Washington High School Making Its Way Out of Troubled Times

Booker T. Washington High School. 6000 College Parkway, Pensacola, FL. 32504-7997Phone (850) 475-5257 • Fax (850) 494-7297

Located across the street from Sam's Club and less than a mile from Cordova Mall, Washington High School is the best school in town for teachers from the point of view of slipping out during your break to buy supplies. The building is relatively new, at least as far as high schools in Pensacola is concerned, originally built in the early 80s.

I was a teacher at Washington High School myself and so I'm familiar with it. I can say that with the 05/06 school year definite improvements have been made. Thankfully, the school is no longer saddled with the inept administration with which it had to put up for the last few years. The Michael Brown-type Principal of the last few years, who shall not be named in this article, was thankfully removed from that position of power before the school could be run into the ground as deeply as Brown ran FEMA into the ground. Unfortunately, like Brown, the former Principal is now in a well-paid job within the very same system. Unlike Brown, however, it doesn't appear to be a temporary situation. At least the school can move forward from its dark ages, however.

What truly sets BTWHS apart from the crowd is their Maritimes Studies Institute. Pensacola, in case you weren't aware, is right on the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, Pensacola-much to the dismay of St. Augustine's Chamber of Commerce-is actually the first European settlement in the US. The reason the city isn't the oldest is because of a gap in the history caused by a mass exodus for several years following a catastrophic hurricane. That hurricane, fortunately for the Maritime Studies Inst., left a treasure chest full of items buried at the bottom of the Gulf. The MSI works to train students interested in maritime careers including history, archaeology and research.