Bloody Friday at North Atlanta High: APS kicks out old leaders, announces new ones without explanation.
UPDATED Saturday with a comment from principal:
Atlanta Public Schools ousted North Atlanta High School interim principal Mark MyGrant — enticed out of retirement by APS to run the school for three months until a permanent leader could be hired — in dramatic fashion Friday afternoon.
Not only is MyGrant gone, but APS replaced the entire leadership team at the Buckhead high school, reassigning them throughout the system.
In a 30 minute telephone interview today, MyGrant detailed Friday’s events:
Deputy Superintendent Karen Waldon and the interim HR director, accompanied by APS security officers, showed up at the high school at dismissal Friday, intercepting MyGrant as he was about to make the end-of-the day bus announcements. He said he was told to pack and leave North Atlanta High School immediately.
Teachers were assembled and then told that the entire administrative team and the heads of the Small Learning Communities — specialized areas of student interest including arts, journalism, international business and international relations — were being reassigned.
“I was at work when Karen Walden and the interim HR director came in and informed me that my services were no longer needed. I asked if I should move the buses and they told me ‘no,’ that I should leave right now,” said MyGrant. “They started bringing in loads of security and the transition team and they called the teachers to the auditorium. I just gathered my things — l didn’t have much because I had already cleaned out my office when I retired in June.
“Within 15 or 20 minutes, I was done,” said MyGrant. “They didn’t walk me out. Security may have been waiting to walk me out, but I walked out the back door, got in my my car and and went. I would have been happy to leave any time. I was retired. They had announced a new principal. They did not need to do it this way.”
MyGrant is willing to talk about what happened because he wants to clear not only his name, but those of all the educators reassigned Friday. (No word yet from APS.)
“I would be happy to ride off into the sunset. But with all these administrators, hardworking administrators, being reassigned, people are going to say ‘God, there must have been something really corrupt there.’ I owe it to them and myself to let people know there wasn’t anything.”
Meeting with his attorney later today, MyGrant is prepared to present evidence that this episode grew out of what he considers politically motivated and baseless allegations that two of his recommended hires – a graduation coach and English teacher — were racists. “I feel when the community gets the information that I am prepared to present, they will demand the educators who were reassigned be brought back,” he said.
“Regardless of what anyone thinks of my leadership, many other hard working educators were treated unfairly yesterday. Including Melissa Gautreaux, Reginald Colbert, Laura Brazil and John Denine. I was very excited in June to retire and had some exciting plans, which I put on hold after being contacted by APS three times to return. This followed a very botched first attempt to hire a principal in June. In the meantime, students will return to school next week after a fall break to celebrate NAHS Homecoming. This group of kids is a terrific mix of students from all walks of life and are led by a hardworking group of teachers. I wish them all the best.”
He detailed the history of the allegations in an email:
In August I was contacted by Deputy Superintendent Karen Waldon on 3 separate occasions reporting anonymous allegations alleging that I was planning to fire a employee leaving for maternity leave, and was hiring two new teachers that were “racist.” I did all I could do to investigate these claims with the very limited information I received, but one of the teachers never got processed and the one that signed a contract and is currently working has never been approved by the board. Her name was taken off the gains report in August and didn’t return in September or October. I tried for weeks to get answers from the very top on down, but was completely stonewalled. In September, my attorney sent an email to Errol Davis detailing my concerns and asking about the investigation. Later in September, I received from Davis a letter informing me that I was not part of any investigation. An open records request was sent to APS last week from one of the teachers in question. I was asked to submit documents related to this case and prepared approximately 25 documents.
MyGrant retired in June from North Atlanta but was asked by APS to return to oversee the school until the end of October when a permanent principal would take over. Prior to his retirement, MyGrant led North Atlanta for five years and Sutton Middle school for 10. He was a well respected principal in the Buckhead community.
A letter on the North Atlanta High site from APS school chief Erroll B. Davis offers parents no explanation for the sudden removal of MyGrant and the mass reassignment of school leaders, saying only that the high school underwent a “total leadership transition.”
The letter lacks the obligatory expression of gratitude to MyGrant for serving as interim, clearly indicating that this was not a pleasant parting. (You can read the letter and a news story on the high school’s newspaper, the Northerner online.)
Davis says the former principal of Sarah Smith Elementary, Sid Baker, will run the show until the new North Atlanta principal, Howard Taylor of Gwinnett, officially takes command on Oct. 29. Davis also lists eight other “transition” academy leaders and a transition assistant principal.
The dramatic removal of MyGrant has upset many parents, some of whom are contacting the AJC with their questions and concerns. Among the comments from parents:
Today at the closing bell our beloved principal and most of his leadership team were escorted out of the school by a group of APS staffers from downtown. Just three weeks before the end of his contract and two weeks before our IB accreditation, Mark MyGrant and his staff were publicly humiliated in front of teachers and students alike. The “party line” is the new principal wants a clean slate. There’s a lot more to the story than that. What is the real agenda? Obviously, no one is thinking about the disruption this will cause for our children and our IB program.
Parents are asking how Davis can gut the leadership ranks of their school, march in a brand new team of temps and expect the community to support the decision without more information.
Davis closes his letter to North Atlanta parents by saying, “We understand that this will be a time of excitement, as well as a major transition at NAHS…”It’s a new day at North Atlanta.”
The problem may be that parents won’t think it’s a better day.
The AJC will be following up on this situation. I have sent a note to APS for a comment. If I get it, I will post.
–from Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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359 comments Add your comment
Concerned APS Parent
October 6th, 2012
1:12 pm
Thank you, Informed, for setting the record straight about the kids selling drugs. Never knew there was so much hostility at NAHS. Been there going on 4 years and always felt like a friendly and cohesive group of kids and teachers. Maybe I should look somewhere else for my middle schooler.
USMC
October 6th, 2012
1:17 pm
STOP BUSING KIDS ACROSS THE CITY TO GO TO SCHOOL.
Neighborhood schools should be for kids that actually LIVE in the neighborhood; black, white, brown, blue, yellow, etc.
Based on his long and successful career at APS, I cannot imagine WHY Mr. Mygrant was removed from the school in dramatic fashion.
But in these litigious times we live it better be for a legitimate reason or the TAX PAYER will be footing the bill for the incompetence of the Buffoons running the city and public school system.
@ Maureen...
October 6th, 2012
1:20 pm
I wonder if this has something to to with out-of-zone students. APS schools all over the system have out-of-zone students that the administration is totally aware of Even out-of-district students have seats in APS traditional and APS run Charter schools too!
Chicagojeff
October 6th, 2012
1:21 pm
Mark Mygrant was treated poorly and surely deserved better. This man brought Sutton Middle school back from the brink and handed over a newly built school to the current excellent Principal Audrey Sofianos. Mr Mygrant specifically came to Jackson, Brandon, Sarah Smith et al and sold Sutton Middle school to parents who .. let’s just say leery is putting it lightly. I was holding out that he would be able to move North Atlanta along from the doldrums he received it in.. This. leads me to redouble my efforts to send my child to a private for High School. North Atlanta deserves better.. Mark Mygrant damn sure deserved better. Regardless of what Ms Waldron or Mr Davis’ point they were trying to drive home.. you don’t do that.. You don’t do business with parents who are active and involved like this. This was shoddy.. unprofessional.. and it plain smells to high heaven.
The Real Truth
October 6th, 2012
1:22 pm
Kudos…to Errol Davis, Karen Walden and the Leadership Team of APS for addressing one of the greatest ills of APS’ district. Lets examine the facts…North Atlanta did not make AYP since Delphia Bryant Young left the helm of that school, nor has there been true equity for all the students in that building. The I.B. Program is a joke!! Simply, ask the question…how many students received the I.B. diploma? What you “had” was a private school operating inside of a public school, where there was true inequity. Because many of the “Buckhead” parents could not afford Westminister, they wanted to seize North Atlanta as their very own private school, while exploiting the live of so many minority children. Furthermore, it was quite evident that the parents were too familiar with the daily operation of the school and yes, there were “cliques”, unfair treatment, not to mention the disregard for policy, procedures and protocol. KUDOS…to Errol Davis and his team for having the courage to oust that 3-ring circus!!! Yes, it is a new day in the Atlanta Public Schools and as a parent of NAH, I am very happy and pleased with the outcome…
wondering...
October 6th, 2012
1:23 pm
Will all of the administrators be re-assigned? At least one of the academy leaders retired in June, but was brought back in after the start of the school year.
Henry Co.
October 6th, 2012
1:24 pm
Karen Waldon has been, and continues to be, nothing but trouble.
Dr. Monica Henson
October 6th, 2012
1:33 pm
This is surrealistic to read and near unbelievable. For an entire administrative leadership team in s achool to be summarily dismissed after one quarter and replaced is almost unheard of. I am really curious to know what on earth precipitated such a heavy-handed action. I have a lot of respect for Errol Davis and have met with him before. I can’t imagine him taking such a drastic action without good and sufficient cause.
Dr. Monica Henson
October 6th, 2012
1:33 pm
“in a school”
Southside Parent
October 6th, 2012
1:36 pm
As Maureen said, “Why entice someone out of retirement to do you a favor and then subject him to public humiliation?” Parents here & MyGrant’s comments indicate racist treatment of students (esp discipline) was at issue. I don’t take that lightly. There are any number of studies that establish this as a national crisis for our country.
But even if it were terribly bad at NAHS, I still can’t understand APS’s actions on Friday. Friday’s actions humiliates those employees, it scares other good APS employees, and it shakes confidence of students, parents and public. They could have let MyGrant re-retire and conducted a less dramatic reassignment of administrators.
In regards to the racially charged statements flying here… I’m not a NAHS parent but I can imagine much of what you are describing. I find the PTA meeting time shocking. I also know how many parents who aren’t Buckhead Betties purposefully enroll their children at NAHS from across the city because of the volunteer time, political capital and financial resources that the more affluent/connected parents are able to pour into the school. There’s every reason to speak up to insist that all kids are included in the opportunities NAHS can offer. But it seems counterproductive to label those affluent/connected parents as racist or as Buckhead Betties when they are part of the reason you are at the school. There is less loaded language that can describe the problem. Also… the real Buckhead Betties wouldn’t touch NAHS with a 10 foot pole.
Prof
October 6th, 2012
1:37 pm
I’d like to know more about this curious statement by Mygrant given above: “Meeting with his attorney later today, MyGrant is prepared to present evidence that this episode grew out of what he considers politically motivated and baseless allegations that two of his recommended hires – a graduation coach and English teacher — were racists.” Sounds like legally sound evidence.
I was also struck by one blogger’s remark–can’t find it, did you remove it Maureen ?– that in business and finance a removed executive is given the “perp’s walk” to avoid any possible contact with computers upon leaving. The blogger asked: What’s in the [computer] system?” and I agree.
Something legally criminal must be involved here…. which none of us blogging know about.
Another comment
October 6th, 2012
1:38 pm
@NAHS Mom I believe that you are trying to stir a raciest pot. The fact of the matter is the bulk of the zoning for North Atlanta has always been Wealther White areas of Atlanta’s Buckhead areas. Many of those parents have put their children in Private schools. So Atlanta liberally allowed students outside the area to transfer or basically did not check the minorities who were line jumping into North Atlanta. When you see day after day, as you go down Northside Drive and turn at W. Wesley to pick up your children from Private school, students from North Atlanta waiting for Marta it is clear they are out of District. All Districts treat students who are not in their home school differently. Weather the transfer is an NCLB, or some other legal transfer or they are line jumping.
I lnow, I signed a contract in Cobb County to transfer my child to another school, after she had been the victim of bullies at her home school. I got a letter after she was out sick for 3 days, that she was on the verge of loosing her transfer, on attendance. Any infraction no matter how minor gets your child booted out of the school. Also as schools are filling up with students who actually live in the zoned area of the school are attending the school, then there is not room for those from outside. The Buckhead Cluster has massive over crowding issues. So when they check the actual attendance, who gets to stay, the white kid whose parents live in Buckhead and pay $12,000, $15,0000 + in property taxes a year vs. the black kid who is getting on the Marta Bus at West Wesley and Northside Drive and riding down to some Section 8 housing by Westlake Cemetery.
Also the Court System in this country works on the basis of those who can afford to hire their own attorney and pay $1,500, $2,500 and up for a top lawyer for an MIP, for a marijana poss. Who have insurrance that will send their kids to private treatment for 3-4 wks with have their records exponged. Vs. Those who have parents that are also the drug users, that lay down with multiple men, that are more interested in hair weaves, nails, designer shoes, than their childrens educations. I never see you when the PTA meetings are in the evening either.
NAHS MOTHER
October 6th, 2012
1:39 pm
“Meeting with his attorney later today, MyGrant is prepared to present evidence that this episode grew out of what he considers politically motivated and baseless allegations that two of his recommended hires – a graduation coach and English teacher — were racists”
Mr. Mygrant has ignored instances of racism against non-white students for years, so this does not surprise me in the least.
One chemistry teacher has repeatedly made racist comments to black students including telling one girl that she “better leave her culture at the door” and this teacher is still working at NAHS.
Sounds like the brownie issue and disparate treatment by race and class are relevant issues to Mr. Mygrant’s sudden firing.
NAHS MOTHER
October 6th, 2012
1:41 pm
“What you “had” was a private school operating inside of a public school, where there was true inequity. Because many of the “Buckhead” parents could not afford Westminister, they wanted to seize North Atlanta as their very own private school, while exploiting the lives of so many minority children. Furthermore, it was quite evident that the parents were too familiar with the daily operation of the school and yes, there were “cliques”, unfair treatment, not to mention the disregard for policy, procedures and protocol.”
100% accurate
Maureen Downey
October 6th, 2012
1:42 pm
@Prof, Not sure of which comment that was but don’t think I took it down.
Maureen
the whole story?
October 6th, 2012
1:43 pm
re: some many commenters attacks on low numbers of IB diplomas, why has no one mentioned that NAHS’s IB programme is a rare program in that it is open access, for any interested student, rather than requiring selective entry for only those with the highest academic credentials going in, as most diploma programs. or that in the last few years, IB scores have risen, and have even been higher than international averages?
chillywilly
October 6th, 2012
1:44 pm
Beverly Hall is gone, but the APS mess remains. In my opinion, Erroll Davis is no different than Beverly Hall. Upon being selected as Superintendent of APS, Davis has made no major changes to the central office. In Technology, Communications & Finance, it’s business as usual. In my dealings with Mr. Mygrant, I found him to be very cordial & professional. I do not know the reasons for his dismissal, but I do not believe he deserved to be publicly humiliated like this. APS has a very long history of humiliating employees in this manner. I’ve also heard about payroll issues as well as construction payment irregularities. The public deserves an explanation with regard to Mr. Mygrant’s situation. I can’t speak on his personal views, but I do know that he’s always treated me with dignity and respect. Erroll Davis and the management in Finance need to go!
Ole Guy
October 6th, 2012
1:45 pm
Big problems require big…and often unorthodox…response; something which may be long overdue in addressing the issues du jour.
Sandy Springs Parent
October 6th, 2012
1:46 pm
Someone surely needs to make sure only
About Time...
October 6th, 2012
1:47 pm
Finally, there has been a shake up in the “mighty” Buckhead Community!! North Atlanta has been on a downward spiral for years. No, Mark MyGrant was not a great principal…neither were the members of his leadership team, inwhich he hand picked!! If you look carefully at the problems of this school, you will see a history of incompetence, neglect, cronie-ism, favoritism, “clicks”, inequity, misappropriation of funds, too much parent involvement and a lack of true leadership. Yes, the parents are upset and that is because their beloved principal (beloved by those only in the click) has been shamed, but please investigate how many people Mark MyGrant and his leadership team has politically ostracized, oppressed, lied on, and handle unprofessionally. GOOD RIDDENS!!!!
Rozanne Stark
October 6th, 2012
1:48 pm
We, the taxpayers, deserve to know why these kinds of extreme measures were taken towards a long-time educator. Even criminals are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Please continue to research this.
Chicagojeff
October 6th, 2012
1:49 pm
You know NAHS mom.. those who tend their garden carefully tend to have a successful harvest. You cannot simply just send your kid to school.. are you taking advantage of programs and events to better your child. Instead of supplementing your vitriol as to what higher income families are able to do.. perhaps you should press the buttons that are available to you??
interesting
October 6th, 2012
1:50 pm
Wow, NAHS mother, things sound awful. I’m surprised you’d want your child going to such a horrible place. I hope you can find some place that’s better and more equitable. Best of luck to you.
NAHS MOTHER
October 6th, 2012
1:51 pm
@another comment
As you should be aware, NAHS was until a few years ago a magnet school that students from across the city could attend to be in the International Studies program or the Center for the Arts.
Many of those students are upperclassmen at NAHS and many of them use MARTA. Also, some students use MARTA who live in buckhead but have to stay after school (and miss the school buses) for various after school activities.
It sounds like you are trying to cast aspersions on these students for using MARTA or perhaps being what you perceive as the wrong color to attend a Buckhead school.
Furthermore, school bus routes were dramatically cut this year – another reason a student without a car might right MARTA.
So what? What’s your point?
NAHS has the IB program and the center for the arts that are not offered elsewhere in APS. Therefore, these program should be open to students throughout APS.
NAHS MOTHER
October 6th, 2012
1:53 pm
@Chicago Jeff –
Please leave your racist assumptions out of this conversation and deal with the issues raised.
Do not try and personally attack me via lines of argument that you think apply to all non-white parents.
You only expose yourself when you do.
USMC
October 6th, 2012
1:57 pm
Hey Folks, it’s “Betty Buckhead” and “she” definitely DOES NOT send her kids to North Atlanta High School.
Sandy Springs Parent
October 6th, 2012
1:59 pm
Some one surely needs to make sure that only students zoned to the school are going to the school. It is and always has been a big problem at North Atlanta. It has been what has kept the real Buckhead students out of North Atlanta. No one wants to send their kids to school with gang bangers.
Over the last few years as the economy has melted and the private schools have felt they are entitled to 22K tuition. Fewer Buckhead Families can afford to send their kids to the privates. They started out by taking back their elementarys, then Sutton. Then they wanted to take back their zoned High School. But to do that someone has to put a stop to the line jumpers at North Atlanta too.
The same thing over in Sandy Springs. When I have a 12 year old coming home and telling me you know mom alot of kids don’t really live in the school district. This was a week after she told me all these kids are getting free lunch mom. Why are they getting free lunch Mom. I said, I don’t know other than lying sweaty, because you certainly can not live in this neighborhood and only make $22,000 per year. The cut off for free lunch. Even Cheap apartments are $1,200 mo. Any decent rental is over $2,000. Old in need of repair houses are $ 325K to $400K, a flipped small house down the street just sold for $599K. New Houses down the Street are $1.1 to $1.4 M to Start.
The Constitution needs to be Changed so we can have smaller school districts. IE. The Buckhead School District, The Sandy Springs District. The Vinings District, The Dunwoody District, The Brookhaven District. This would allow real local control. It get rid of bloat and corruption.
KB
October 6th, 2012
2:00 pm
It’s my understanding that in the past week, the English teacher hired a lawyer to ask for e-mails that Principal MyGrant has detailing a long history of reverse discrimination hiring by APS. APS became aware of it and quickly acted/overreacted.
Those e-mails, which APS does not want to be made public, are the reason MyGrant was immediately escorted out of the school. I only hope he has a separate copy of all of them somewhere outside of the school district’s hands.
NAHS MOTHER
October 6th, 2012
2:01 pm
“It has been what has kept the real Buckhead students out of North Atlanta. No one wants to send their kids to school with gang bangers. ”
There’s no problem with racism here at NAHS…
move along…move along folks…
Maureen Downey
October 6th, 2012
2:04 pm
To all, Just talked to Steve Alford of APS and he is going to give me a written response. He says these actions at NAHS were all driven by instructional needs.
I asked him to address how academics are helped by removing four program directors and replacing them with twice as many central office folks who are only at the school until the new principal hires his own people. I asked him to go into how APS could spare that many central office people since APS says everyone on the payroll is critical to student achievement. What happens to their duties if their temporary stint at NAHS drags on?
Maureen
teacher
October 6th, 2012
2:05 pm
@ Another Comment- I think your comment is very level headed and does speak to the current situation at NAHS. If you are a transfer student, you are not given as many chances. That would be APS policy not NAHS. Just as calculating GPA is not school policy but state policy. @the person who keeps mentioning the test performance. NAHS has low scores. The students that we inherit had low scores. Note- We were not flagged in any way for cheating on tests. The talk about the racist environment is just not founded. But you can find examples to support something if that is all you are looking for and the lense you are using. Under the current administration, they expanded the option to participate in the IB diploma program to ALL SLCs. Before the student had to be in IS, which would fill up first with kids whose parents were in the loop. (This parent can be of any race, but it did tend to be more white students.) They have been actively trying ot encourage more particpation in the IB diploma program from all students. Many students do not choose to do the program.
Reality Check
October 6th, 2012
2:07 pm
Attorney will be a waste of money. The man is already retired and on temporary assignment, No matter how indignant, outraged, or confused you are, it is not illegal to end a temporary assignment earlier than expected. Georgia is an at will state and employers don’t have to give any reason for ending your employment. If you don’t lke that, contact your state legislator and demand change.
It’s hard to take sometimes, but fair and legal or two entirely different things.
I do no believe the students will not be harmed in any way. The teachers will be there teaching, as they do every day, and the students will be fine. Children handle change much better than adults, but they will react to how their parents are reacting. As a parent, I would use this as a teaching moment, such as: life isn’t always fair, let’s wait and hear all the facts, be supportive of the new staff because this has nothing to do with them, it’s not your teacher’s job to like you but to teach you and you will be respectful, and you can’t always get what you want.
Southside Parent
October 6th, 2012
2:12 pm
Re: linejumping comments… NAHS had open attendance as a magnet program, some kids came in through NCLB & even this year NAHS had open spots available by the APS lottery because the school was underenrolled.
@NAHS Mother: you sound like an involved parent who cares about her kids’ schooling. Sorry you are drawing these comments. Bear in mind that the worst comes out in the worst people in these online forums.
Sandy Springs Parent
October 6th, 2012
2:12 pm
@NAHS Mother There is nothing wrong with a teacher telling a black student to leave their culture at the door. I am sure he was trying to say, leave your culture of learning isn’t cool at the door. When are Blacks ever going to learn that they have to embrase learning and education to get ahead. All he was trying to say is this class, you are capable of learning. Don’t let your peers tell you that you are being “White” by learning. What is wrong with you as a mother. You are a poor excuse as a parent. If you want to turn this into a raciest comment.
It is just like I told my maid who is Hispanic in front of her mother who pretends not to speak English that her mother was a bad mother, because she did not provide her daughters with information on Birth Control, but sanctioned them sleeping with older men . When 2 of your daughters have babies at 16, and one has a baby by a 25 year old you are a bad mother. Then the mother did not want to watch the baby so the girl could finish school. But she wanted to go out with her friends. I told her their was no excuse about being Catholic or anything, because I am Catholic. I know have the girl back in school, finishing on line for her high school diploma. She wants to be a nurse mid-wife ( mama would be fine with her being a maid). I am helping her fill out for her 2 year visa.
my two cents
October 6th, 2012
2:15 pm
I think the term “buckhead betties” is really insulting. Also, please stop bashing student reputations on here, it is not right. I am glad I have not heard of any guns, weapons, or knives in school. Im tired of the argument of the have and have nots, we all need to make the best of what we got. I know Mark MyGrant and have worked with him. I saw him calmly break up a girl fight in the cafeteria. I see him treat everyone the same. He may not be the absolute best leader but I would give him an 8 out of 10. I respect him and his leadership team. This change has students, parents, faculty, etc… all on edge. We need to think before we judge and do the best we can now.
Watching and Wondering
October 6th, 2012
2:17 pm
I find it interesting that it is such a big uproar about fairness, humiliation to administrators, concern for the students, etc. at NAHS about the incident on Friday. Where was the concern when a number of administrators were falsely accused as it relates to the cheating scandal.They too were asked to pack and leave their office/schools and their names and faces plastered in the paper and on television. Some of these successful employees with very distinguished records were publicly humiliated because of inaccuracies based on a report. Teachers were fired and suspended because they told a child to check their work. REALLY! The GBI went into the schools on the south side with guns showing during the middle of the day while students watched as their principals and teachers were taken into a room and questioned. WHERE WAS THE CONCERN FROM THE NORTH SIDE PARENTS THEN? Yes some people did cheat. That is a fact. But rest assured innocent people have been falsely accused by the media and lives have been ruined. Unfortunately NAHS parents, you have now witnessed what the South side has been experiencing for the last 2-3 years. I don’t say it to gloat, I just bring it to your attention, for you to recognize that you have now been inducted into the world of POSSIBLY falsely accused and publicly humiliated educators.
Go Trojans!
October 6th, 2012
2:17 pm
Regardless of what was happening, there is a million better ways to handle this. Anyone looking in from the outside never wonders why APS appears to be drifting around. There is no rudder to keep them focused. It’s sad for those students.
Prof
October 6th, 2012
2:17 pm
@ KB, 2:00 pm. Now THAT’S a plausible explanation…. for the actions taken against the principal. What about the immediate removal of all the other administrators?
Southside Parent
October 6th, 2012
2:19 pm
@Sandy Springs I don’t know that it’s ever productive to label someone a bad mother, make a student feel humiliated in the hall on the way into class, or refer to a large heterogenous group of people as all being the same.
teacher
October 6th, 2012
2:20 pm
@NAHS mother- There have been many gang members at NAHS in the past. And many came from our zone. Hollywood Courts was a rough place. When you walk the halls of NAHS today, it is nothing like it was 6 or 8 years ago. It’s not about what the students look like, their is just a different tone/culture/expectation. Whatever you want to call it.Also, if parents in other parts of the district want an IB program, they should speak to the principal of their local school @ the rest- NAHS has many great students that you will see catching MARTA that live in the zone. Just like NAHS Mother mentioned. They have reasons that they need to ride MARTA. If they need to stay after school for tutorial, play practice, band practice and live in the Bolton Road area or Piedmont Road area that would be a very long walk for kids whose parents cannot come pick them up. (Not to say that there are not many kids who live out of zone.)
Concerned APS Parent
October 6th, 2012
2:24 pm
Thank you Maureen for asking Alford the tough questions. I also want to know why moving 4 knowledgable and experienced administrators who could be of great help to a new principal is “moving North Atlanta in a new direction.” As I see it, North Atlanta was already on the rise and this seems like a major step backwards. All of this talk about racial issues is very disturbing. I see the diversity at North Atlanta and embrace it. The students feel the same way.
KB
October 6th, 2012
2:29 pm
@Prof – I don’t know about anyone other than MyGrant. He was apparently forced to hire as his assistant a black teacher not retained by another school rather than the white assistant who had been working at NAHS previously.
APS High Schools in Practice
October 6th, 2012
2:32 pm
If APS believes that a new high school principal can identify his/her own leadership team to move the school forward, then is APS going to allow the new principal for Maynard Jackson High School to have this same ability? If so, why hasn’t APS swooped in to escort the MJHS interim and all of its academy leaders out of the building? (I refuse to agree that this action is advantageous until I hear how APS answers Maureen’s questions. Thanks Ms. Downey!)
I have heard that the NAHS issue is related to allegations of institutionalized racism at that school. Over the years the same issues have been raised about Grady High School and now are being raised about Maynard Jackson High School. Is APS going to investigate those allegations at those schools too? And, if there is evidence that students are segregated on the basis of race, will APS replace their entire school leadership teams?
APS has a new “ism” that has the same negative impact as racism. It is “class-ism.” For APS high schools that don’t have a racially diverse population, but have a economically diverse population, will APS investigate this impact? Check out Mayes, Carver and South Atlanta High Schools for example.
It is 2012. We have an African-American president in the White House and Atlanta is still hung up on “isms.” Isn’t Atlanta the City Too Busy to Hate and the Birthplace of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.? For those who don’t like public school, there are options. Private school, charter school or the suburbs.
are you kidding
October 6th, 2012
2:33 pm
@Sandy Springs–please stay on topic and leave your ridiculously broad stereotypes out of this discussion. This forum is ONLY about whether or not APS behaved appropriately in regards to their treatment of the principal. And NAH mother, it’s pretty obvious you’ve got your own agenda. Were you the original instigator who contacted APS to complain about racism regarding those two teachers? If so, you’ve done a great deal of very serious damage, and certainly at least some of it has badly hurt innocent people. And you DO need to get your facts straight before blasting off–re, the pot brownie kids…
Big Mama
October 6th, 2012
2:40 pm
I think it’s high time APS was broken down into smaller, more manageable school districts. They could be the existing “pods”: the North Atlanta district, the Morningside district etc. They should operate independently of one another. Put the control back in the neighborhoods that feed into those schools and that financially support them. If NAHS is the only high school in APS with IB or an Arts program, then it is time for others to take the iniative to put IB/Arts programs in their own schools. I, for one, would have more confidence in my school board if they were elected from my own neighborhood or surrounding neighborhoods.
As for the PTA meetings, in my experience it doesn’t matter what time or day these are scheduled. There will always be the excuses that the meeting time/day in not convenient. I am sure teachers hear that same excuse for teacher-parent conferences, too.
Watching and Wondering
October 6th, 2012
2:46 pm
Maureen,
Just curious as to why my comment has not
posted. I saw nothing inappropriate about it.
NAH Alumni
October 6th, 2012
2:50 pm
This is heartbreaking…Its my school. First of all for those who are quick to dismiss public school, don’t be so hasty. Politics happen in every organization including private schools. If more of the “well to do” community would support the local school and its teachers, neighborhood schools would be in a different place (Look at the elementary schools!) . For those who are obsessing over white vs black preferential treatment at NAH, note it goes both ways, its not always fair, and it needs to be worked on, hundreds of years of seeds planted by both white and black have to be undone. For those saying its business to publicly escort out, I say it better be a darn good reason for that level of business where children are being impressed upon. As a black student I can tell you that life at North Atlanta was good, not everything is fair for everyone, not just based on race or income, its off of personality and clothing and behavior and JUST LIKE ALL SCHOOLS AND HUMANS DO UNINTENTIONALLY EVERY TIME THEY SIZE A PERSON UP! Not saying its right I’m saying we are no worse then any other who live in a society where things are in state of growth… and I’ve seen my share of schools. The Bottom line is we deserve answers of why this was intentionally so dramatic…. They couldn’t have waited 20 more minutes until school was out?
Leslie Grant
October 6th, 2012
2:50 pm
@Maureen. Can you let me know why this blog does not require folks to post with their real names? Would it not solicit more thoughtful / less inflammatory comments if people really had to stand by their opinions?
Beverly Fraud
October 6th, 2012
2:56 pm
From KB
It’s my understanding that in the past week, the English teacher hired a lawyer to ask for e-mails that Principal MyGrant has detailing a long history of reverse discrimination hiring by APS
Why is it that THIS comment from KB “passes the smell tests” and the actions of APS don’t?
As chillywilly said, APS has a long, VERY long history of mistreatment of employees, and Steve the Mouth Organ’s protestations to the contrary, it makes ZERO sense this is dictated by “instructional needs”
And KUDOS to Maureen for the follow up: How can these people be SPARED from central office.
FORCE them to be accountable!
In the words of the Ovaltine commercial “More FOLLOW UP please!”
A Former NAHS Student
October 6th, 2012
2:58 pm
@ Southside Parent- “In regards to the racially charged statements flying here… I’m not a NAHS parent but I can imagine much of what you are describing. I find the PTA meeting time shocking. I also know how many parents who aren’t Buckhead Betties purposefully enroll their children at NAHS from across the city because of the volunteer time, political capital and financial resources that the more affluent/connected parents are able to pour into the school. There’s every reason to speak up to insist that all kids are included in the opportunities NAHS can offer. But it seems counterproductive to label those affluent/connected parents as racist or as Buckhead Betties when they are part of the reason you are at the school. There is less loaded language that can describe the problem. Also… the real Buckhead Betties wouldn’t touch NAHS with a 10 foot pole.”
Well put.
@ NAHS MOTHER “Many of those students are upperclassmen at NAHS and many of them use MARTA” (Concerning the Magnet Program)
I’m from the last academic class in which the magnet program still existed. We were grandfathered, but every year since has not had the magnet.
@the whole story? Thank you for informing the public about the legitimacy of NAHS’s IB Program.
Its much harder to have every student get the Diploma when the program is not restricted to “those with the highest academic credentials”