School Social Work: A History

"Social work services in schools grew out of a concern for underprivileged pupils. The service began during the school year of 1906-1907, independently, in New York City, Boston, and Hartford. In New York City, settlement workers from the Hartley House and Greenwich House thought that it was necessary to know the teachers of children who came to the settlements, so they assigned two workers to visit schools and homes in order to work closely with schools and community groups to promote understanding and communication. In Boston, the Women's Education Association placed visiting teachers in the schools to foster harmony between school and home and facilitate the children's education.

The Psychological Clinic in Hartford initiated the first visiting teachers program [today frequently called referred to as school social workers] in that area.

The first board of education to initiate and finance a visiting teachers program was in Rochester, New York, in 1913.

During the decades that followed, school social workers grew in numbers and the focus of the service changed in response to important influences of the times. The passage of compulsory school attendance laws and contemporary research showed the need for attendance officers [another historical designation for school social workers] who understood the social ills of the community-poverty, poor health-and their effects on attendance. The principal activity of the school social worker, at that time, was home-school-community liaison."

School social work has changed with the dynamic changes of society. Today's school social worker, like the visiting teachers in the tenements of the early 20th century, works at the nexus of the systems of home, school [including students and the school system], and community.

To learn more about Social Work and School Social Work visit the School Social Work Webpage.

The quoted portion of this page is taken from:

School Social Work, Ed. Robert Constable, John P.Flynn and Shirley McDonald. "The Contribution of Social Workers to Schooling". Paula Allen Meares. p5. Lyceum Books, Inc. 1991.