Hello,
  Gee, I can't believe it, I get to use some of my teacher knowledge to help a
fellow genealogist.

The publically supported (funded) common school was championed by the famous
(to educators anyway) Horace Mann (b. Franklin, Mass. 1776 - 1859). His view
of the common school was quite egalitarian. Mann envisioned the common school
as serving all children. He also favored a nonsectarian  school which instead
of dealing with the beliefs of a paticular religious sect, should teach the
common elements of Christianity as found in the Bible. In other words, common
school would teach a "common" morality. Thus the word common signified a
morality in common and was a school for the common citizen.


Historically, a normal school was a two-year teacher training school that have
all since expanded to become state colleges or universities or have been
absorbed by a college or univeristy. Our "famous" Horace Mann was champion of
the normal school. He felt that if every citizend was entitled to a state
supported public education in a common school that the teachers who would
staff those school should receive appropriate training. Prior to Mann's
interest in education there were no educational standards that teachers had to
meet. Anyone who wanted to teach only had to convince the local school board
to hire him or her. 


A public school is just a public funded school.



Good luck on your research,

Cindy Ridgeway Parker
M.Ed. University of South Carolina
Math Teacher, Alice Drive Middle School, Sumter, S.C.

SCGenWeb Coordinator for the counties of Old Sumter District
Sumter, Clarendon, and Lee Counties and
List Manager for SCSumter serving Old Sumter District






WESTON H. BYNG wrote:
> 
> Anybody care to explain to me the difference between "normal school," common
> school," and public elementary schools?
> 
> I'm trying to find enrollment of my great-grandfather in "Charleston common
> schools" @ 1860.
> 
> Someone suggested that the above schools were trade schools. Some
> enlightenment, please, so I won't waste anyone else's time. I'm writing to
> every place remotely connected with Charleston schools and asking them for
> help.
> 
> Thanks, again
> 
> Caroline

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