Edwin Washington Project

Virginia Teacher’s Term Reports were different from the ordinary Teacher Term Reports, despite the similarity in names.  They are organized by year, with one folder per year for “colored” schools and one for “white schools.” The range of dates is 1938/39 to 1965 and cover two linear boxes.   Mixed in with the reports in 6.3.2 are also Elementary and Secondary Principals or Head Teacher’s Term Reports which cover both races as well as libraries, PTAs, Local School Accounts and attendance statistics.  There is also information on libraries and units taught by grade as well.

These provide statistical information, instead of data specific to individual children.  For example, for Willisville in 1954/55, the Virginia Teacher’s Term Report showed that boys attended for 1789 days and girls for 2761 out of a total aggregate of 4550.  For the same year, the Teacher’s Term Report Showed progress of each student by name.

These reports are similar to early Teacher Term Reports in that they show volumes in a library as well equipment.   In addition, they provide information on standardized tests.  There is also information on  PTAs and  the portion of teacher salary prorated to elementary, secondary, summer school and part-time and evening schools.

Some schools, such as Willisville Colored, had more than one room,.  The report by Miss E.L. Brinkley for 1954/55 Willisville showed her room had 10 double desks, 15 chairs and a teacher’s desk as well as one bookcase, a coal bucket, two file cases, a piano, a water table, and a water bucket.  The report by Ethel Stewart for the same period showed her room had 28 single and no double desks as well as a teacher’s desk, a filing cabinet, a table, a globe, one electric two burner hot plate, two water buckets, one pot, one typewriter, one movie projector, one duplicate machine, one cooler, one trash can and one still projector. 

One of the most important aspects of the reports was that they provided statistics on performance against the five point star standard of physical health inspections.  Statistics show how many five pointers there were in a school (minimum, high and gold), though not always in “colored” schools, which raises a question.  Were they being examined in “colored” schools to the same extent as in “white” schools?[1]