One significant aspect of the American Dream is that education is the key to success. From our earliest beginnings, a free public education has been the cornerstone of American values. Education of the people is what makes democracy possible, and therefore makes the American Dream possible. Or does it? In this website, we will explore whether the most important element in our free public education system, our teachers, are able to achieve the American Dream. By examining artifacts from the 19th and 20th century, we will determine whether American teachers are valued and rewarded, or neglected and "left behind."