The Baltimore Teachers’ Training School opened on January 5, 1901 at the corner of Lafayette Square and Greene Street in Baltimore City. It was established by the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners in response to a call for educational reform. At the time the Baltimore Teachers’ Training School was established, less than five percent of teachers had normal school training. The late 1800’s and early 1900’s marked a period of educational reform in Maryland. In addition to teacher training, critics of the education system called for reform at the administrative level. Toward that end, the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners was established in 1898. The mayor, Thomas G. Hayes, appointed nine members to the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners to oversee hiring and termination of teachers, approve or deny teacher nominations, remove teachers, determine salaries, and advise building maintenance or development.

The Board took control of city schools in 1900. Educational reform thrived in the Baltimore Teachers’ Training School under its first principal, Sarah C. Brooks. The mandatory one year course for teacher training introduced theory, history of education, and practice teaching. The optional second year allowed teachers to earn salary credit. In 1907, the second year became mandatory for and was devoted entirely to practice teaching in nearby elementary schools. Promotional exams assessed teachers’ skills and determined career advancement.  The school gained national attention for its reformist curriculum and set a new standard for professional teacher training in Maryland.

In 1924, the Baltimore City Board of Education agreed to merge the Baltimore Teachers’ Training School with the Maryland State Normal School. The benefits of the merger included making the improved curriculum available to all Maryland teachers and forcing the state to fund the city teachers’ educations instead of Baltimore City. All of the students were incorporated into the student body of the Maryland State Normal School, which almost doubled the enrollment for the 1924 school year. Select teachers from the Training School were offered one year contracts to join the Normal School staff. The students and select faculty of the Baltimore Teachers’ Training School then operated under principal Lida Lee Tall as the Maryland State Normal School.

In these historic archives, you may encounter words, images or other language used that were reflective of the tenor of our nation, and thus university, at that time in history. Those images may be disturbing and offensive, as they reflect the prejudice of the time. However, they do not reflect Towson University’s values and our commitment toward building a welcoming, diverse and inclusive campus that supports all the members of our community to thrive, regardless of their race, religion, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation or levels of ableness.