The Normal School

A brand new normal school has recently opened up. A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. It's specific purpose is to enhance teaching abilities or standards to the students. On july 3rd, three young woman, who were high school graduates, reported to Lexington, Massachusetts. They had the hopes of attending the first state funded school specifically for public teacher education. All three girls had to take an evaluation to determine if they were satisfactorily versed in the subjects taught by the ordinary district school. After taking that examination they were granted admission to this experimental program. It was the first in the nation. 

  Now the motivation to provide public school education for all children was twofold. James G. Carter was the man who was the bill of creating the first school in Massachusetts. He named Horace Mann the first secretary in June 29, 1837. Mann had a dedication to this school. "I believe Normal Schools to be a new instrumentality in advancement of the race. I believe that, without them, Free Schools themselves would be shorn of their strength and their healing power and would at length become mere charity schools and thus die out in fact ad in form." Below is a picture of the three young women who were brave enough to attend this brand new school. Mann didn't give up on his wish and was able to create this school.