A.T. Wright Principal 1958 Mr. Page Lewis

Picture taken at A . T Johnson around 1957. 

Pictured left right front row:

James (Jimmy) Wood, Isaac (Zeke) Curry, Lloyd (Buck) Hill

Back row:

Bootsie Cox, Clinton (Pete) Burrell & Arthur (Tator) Brown

                                           photo provided by Major Lloyd Hill

Report Cards for Brookvale High School

    The “Report Card” has always been a measure of academic standing from kindergarten to high school. There was no middle school or preschool in the Black community in the 1960’s.

     All of the teachers that have poured education into the lives of their students, have done so out of commitment and dedication.

     Admit it, that as students, there were days when your dedication was on a high level, medium level and a day every once in a while, where daydreaming of doing other things floated around in your head in class. As the daydreams floated around pulling you into another realm of time and fun, the grades were still being processed, test for knowledge were still being administered. Your “attention” was definitely required.

     On the “sponge” days, absorption was constant. Those daydream fun and sometimes talkative days could result in demerits in high school. The demerit is a penalty point system for  violating a school rule. Go on, raise your hand if you received demerits for actions or choices you made…chewing gum in class, being tardy. What could be more fun than paying attention in class…. basketball games if you were a player or cheerleader, the bus ride to or from school, the talent shows, dancing at Churchill’s Beach or the utmost thoughts of your current or future heartthrob.

     Keep your hand raised if you hung out too long at the locker, got caught kissing your sweetheart and gossiping with your peers. What was going on during the “free period”? Study hall or not studying at all!

     The report card reflected all of the possible situations that were encountered in school. The teachers made notations on each subject page. The parents responded in kind. You responded accordingly and took it in stride good or bad. You knew what you had to do for your future endeavors.

                                                                                        Andrea Williamson Curtis

Being A Teacher Is Not Just About The Salary

     Growing up there was always a sister, brother, or playmate who wanted to play school when you had a playdate. The oldest or bossiest child wanted to be the teacher (of course with no democratic form of voting) and the others would be the students. Class was in session until you were dismissed or you got tired of being bossed around and left. Now, you find yourself shaking your head yes, then smiling and soon placing a call to chat about remembering those sessions.

     Many of these same children decided to seek a profession in education whether it was their hearts desire, the guidance and love they received from their favorite teacher/mentor or they decided on a profession that had the most need.

     Lancaster County had a need for teachers, schools, transportation and an academic course of studies. All of these things were fulfilled by dedicated communities that worked together to create an educational system for the Black citizens of the county. Yes, every community had a need to provide education opportunities, but every community did not justly receive it.

     Many questions had to be answered….funds, buildings, salaries, curriculum, post secondary education, etc. If you lived in Northumberland County and the school was in White Stone (Lancaster County), how could you be accommodated so you could attend school? What about the dedicated educators who completed high school and attended Virginia Union University (Richmond, VA.) Virginia State College for Negroes ( now Virginia State University in Petersburg, VA.), Howard University (Washington, D.C.) Winston-Salem Teacher’s College (now Winston-Salem State University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina), to name a few of the colleges attended.

     In 1926-27, Mrs. Viola W. Taylor, a Black primary educator, received what was considered a top salary of $62.50 per month as a teacher at A.T. Wright Training School (later known as A.T. Wright High School). The salary included $47.50 paid by Lancaster County and $15.00 paid by A.T. Wright Training School Parent Teacher’s Association. Mrs. Taylor was the First Black Vocational Home Economics teacher in the Northern Neck of Virginia. Can you imagine living on that salary today? As was so frequent then and is true today, the majority of teachers spend a great deal of their salary on providing classroom educational supplies. Mrs. Taylor partnered with the fabric store in Kilmarnock, VA. to receive McCall’s, Butterick, Vogue and Simplicity catalogs for her Home Economic students at Brookvale. The students could see the latest patterns and create their own Haute Couture fashions. She also provided cooking supplies for the full kitchen attached to her classroom, as needed, when her budget was limited. In 1957, her teacher’s contract in Lancaster County was $4,250.00 for a session of 12 calendar months with monthly deductions of retirement, Social Security and tax withholdings. In 1960, the contract was $5000.00 and 1965 brought a salary of $6,800.00. Mrs. Taylor dedicated 45 years as a teacher in Lancaster County. Mrs. Taylor’s mentor’s included Mr. Albert Terry Wright and Mrs. Annie B. Dyer Wright, his wife, both teachers at A.T. Wright High School. Applause to all teachers and the village of communities that supported their passion for education.

                                                                           Andrea Williamson Curtis