East Suffolk High Early Years: Is something missing?Only four teachers hired to teach 248 students in grades 8 to 11

Article 2 Volume 8                                                                                       July 18, 2017

Four teachers taught 4 grades comprised of 248 students

It has been reported and documented that East Suffolk High (ESH) had only four teachers in its first year of operation..  Approximately 248 students were enrolled. The school opened in September 1939 and had its first graduation class in 1940.

I'm thinking that there must have been some teacher aides with classroom teaching authority for that to be a plausible operation. The 18 graduates, transferred to ESH from another school or schools.  I am thinking that they contributed greatly to teaching the lower grades. Otherwise, how did the school  manage?

Did each class have one teacher assigned to it exclusively? If so, did that teacher teach all the subjects required for a high school diploma?

In the early years, the eighth grade was part of the high school. The first 12th grade graduation class was in 1958.

One thing is clear.  Education for the Black children in those days had a low priority for funding by Nansemond County.  

It is early in the morning where I am.  Maybe I'm thinking too much. 

I'll visit this story again later.

I still want to know how the school provided an adequate education for an estimated 248 students with only four teachers?

                         ( To be continued in August 2017 )

           Copyright 2017.  Grady E. Bryant . All Rights Reserved.