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Calvin C. Washington, 32 years in Public Education…
…With in the Bay County Public School System 1983. There are 132 teachers 5 Principals nine assistant principals, one central office administrator, and 3126 students that are black. In the private school system of Bay County, there are no black instructors on the primary -- secondary levels. There are several black students attending private school, Good Shepherd, carrying the highest enrollment of 20 black students, according to research done through this paper-- Action Speaks Black Community Newspaper.
Gulf Coast College employees, six faculty members, one administrator, one counselor, 4 clerical, one technical par- professional, 360 students, and 17 service maintenance, that are black. FSU, Panama City campus employs one residential instructor, no administrators, and approximately 50 students that are black. In Bay County there are yet a tremendous amount of black domestic workers.
Also in researching, there was found, more than was suspected, many of our young educated lack working outside of their profession because they could not find jobs here to "fit their qualification." Fact and figures, when documented, gives us a great deal of information, but not everything is written down for the public eye. Sometimes it becomes necessary for inspirational, and in courage met purposes to sit and converse with one that has been on the inside for many years....
Action Speaks 1983 chose to interview Mr. Calvin C. Washington, who entered the Bay County school system, in 1935 and retired from BCS System, in 1969. From instructor to associate director of federal projects for Bay County schools, Panama City, Florida, Mr. Washington stood as an example of educational benefit for black students and others in Bay County, Florida.
Calvin C. Washington: "I enjoyed working with the people both students and fellow Cali, as well as the parents. I did not like the fact of being unable to get their facilities for the kids," said Mr. Washington.
Now, the system has improved somewhat since integrating. Teachers for the most part are getting proper facilities and to work with.
Mr. Washington expresses his concern and observation that "slower students are losing ground because teachers are not taken time with them. They need more individual attention from teachers."
"If I had remained in the system, I would have continued to fight for equal facilities for blacks and whites," said Mr. Washington.
Who was responsible for getting Rosenwald high school, accredited? This action is one of Mr. Washington's greatest accomplishment.
As Mr. Washington reflected back into his past, a time before he started teaching, he said, "I never joined of being a teacher or principal are anything in the school system.
My major business education in college.
I just happened to take a teaching position and became involved in teaching.
The enjoyment of working with children, seeing them grow up and go off to college, In other areas of life, I could not give it up."
Mr. Washington will preview this book, entitled, "The Possible Dream", sometime in the new year, 1984.
