The history of Kansas public education closely parallels that of the nation. It is difficult to understand why events happened in the state environment without some understanding of what was occurring in the nation during the same time period. Therefore, in this report, four questions important to education are asked. Historical answers to the questions are then given: first for the nation and then for the state. At the end of the report, a chronology of important events with a rationale for each event is given. This section is divided into Kansas School Governance, Kansas Teacher Preparation/Certification, Kansas School Accreditation/Improvement, Kansas Special Education, Kansas School Unification/Finance Issues, Kansas Postsecondary Education, National Scene, and Technology. The report ends with an appendix of historical data tables. In the year 2000, one in four Americans was involved in formal education as a student, teacher, administrator, or support staff member. Hundreds of billions of dollars were spent for education. This report attempts to explain why education has been and is valued so highly in Kansas and the nation. (Contains 38 tables.)