Jefferson High School - Jeffersonian Yearbook (Alexandria, VA)

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Lae Mr. Bernard arrives for work early one autumn morning. QUITE A FACULTY, ALL THINGS CONSIDERED If our staff and faculty are proud of their school community, the community has reason to return the feeling. Mr. Jordan made good use of the opportunity to select personnel for the new school, and we think that, all things considered, Jefferson High started out with quite an impressive faculty and administration. The 77 faculty members who either teach or di- rectly support the teaching, brought to their jobs a total of 30 Master’s degrees (a dozen or so more are nearly finished with the requirements for the Master’s); more than 90 years of graduate study; 310 years of college-level study; and a total of well over 1,300 years of formal education! The staff and faculty averages nine years of teaching experience. More than half of them have traveled extensively in Europe, the Middle and Far East, Mexico, Canada, the Pacific Islands, or South America. About one-fourth have lived abroad, including a number who have stud- ied or taught in foreign countries. Many have varied experiences in other fields, such as journalism, radio and television, theatre, concert singing, musical performing or directing, sculpture, Red Cross service, college teaching and administrative work, handling foreign exchange students, and assignments with the National Science Foundation. Nearly all of the staff and faculty have given needed support and encouragement to the scores of newly forming extra-curricular student activities which characterize a modern high school. (Elsewhere in this book some 40 of these formally chartered clubs and organizations are described). Some of our teachers are committed to assisting as many as four or five of these groups, and devote many late afternoon and evening hours to their success. Collectively, our staff and faculty is an unusually well-educated and mature group, with a wealth of wis- dom and experience to draw upon. The challenge of such an eager student body seems to bring out the best in them. They work well together, with much good humor and fun, and a clear devotion to the tasks they share. Our faculty at the first P.T.A. meeting. 14

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ADMINISTRATION AND FACULTY 13

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OUR PRINCIPAL: He runs a good school, and we like him. His college program interrupted by World War II, Mr. Jordan earned his wings as a Naval aviator at Pensacola, Florida, during that period. Serving on the east coast, he flew dive bombers and torpedo bombers. He had been assigned to the Midway, the first carrier with an all steel flight deck, and was ready to leave for Japan at the time of the Japanese surrender. After the war, Mr. Jordan returned to college, and earned his B.A. degree at Bridegwater. He then spent four years at Newport High School in Giles County, southwest Virginia, first as a teacher and later as a teacher-principal. Then came four years as principal of another Giles County school, the Narrows High School. When Fairfax County created the position of As- sistant Principal for Instruction, Mr. Jordan was among the first chosen, and his appointment was at Mount Vernon High, where he served two years. When Robert E. Lee High School opened, Mr. Jor- dan was its first Assistant Principal for Administration. After one year in this job, he became principal of Falls Church High, where he remained for five years until WILLIAM H. JORDAN B.A., Bridgewater M.Ed., University of Virginia his selection to head the new administration of Jeffer- son High. This succession of appointments clearly indicates the respect and regard for him felt by members of his profession generally, and particularly by those to whom he reports officially. It is also quite evident that those who serve under his direction enjoy working with him. Out of 77 staff and faculty members at Jefferson when it opened, 22 were persons who had served before with Mr. Jordan. Most of the key positions in his present ad- ministration are filled by people who held comparable jobs with him elsewhere. Small wonder, then, with such built-in teamwork, that the new school got off to such a good start and has run so smoothly this first year. As one of his teachers puts it, ’’He knows his busi- nes thoroughly, he keeps everyone informed, he’s loyal and backs you up when you’re right, he’s patient, tole- rant, firm but very fair, he sets the example by work- ing as hard as anyone else and harder than most. All in all, he’s a nice person to work for.” The students agree. Our principal runs a good school, and we like him. 15