

A student walkout at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.Lynne Sladky/AP

2019: Student activism around gun violence continued.

A student March For Our Lives rally in Maine.Brianna Soukup/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images

2020: Schools pivoted to remote learning as the COVID-19 pandemic began.

First grade on an iPad.Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/For The Washington Post via Getty Images

2021: Some students returned to the classroom with hybrid learning.

Hybrid learning.Paul Bersebach/Orange County Register via Getty Images

2022: School boards discussed banning critical race theory.

"Freedom to learn."Leonard Ortiz/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images

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How schools have changed over the last 80 years

1942: Students participated in mock air raids.

1944: A student named Dan Moss presented the news of D-Day to a classroom of younger students.

1947: Road signs in driver's ed looked different back then.

1950: Students listened to a radio broadcast.

1951: A teacher shows students media and time management.

1954: Schools began to integrate after the Supreme Court ruled that segregation was unconstitutional.

1955: An integrated classroom in Kentucky posed for a photo.

1956: Black students at Clinton High School in Tennessee sat at the back of the classroom.

1957: Arkansas National Guardsmen stood guard at Little Rock's Central High School to prevent violence over attendance at the school by nine Black students.

1958: Virginia public schools closed to protest integration, forcing students to learn in improvised classrooms.

1959: Tensions around integration continued.

1960: Schoolchildren in Manhattan saluted the flag.

1961: One-room schoolhouses were still in use in some parts of the US.

1963: After public schools in Virginia's Prince Edward County remained closed, the Prince Edward Free School Association provided schooling to Black students.

1964: First graders sat around a table in Chicago.

1968: Children read books in a school library in Queens, New York.

1969: Students learned grammar.

1970: Children played in a Montessori classroom.

1971: Students boarded a yellow bus after a day at school.

1972: Seventh graders in Brooklyn learned French.

1973: Gifted children at President Avenue Elementary School in Los Angeles, California, worked with small computers, rabbit skeletons, and microscopes.

1974: Valerie Banks was the only student to show up for her geography class at South Boston High School on the first day of court-ordered busing to desegregate Boston's schools.

1975: A student at Atlantic County Vocational School in Atlantic City, New Jersey, got married during class.

1976: Ballerinas struck a pose at The School of American Ballet in New York City.

1980: Massachusetts law required teachers to ask the students if anyone would like to offer prayer for the class.

1981: A teacher calls on students in Santa Rosa, California.

1982: San Jose High School turned a classroom into an arcade as a fundraiser.

1984: Democratic presidential contender Gary Hart talked to a pupil at the Garden Day Care Center Nursery School in New York.

1985: Rock musician Sammy Hagar stopped by the New School in New York City.

1986: Fifth graders of the John Swett Alternative School in San Francisco, California, sang for Philippine President Cory Aquino.

1987: Project D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) became a staple in schools.

1988: Second graders from P.S. 27 in New York City pet a salamander at the Bronx Zoo.

1989: Students started learning how to use computers.

1990: Students learned to read at the Saturday School program at Coppin State College in Baltimore, Maryland.

1991: Students discussed current events such as the US war efforts in the Persian Gulf.

1992: Hillary Rodham Clinton read books to schoolchildren while campaigning for Bill Clinton's nomination.

1993: Fourth graders attended an in-class counseling session at Naranja Elementary School in Florida after Hurricane Andrew.

1994: Melville High School teacher Rodney Wilson made headlines when he came out as gay.

1995: Classrooms at a Pennsylvania elementary school included children with and without disabilities.

1996: A student at J. Hayden Johnson Junior High School in Washington, DC, took notes during a single-sex class.

1997: Vice President Al Gore talked to a group of elementary school students.

1998: President Bill Clinton gave his weekly radio address from inside a trailer used as a classroom at Glenforest Elementary School in Falls Church, Virginia.

1999: Students practiced their keyboarding skills at Richardson Independent School District's Forest Lane Academy in Dallas, Texas.

2000: Virtual classrooms and online school gained popularity.

2001: A boy ate his school lunch in Mason, Ohio.

2002: Joanne Anthony used a whiteboard instead of the traditional chalkboard at the Southeast Academy of Scholastic Excellence in Washington, DC.

2003: Sixth-graders worked together on the computer in their English class in Kimberly, Idaho.

2004: Senator James Jeffords read to students at the South Royalton Elementary School in South Royalton, Vermont.

2005: A first grader read a book in a bilingual classroom.

2006: Elton Hills Elementary School in Rochester, Minnesota, tried standing desks in an experimental classroom.

2007: Language arts teachers told students not to use instant messaging slang in their writing.

2008: Students from the Louisa May Alcott Elementary School in Chicago, Illinois, watered herbs in the school's garden.

2009: Stability balls replaced chairs in a Colorado classroom.

2010: Students at the Sharon Elementary School in Sharon, Vermont, learned about nutrition.

2011: Students at the Bertschi School in Seattle, Washington, collected rainwater in their science classroom.

2012: As Facebook grew in popularity, students began adding their teachers as friends.

2013: Junie, a therapy dog at Prospect High School in Illinois, sat in a classroom.

2014: President Barack Obama recorded seventh graders at Buck Lodge Middle School in Adelphi, Maryland, on a classroom iPad.

2015: Students ate breakfast at the Stanley Mosk Elementary School in Los Angeles, California.

2016: Teacher Shannon Raftery used crowdfunding to pay for classroom supplies.

2017: Kindergarten teacher Susan Cody of the Northwest Primary School in Rutland, Vermont, showed Syrian refugee Dania Khatib, 5, around a classroom.

2018: Students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School held a walkout to protest gun violence.

2019: Student activism around gun violence continued.

2020: Schools pivoted to remote learning as the COVID-19 pandemic began.

2021: Some students returned to the classroom with hybrid learning.

2022: School boards discussed banning critical race theory.