Breaking News: Beloved Teacher, Mr. Jackson, Passes Away, Leaving a Lasting Impact on GWHS Community

In Memoriam: Virgil Jackson

Beloved teacher, Mr. Jackson, remembered.

In Memoriam: Mr. Virgil Jackson Nov. 15, 2024

By Thao Le and Sophia Manuel

The George Washington High School community mourns the loss of beloved teacher Mr. Virgil Jackson, who passed away after a courageous battle with several health issues and various knee surgeries. For more than 20 years, Mr. Jackson served as a dedicated science teacher, touching countless lives through his unwavering commitment to education and student success.

Washington's Chinese teacher, Ms. Ching-Fen Huang, remembers his boundless passion for teaching: "Students if they need personal help or academic help, he always welcomed them." She adds warmly, "And lunchtime he opened his classroom for students to come to have a safe place to eat at for their lunch and socialize."

"When I first started here, he and I would go for lunch," reflects Ms. Clinton, who worked alongside him for 20 years. "And people thought we had a thing going," she recalls with a fond smile, "but it wasn't that at all. We were just friends, and we would go and talk, and it was nice to have someone who was kind and experienced and kinda gave me some tips on how to survive."

Ms. Clinton adds softly, "It was getting kind of tough for him in the end, but he loved teaching, and he loved being a science teacher."

Principal Schlauraff speaks to Mr. Jackson's lasting impact on the Washington community, particularly "highlighted by their time as an active sponsor of the Eagle Service Society, and their organization of the blood drive each year, with students."

Beyond the classroom, Mr. Jackson's compassion knew no bounds. He devoted years to helping students find foster families, and his love for family led him to adopt his daughter Tina, a George Washington High School alumna, after her university graduation. Outside of teaching, Mr. Jackson pursued his passions for guitar, music, and writing short stories, several of which were published.

The school honored Mr. Jackson's memory with a memorial service at Simple Pleasures, the cafe on Balboa where he frequently performed. He is survived by his daughter, family, friends, students, and colleagues. The cafe hosted a special tribute open mic on Thursday, Nov. 14, with an open invitation to all who wished to remember him.

Mr. Jackson’s impact continues to resonate throughout our community, living on in the cherished memories of the countless lives he touched as a teacher, mentor, performer, writer, and friend.

A Battle to Bring Graduation Back Home

After three years of graduations at Kezar stadium in Golden Gate Park, the George Washington High School community is trying to bring the ceremony back home. The Washington community should stand behind attempts to change the board policy, utilize the resources to host a ceremony, rebuild our sense of community, and bring graduation back home.

Local Highway Spurs Controversy for Upcoming Local Elections

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - This upcoming November, the city will have the vote to decide the fate of a local coastal highway. The Great Highway, located near ocean beach on the westside of San Francisco has been the center of debate for years and will be one of the more prominent decisions made during the 2024 elections in Proposition K. If the Proposition passes the Upper Great Highway will be permanently closed to private vehicles.

Supporters of Prop K include Sunset District Supervisor Joel Engardio and Mayor London Breed. Originally the one who brought this to ballot, Engardio, thinks that the highway's closure could benefit the local community. He has also proposed building a public park in place of the highway.