Covington Independent Public Schools celebrated the one-hundredth birthday of Sayde Dean, a veteran teacher who taught at the historic Lincoln Grant School. Dean turned 100 on Friday.
“Her century long journey has been filled with wisdom, service and dedication to education, students and the community she served,” said Superintendent Alvin Garrison at the Board of Education meeting Thursday evening.
Dean did not attend the meeting, but the district sat down and interviewed her beforehand, asking her about her life experience and teaching philosophy. Family members attended on her behalf.
What would become the Lincoln-Grant School system started as the William Grant High School in Covington in 1866 to educate African American children. In 1876, the school was established as an African American public high school.
Eventually, the system expanded to include K-12 education, becoming the Lincoln-Grant School.
In 1965, following desegregation, the students from the high school were integrated into Holmes High School.
The elementary school continued operating until 1976 before the building was converted into the Northern Kentucky Community Center. In 2017, the building was converted again into the Lincoln-Grant Scholar House.
“I had a very good life,” Dean said in the video. “I enjoyed what I did. I think there’s no substitute to sending a kid ready to learn.”
Watch the full video interview with Dean below.
