Upon graduation, Rand became
Professor of
Classics at the
Provincial Normal School in
Truro, Nova Scotia. Working at a
normal school, which was charged with training future
teachers, Rand soon developed an interest in
education policy. He became interested in the
common school movement and travelled to
Great Britain and the
United States to study the common school phenomenon. He began to advocate common schools for
Nova Scotia and produced writings and lectures on the topic. He also married Emeline Augusta Eaton on 5 November 1861 in Canard. Rand's advocacy proved successful in 1864, when the government of
Nova Scotia, led by
Conservative Premier Charles Tupper passed legislation creating a common school system for Nova Scotia. Tupper appointed Rand as Nova Scotia's first
Superintendent of Education, and Rand oversaw the creation of Nova Scotia's
public education system. In 1871,
New Brunswick, under the leadership of the
Liberal-Conservative premier,
George Edwin King, passed the
Common Schools Act to create a series of common schools in New Brunswick. Upon King's invitation, Rand became New Brunswick's first Superintendent of Education and oversaw the creation of public education in New Brunswick. Rand meanwhile continued his own education and became a
Doctor of Civil Law from Acadia College in 1874. ==Later life==