Schools

Goodbye, Mr. Gray

Esteemed teacher Ashley Gray is leaving South San Francisco High School after 12 years.

Editor's note: This tribute to Ashley Gray, by former South San Francisco High School teacher Sean Priest, is one of two tributes submitted to Patch about this influential teacher. Gray recently announced that he will be leaving South San Francisco High School after 12 years to take a job at Carlmont High School. .

Earlier this week, Ashley Gray announced his resignation from the South San Francisco High School faculty.  While it is impossible to overstate the impact he had on the school and the community for the last twelve years, it’s important to acknowledge some of what he accomplished in South City.  I won’t pretend to be objective in my summary -- for eight of those years he was a close professional colleague and remains to this day a close friend.

Ashley’s greatest impact, of course, has been in the classroom.  If you are a South City graduate this century, you almost certainly earned a passing grade in Mr. Gray’s U.S. Government class.  In doing so, you were challenged to understand the theoretical and historical foundations of American democracy.  You were required to elucidate the practical applications of the Constitution in your everyday life.  Most importantly, you were pushed to define your role as a citizen in your city, state, and country.  Many of you have been memorialized in Mr. Gray’s “Voter Hall of Fame” for participating in your first election.

Find out what's happening in South San Franciscowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

It’s telling how each year when Mr. Gray was selected by students to give a graduation speech (which was nearly every year), his prompting of the audience to finish the statement “Voting is…” was met with a resounding “…COOL!”  Louder still was the response when he asked what happens when you don’t vote: “YOU DON’T COUNT!”  Thusly, Mr. Gray each year sent into the world a new set of questioning, engaged, and sensitive Warrior “renegades”.

Beyond the classroom, Ashley Gray also created numerous enrichment opportunities for SSFHS students.  He implemented a program for students to run polling stations on Election Day.  He partnered with the city to create a Youth in Government Day, which put teenagers on the front lines of the day-to-day oversight and management of the local government.  15 years from now, don’t be surprised if several members of the city council and school board in South San Francisco are alumni of Mr. Gray’s program.  The community would be in good hands were that the case.

Find out what's happening in South San Franciscowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Ashley Gray is perhaps best known for his leadership of the Dream Team.  Each year, 20-40 students made the trip to the Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, and Georgia to re-trace the steps of the Civil Rights Movement as part of a program called Sojourn to the Past.  He created a rigorous, year-long curriculum students were required to complete in order to qualify.  Because they had truly earned their spot, SSFHS students always stood out on these trips for their knowledge, insight, and sensitivity.  On the other hand, no student was ever denied the opportunity to participate because of financial constraints.  Ashley fundraised tirelessly and built partnerships with community members to ensure this was the case. 

Because SSFHS students were so universally beloved by the people they encountered on Sojourn each year, Mr. Gray was able to arrange visits to the school from Minnijean Brown and Elizabeth Eckford of the Little Rock Nine.  South City’s culture of tolerance, respect, and its celebration of diversity during my time teaching there can be tied directly to Ashley’s impact in building these relationships and instilling the virtue of regular people doing extraordinary things.  The powerful stories told first hand by these notable historical figures became a part of the collective identity of the school. 

Of course, there are other intangible ways Ashley Gray will be missed at SSFHS.  As a songwriter and performing musician, Ashley’s band’s performances in local clubs became de facto social events for the faculty and staff.  Young teachers looked to Ashley as an example of how to start their careers, veteran teachers looked to him as an example of how to face change.  Ashley’s active presence on campus before school and at lunch amounted to more than an open door.  Numerous potential conflicts were averted by his ad hoc intervention and mediation.  On one occasion, Ashley literally put out a fire in an adjacent boys’ bathroom.

Ashley Gray will be missed in South San Francisco, but the legacy he leaves behind will continue to inspire students, teachers and community members and set the standard for excellence in both the school and the city.  Best of luck to him in his next endeavor.


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