James B. Taylor (educator)

James Brainard Taylor was the son of William Horace, a postman, and Louise Evangeline (Ponder) Taylor, a homemaker. ==Early education and career==

Taylor graduated from Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles. From there he attended UCLA, where he received his bachelor's degree in mathematics. He also earned a master's degree in education at USC. He served as a staff sergeant in the Army, where he taught math to fellow soldiers. ==Educator and school administrator==

His first job at the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) was as a math teacher at John Adams Junior High (now John Adams Middle School). That was followed by a stint at Hamilton High School. In 1967, he became the first principal of Alain LeRoy Locke High School in Watts. After his assignment at Locke, Taylor became a deputy superintendent at LAUSD. This was during a time of a divisiveness within the district over the issue of integration. Taylor advocated for a measured approach to integration. He favored voluntary programs such as magnet schools to achieve integration. After retiring from his post at LAUSD, he returned to Adams to teach math. ==Legacy==

The Ánimo James B. Taylor Charter Middle School in Watts is named after him. ==References==