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From:
Subject: [ROOTS-L] Re:Normal School - THANK YOU
Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2001 23:10:19 EST

Thank you to all the nice folks who answered my question regarding what
"Normal School" is. The answers were all very interesting and informative.
Thanks!!

I want to share a couple short answers with the list, as I think most replies
were sent to me privately... in case anyone else out there was wondering what
Normal Schools are, here are a few replies :-)
Pat
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I put the words taught Normal School into www.google.com and got this on the
first hit. http://www.nd.edu/~rbarger/www7/normal.html
THE NORMAL SCHOOL
On July 3, 1839, three young women reported to Lexington, Massachusetts, with
hopes of attending the first state funded school specifically established for
public teacher education (what were then referred to as "normal" schools).
After taking an examination which determined they were satisfactorily versed
in the subjects taught by the ordinary district school, they were granted
admission to this experimental program, the first in the nation.

AND

[The dictionary says it's usually a two-year course for training elementary
school teachers.]

AND

A Normal School was a 2 year post high school 'college' which was for
training teachers and certification of teachers. In PA they were located in
many small towns within a county. Some of them disappeared, but others
became State Teacher's Colleges. They were controlled and administrated by
the State. About the 1940's they were expanded to 4 year colleges and later
the scope was expanded to include other areas of education - not only teacher
training. The now form a network of State Colleges

AND

The name was changed in the mid 1900's to Colleges, like the Cheney Teaching
College in Washington State.

AND

I know Michigan had several - my sister attended one of them. In those days
they provided graduates with life certificates to teach school.

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