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Staley High School Teachers
and the Strength of Community |
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Minnie D. Haynes
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“The Staley High School community displayed a dignity and respect for all people. The teachers led the way; they were imparting and modeling this important point. We did not feel as if anyone was above or below. The sense of community incorporated all of us and everyone was in some way involved. The community was built on dedication and respect.” Minnie D. Haynes |
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1944 Staley High School faculty
l-r: L. Miles, B. Gates, D. Apple, L. R. Purdy, M. Blount, T. Walker, E. Lash
“The parents, the students, and the teachers were all involved in the education at the school. We were part of a larger community.” Robert Hollis
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a period photograph of science teacher Dorothy Apple
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“I worked with students and developed activities with them. I drew upon their interests. I allowed students to develop their interests. It was important for them to be involved.”
Dorothy Apple
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“The teachers were trusted by the principal. We were individuals working on our own without too much oversight. And the old books didn’t matter. We drew from current events and from life.” Leroy Williams
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a period photograph of social studies teacher Leroy Williams
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Ruby Jean Howard
“The teachers at Staley High School made us stronger. They instilled character and made us feel part of a community.”
Ruby Jean Howard
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Freddie Jones
“We were taught in a way so that we knew that we had to set an example for the younger students. At times as if everyone was educating at the school. Ours was a humane community at Staley High School. We cared for ourselves and for others.” Freddie Jones
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Robert L. Hollis
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“The teachers really cared about the students, and the faculty conducted themselves in such a dignified manner. They encouraged us to get a good education and to be respectful of ourselves and of others. I carried that with me for the rest of my life. The teachers so strongly believed in the importance of a good education, I suspect, because they felt the South would not always be segregated. They knew there was going to be change, and that influenced the way they taught us.”
Robert Hollis
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“Roselyn Purdy was the true English teacher. Her social graces were stunning, and we recognized her footsteps when she would walk down the hall. Everyone knew ‘here comes Miss Purdy.’ She was distinctive in her speech, and she required that of us. However you expressed yourself, you had to be perfect although not everyone lived up to her expectations. But she inspired all of us. We enunciated like her and refined our speech. She always said to us, ‘listen to the sound.’ She expected perfection.”
N. Carolyn Thompson
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N. Carolyn Thompson
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Barbara Battle
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Roselyn Purdy |
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Bessie May Jones
“Miss Barbara Battle always said ‘girls, hold your dignity.’ She was teaching us more than home economics. She was teaching character and pride.”
Bessie May Jones
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Gladys Bryson Clark
“I wanted to be a home economics teacher because of Mrs. Battle who was the home economics teacher at Staley. I'll never forget her comment, ‘Girls hold your dignity,’ and her other famous line was ‘as you sew, so you shall rip’.”
Gladys Bryson Clark
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return to Secondary School Study home
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return to Staley
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