Background

As a student or staff member at Bay View, you may walk past her portrait every day, never giving a second glance. You might stop and read the name under her photo, Sarah A. Scott, in a typical font at any time.

¨Honestly, I’ve never heard of her; she was probably someone important I don’t know,” Said Emilio Romero, a senior who also reports for the Oracle.

None of that tells you who she truly was, though. Mrs. Sarah Scott was Bay View’s very first black principal.

At the start of the 1976 school year, Mrs. Scott became principal. It wasn’t until January 19th of 1976, though, that schools were officially desegregated in MPS. The idea was that if white students had a black principal, they would become more accustomed to black students being in their everyday lives, explained Jim Nelson, a longtime expert on Milwaukee Public Schools’ history and a history teacher at Golden Mier.

For Scott, the challenge was significant. She stepped into leadership at a newly desegregated school while navigating barriers as both a Black educator and a woman. Yet those who worked with her say she faced the moment with confidence and determination.

Sarah A. Scott did not start as a principal, though. She started her career as a special education teacher at Lincoln Junior-Senior High School on the south side of Milwaukee. She moved to Central Office before relocating to North Division High School as vice principal. She returned to Lincoln as the principal, where she made great changes and improvements to the school.

Sarah Scott was also a devoted advocate for special education.

In her time as a special education teacher at Lincoln in the 1960s, she implemented a concept not used often before. She used para-professionals in classrooms to help a larger number of students. Instead of traditionally just having a smaller group of students, she had someone to help her in the classroom. Not a teacher but a para-professional who was able to maintain classroom structure and assist Sarah however she needed. The approach allowed her to help more students without having more teachers.

Sarah Scott was not only an advocate in education but also in her community. She joined the NAACP in 1955 and was an active member.

Sarah A. Scott was in multiple organizations and communities. It seemed that every cause she joined, she quickly became a leader and an important member. She was in the Wisconsin Federation of Teachers and in 1963 was elected 1 of 4 vice presidents. This would make her the first black vice president in the Federation. She seemed to make waves wherever she went, though, as she was also appointed to a special committee in 1964.

Finally, she became principal at Bay View High School.

Career at Bay View

Mrs. Scott was not just some token staff member in an effort to become diverse. She was much more than that. In her years as principal, she was extremely active, quickly becoming adored by her staff and students.

In an article printed on October 8, 1976, by Diane Block for The Oracle, it stated-

“The newspaper and networks ran a series of articles and shows on her. As they covered an open house that hosted the Bay View community and Bay View students’ parents, she was asked about her fears about coming to Bay View. She firmly replies as she smiles, “I have no fears about coming to Bay View.” This was the principal who was going to make Bay View better.

The rest of the article speaks highly of her as someone who, instead of coming to Bay View standoffish and fearful, she embraced her staff and students with a smile on her face.

In the very same article, it describes one of her first pep rallies.

“Perhaps it was a shock for students to sit back and listen to Mrs. Scott for the first time, but it was agreed that the change was good. She plainly stated her policies and ideals for the high school. The people who sat back and snickered, mumbling ‘What’s she trying to prove,’ seemed to have missed what she has done and will do for us.

The article went on to explain that before the school year even started, Mrs. Scott took the time to meet with several students and discuss future ideas.

She suggested things like a noon hour recreation center, speakers playing music during lunch to boost student morale, and chiming bell tones for passing period instead of the blaring horn they had. She clearly entered the school with the mind to change it for the better.

It was clear that she was looking out for her students’ best interests. She assured students lunch would always be hot, and she would keep clear lines of communication with her student body to assure their needs were being met.

You can see her absolute priority for students in an article that stated, “ Several Bay View teachers complain that their principal is inaccessible. Either she is out in the halls, mixing with students, or in her office talking to them.”The students come first,” Mrs.Scott says, “If the teachers want to see me, they can find the time.”

She also took rumors and tensions seriously during a time when many schools were navigating the challenges of desegregation.

In one instance, Scott heard a rumor that white football players were planning to attack Black students. She quickly called the team together to address the situation.

Having heard this, Mrs. Scott quickly called the team together. Dave (Chico) Valdes, one of the team’s tri-captains, says, When she told us she wanted to meet with us, I thought, Uh-oh, here it comes. There wasn’t any truth to it, but still… Anyway, she told us that we were too good people to do anything, as she heard. It made me feel good.”

Mrs. Scott had a way of speaking with students that made them feel safe. She could often be seen in students’ lunches, having conversations with groups or casual one-on-one chats.

Passing

In an article published by The Milwaukee Journal, February 3, 1979, “Sarah Scott, the first and only black woman to become a principal of a public high school in Milwaukee, died of a heart attack at her home Sunday, at 56. She had been principal of the nearly all-black Lincoln High School from 1972 to 1976, and then became principal of the nearly all-white Bay View High. At Bay View High, hundreds of her students gathered for a memorial service. Perhaps Richard Klaesig, president of the school’s PTSA, said it best at the service: “Whoever said black is beautiful knew Sarah Scott.”

Sarah A Scott would be remembered for her advocacy in both education and community.

Her years as a principal at Bay View would forever leave an impact on the school.

Today, her portrait still hangs in the school.

The next time you pass it, take a moment to stop and look.

Behind that name is the story of a principal who helped lead Bay View through one of the most important moments in its history and whose legacy continues to shape the school today.