When the doors of the Salem Normal School opened on September 14, 1854, a total of 121 women were enrolled, each one determined to become the best teacher she could be and to serve in the Commonwealth’s public schools. One hundred and sixty years later, on September 2, 2014, 850 men and women enrolled in the School of Education at Salem State University, many of them with the same goal of becoming
a classroom teacher. However, a large number are now focused on one of the several other careers in education that are integral to Massachusetts society in the twenty-first century. Then and now, the School of Education remains dedicated to providing the highest-quality, progressive education for the widest cross section of society, and to graduate top-flight educators who work for the good of their communities. Today’s School of Education offers undergraduate, graduate and professional development programs for individuals eager to have careers in public schools, early care and education centers, colleges and universities, and nonprofit, community-based education enterprises. We welcome “traditional” students coming directly from high school, transfer students, career-changers, veterans, and people who are first in their families to attend college. And, as we have since our earliest days as a school, we seek engaged students who are as diverse in their backgrounds, beliefs, and goals as are the citizens of the Commonwealth they will eventually serve.
