Have you read Allan Bloom’s, “The Closing of the American Mind” ?
Closing of the American Mind: How Higher Education Has Failed Democracy and Impoverished the Souls of Today’s Students
http://www.amazon.com/Closing-American-Mind-Education-Impoverished/dp/1451683200
..while there existed thousands of local schools, nearly one thousand colleges and universities (or varying quality), and scores of normal schools which trained teachers, education was largely locally managed, as the federal bureau of education, while collecting information about the condition of education, possessed no control over local schools. Education agencies on the state level were small, and its few employees had little or no power over local school districts. School systems in large cities could also function with little oversight, such as in Baltimore, where the public schools in 1890 employed only two superintendents for the entire district of 1,200 teachers.
Despite the lack of centralized administration, public schools across America were notably similar, with children learning both the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic, and the basics of good behavior – the latter being enforced when necessary by corporal punishment. Schools were important community institutions, and reflected the values of of parents and churches, such as honesty, industry, patriotism, responsibility, respect for adults, and courtesy. Memorization, recitation, chants and rhymes were often used in teaching subjects, while solving mathematical problems in one's own head was promoted.
This inculcation of basic education and self-discipline was purposed to promote good moral citizenry, people who would be honestly employed, and make wise and informed choices, and overall progress in an individualistic, competitive and democratic society, and who would contribute to the vitality of their community and country.(Diane Ravitch, “Left Back A Century of Failed School Reforms” Simon & Schuster)
From http://www.astorehouseofknowledge.info/w/Education_in_the_United_States, which I wrote by God';s grace, but which site is down today, perhaps because of the reported attacks on conservative sites.
I have not. But, by virtue of my teaching experience and observing the education of my granddaughters (3rd, 6th and 10th grades), I certainly agree with his premise.