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
Andrea Shelton
October 6th, 2012
5:30 pm
Regarding the recent developments at NAHS, I’m concerned about the following based on what I know:
1) APS’ motive in announcing the administration change on a Friday evening at 5 pm via robo-call and a letter on the website
2) We have been given no explanation yet as to why APS gutted our administration
3) Gutting our administration a week prior to our IB accreditation renewal
4) The impact this will have on our students, faculty and our move to a new building
It’s difficult to give APS the benefit of the doubt given the recent cheating scandal and the way they bungled the initial North Atlanta principal search. Regarding the prior principal search, we are still scratching our heads as to how an indicted former principal of a school APS had sued (Riverwood) made the list of finalists. Serious questions of character and qualifications were also raised about Mr. Richardson, the initial principal selection.
NAHS parents, students, and teachers deserve and demand information. Expecting us to simply trust APS and Superintendent Davis isn’t good enough; APS hasn’t earned our trust. We need transparency.
As an elected member of the North Atlanta Local School Council, I urge parents and students to do the following:
1) Email and call Superintendent Davissuptoffice@Atlanta.k12.ga.us, Nancy Meisternmeister@atlanta.k12.us and Reuben McDaniel rmcdaniel@atlanta.k12.ga.us and tell them that we want a public meeting with them at North Atlanta High as early as Tuesday.
2) Let Superintendent Davis know that we have lost confidence in his ability to lead. Tell Nancy Meister and Reuben McDaniel that we do not support the extension of Superintendent Davis’ contract; if they vote in favor of extending Davis’ contract, we will not support their re-election.
This is not about the newly announced principal. We will be supportive of our new principal. This is about the unfortunate actions of Superintendent Davis and others which are greatly interfering with our ability to smoothly transition into our next chapter.
Concerned Parent
October 6th, 2012
5:32 pm
There are always be issues at any organization on which there will be disagreement , whether it is a government entity, a business, or an informal group. There are several issues here which need to be addressed in other forums.
In terms of this subject, there are 2 critical issues – 1) – How the information was communicated, and 2) – Why the actions were taken.
I am a parent of NAHS students and I would appreciate an explanation. I cannot make an educated decision as to whether these actions were appropriate unless I have all of the facts. We need APS to share the reasons for reassignment or dismissal so that there is no confusion.
I also have an obligation to my children to explain to them what happened and how this may affect their future.
APS promotes transparency as do the parents and students at NAHS. I ask APS to quickly address the critical issues.
Kat
October 6th, 2012
5:38 pm
I can think of no other reason to walk people out of their offices (before the buses had left) other than public humiliation.
bob
October 6th, 2012
5:39 pm
So sad that an area that pays such a high portion of the city tax bill get stuck with private school tuition or a system run by the left and the likes of Beverly Hall and her merry band of erasers.
North Atlanta Mom
October 6th, 2012
5:39 pm
“The administration may change, but the “buckhead betties” are not going away.”
I have not once nor will I ever use the term “buckhead betties.”
I live in Buckhead. This is my local school. Our family is comprised of 2 working professional parents.
We cannot attend PTSA meetings that occur in the mornings, which is clearly a time geared toward non-working moms.
If you want to refer to those moms as “Buckhead Betties”, so be it. I won’t be referring to them that way.
I will simply say that all of the students at NAHS should be seen as important. The former principal should have been open to hearing from (and indeed responding to) working parents as well as his coffee klatch buddies.
JW
October 6th, 2012
5:39 pm
Anyone consider this is about the district office showing the North Atlanta cluster who is “boss”?
Also, Davis has made comments about IB that were not favorable. I would not be surprised if this is the beginning of a move to dismantle that program in the cluster. It’s an expensive little program.
North Atlanta Mom
October 6th, 2012
5:41 pm
“Also, Davis has made comments about IB that were not favorable. I would not be surprised if this is the beginning of a move to dismantle that program in the cluster. It’s an expensive little program.”
Can you link where Davis made the remarks about IB? Maybe that would help explain some of this sudden action.
But you are right, IB is an expensive program. That is why it should be open to APS students citywide, not exclusive of a school in a wealthy neighborhood.
Kat
October 6th, 2012
5:47 pm
To those commenting that we need to give the new principal a chance, I think we all agree on that. However, we still want to know what happened with the last guy.
JD
October 6th, 2012
5:57 pm
5:55 PM I just received a robo-call from Errol Davis announcing a meeting for NAHS parents this Tuesday, Oct 9 at 6 PM in the NAHS auditorium. The messages said that Davis and other APS officials will be at NAHS to explain why they got rid of the current administration, and to answer parents’ questions.
Buckhead Mom
October 6th, 2012
6:09 pm
I’ve experienced being employed full time, part time, and not at all during my NAHS student’s APS career. I may not have made it to all the PTA meetings, but I certainly made it to as many as I could. If you can make it to a dentist or doctor appointment, you can make it to a PTA meeting here or there. There is no PTA meeting time that is convenient to everyone. 8:30 isn’t convenient to me, but I’ve made it work. A PTA meeting geared toward non-working moms takes place at 10:00 in the morning – after everyone has gotten to schooland the morning has calmed down. I will have a hard time making it to the 6:00 meeting Tuesday, but I’ll make it work. Sometimes it’s not so much an issue of scheduling as priorities.
And just out of curiosity – to all those complaining about the time of PTA meetings – have you ever asked that they be held at a different time? At Sutton the times are rotated. Has anyone suggested that for NAHS? Seems like a fair request, though if you ask for it and the PTA leadership makes the adjustment, you need to actually show up.
I’m amazed that moms who volunteer at school and support your child’s education with their time and energy are vilified. If you ever attended these meetings, you’d see women and men of all races fighting for your child’s school.
And just an FYI – I have attended coffee talks, so I guess that would make me a “coffee talk mom”. Never once have I had a personal conversation with Mark MyGrant.
Parent of 3 former NAHS students
October 6th, 2012
6:10 pm
I have read all the comments up to this point. Many are objective comments of concern, however too mant are filled with racism, bigotry and pure intolerance. I am so pleased that my 3rd child graduated in 2008. She graduated in May 2012 fro St. John’s University and was an IB student at NAHS. She informed me of the departure of Mr. Mygrant and my desire to know what happened resulted in me reading the article and the blog.
I read many comments that were unfavorable, but true. I read many comments that are simply mean-spirited. But the comments that intimates that African American children have “parents who sell drugs, or lay down with multiple men is the most ignorant comment yet. @USMC: Tahnks be to God that you do not decide when a child should or should not be bussed across town to school. The sins from a not too distant past created bussing in public school.
My daughter said to me, “Mom, I am glad I am not at North Atlanta today. My friends might have been like these adults.” Some of you are shameful…I was reminded of the images of caucasian men and women who stood outside of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas when Central High was being integrated. Your hate is just as insiduous. North Atlanta High School is for children…keep your mean-spirits out!!!
APS official response on North Atlanta High leadership purge | News-ON Atlanta
October 6th, 2012
6:11 pm
[...] Stephen J. Alford, executive director of communications, Atlanta Public Schools, on the purge yesterday of the leadership at North Atlanta High School: Thank you for sharing your concerns and views about the recent leadership transition at North [...]
NAH Alumni
October 6th, 2012
6:11 pm
This whole blog conversation is largely embarrassing. With exception of a handful of useful, concerned comments people seem to only think of themselves, and their situation. @USMC It seems to me those angry about bussing should not be afraid to send their white children to a majority black school na dthen tell their neighbors about it… (race is certainly the underlying reason why the neighborhood abandonned their schools int he first place). And for the families upset abotu the “buckhead bettys” I can assure you if a white kid is at North Atlanta they are NOT prejudice 9.5 times out of 10. The very fabric that makes NAH the wonderful school is the immersion of different worlds! While yes there are clicks its a chance for the world to have families with millions next to families with not so much, to have the artsy kids with the international studies and if we could all look at the other persons side and the FACT that 9 out of tens leavign NAH LOVED their high school and did not share the frustration voices on here that would be great… My younger sisters go there and they are not “afraid” or worried about guns or racism, they go in get their education, goof around a little like any other highschooler and My reunion is this year and we WILL ALL be supporting each other, all this race tension, busing, politics etc aside; WE LOVE NAHS AND ALL ITS IMPERFECTIONS! So back of and volunteer there instead of bash it publicly especially without all the info.
Laura
October 6th, 2012
6:12 pm
Maureen, I’m surprised that you are allowing the use of the pejorative slur, “Buckhead Betties” to refer to the white parents at NAHS. When so much of the current issue appears to be about race–and with so much contempt and anger being expressed–do you really think it advances the discussion to allow one group of people to be demeaned and insulted this way?
NAHS Recent Graduate
October 6th, 2012
6:26 pm
As a recent graduate of NAHS, I must say that Mark Mygrant was one of the most influential men I will ever know. He was more than a prinicipal; he was a friend. Media and cartoons from the past have represented principals as something to be feared among students, but Mr. Mygrant, he was someone you could look to for help and advice. Obviously, the board thought so too at some point since they were willing to implore him to come out of retirement and work again. As for these allegations, there is nothing from Mr. Mygrant’s track record or his character that would suggest he would be anything but fair and trustworthy. He would never hire someone a discriminating individual under any circumstance. I hope that APS understands that this treatment is unacceptable; furthermore, I hope parents take action to both fix and prevent this type of outrageous treatment. I know as a student that if the administration at my current university were all removed without explanation mayhem would surely ensue.
No foreign language teacher yet
October 6th, 2012
6:47 pm
We are new to the school. My child just finished her mid-terms and still DOES NOT have a FOREIGN LANGUAGE teacher for her SPANISH class! It took 1 month before she had permanent teachers in 4 classes.
I was completely ignored several times by the administration when asked about this. Was even made to feel as if I was wasting their time. Devine lacked interpersonal skills.
Reginald Colbert was the only one that ever emailed me back.
APS- do whatever you got to do to get this school on the mend. However, Explanation would be nice.
Something is broken.
Teachers feel over-worked.
Parents need to get more involved.
I don’t know why it happened but obviously something was not working right.
Chris Murphy
October 6th, 2012
6:48 pm
The principals only get to chose among candidates sent them by APS.
Doug Frutiger
October 6th, 2012
6:53 pm
It is ludicrous that some are using this opportunity to criticize Mr. MyGrant and state that his removal was appropriate. He had already left. I am sure that he was more than willing to leave his interim post at a moment’s notice whenever he was told to do so.
But whether or not Mr. MyGrant should be there is not the issue. The real issue revolves around the question of why all of the academy leaders were removed in the fashion used. Was Mr. Colbert a dire threat that he needed to be removed immediately when his knowledge of relationships with the larger arts community and performance commitments would have been key elements in the successful transition for the new Arts Academy Leader? The same is true for the other Academy Leaders. Ms. Brazil had just finished the first year of organizing the Broadcast Journalism Program. Who will tell the new leadership about the curriculum of the Program, the newspaper, the special activities that have become a part of the Program? In the International Studies Academy, none of the incoming administrators will have years of I.B. experience and formal I.B. training as both Mr. Denine and Mr. MyGrant have had on numerous occasions. Who will make sure that deadlines are met, that standards are maintained, that our students are adequately registered and prepared to complete their Extended Essays, TOK Papers, Internal Assessments and be successful on their exams? As well, Ms. Gautreaux was among the hardest-working, dedicated administrators I have ever known. She was someone who, like the others, legitimately cared about every single student she encountered and worked tirelessly to help each of the students with whom she worked. And yet she was removed in the same manner as everyone else.
I worked for Atlanta Public School for 40 years before retiring and had the pleasure of working closely with Mr. MyGrant, Ms. Gautreaux, Mr. Colbert, Ms. Brazil and Mr. Denine and always found them to be persons of the best character and enthusiasm for the education of all students at North Atlanta High School. As a matter of fact, I will publically state that Mr. MyGrant, though never perfect, was the finest principal for whom I have ever worked – and I have worked for quite a few. I frankly felt absolutely blessed to have had an opportunity to have worked with him as well as the other members of his administrative team.
And now some people want to use this opportunity to vent their criticisms of individuals rather than focus on what is important — the education of every student currently at North Atlanta High School. In education, students need continuity and an educational environment free from as many distractions as possible. These blanket transfers and the manner in which they were conducted along with the expressions of rancor I see posted here will certainly cause distractions for our students for some time to come.
This should be a time for the North Atlanta community to pull together, find out why something like this was done at our school, consider the options available and work together to rebuild a learning environment that will insure an even stronger learning environment for our students in the future. This is what the adults should do in order to support their student’s education and to give their students a proper example of how to manage a difficult situation. Please do this for our students. They are the best and they deserve the very best education with which we can provide them. As well, please forgive me for still caring and voicing my opinion after I have retired from my “job.” I guess I am an outsider now but I do care about “our” school and I always will.
Concerned Parent
October 6th, 2012
6:54 pm
Just got a call that there will be a meeting Tuesday night at NAHS with APS.
As an aside, I would also like to thank all of those who support NAHS and the students through their donations of time, money , and involvement.
All of us are working to suport EVERY student .
@Sandy Springs Parent
October 6th, 2012
7:12 pm
@ Andrea Shelton, I am amazed that Eddie Echols made the list. The press did not even release the tip of the iceberg about the audit that Fulton County had done. Mike P. with WSB showed me and some other parents it. We helped him review it line by line. We also sent Avaossa comments and where to look, that led to the him being able to ask the AD about taking the AD about taking the cash box home over the weekends and not accounting for funds. It was not just a minor mismangement of funds. There was over 70K in funds missing. The Costco credit card that was issue was minor. We are still interested to see who the “unnamed parent” is whose picture was on the Costco card. I have my ideas with some of the e-mails that went around defending Eddie, then after he was gone, the AD, then certain coaches, that were gone. There was at least 17K missing from Football gate receipts.
Several of us parents first tried to complain about abusive coaches to the AD. He was even more abusive back. I and others have the most abusive e-mails. They were all provided to the press and Avaossa. Funny thing was the Parent reps/team moms would not represent the rest of the team. So we had an office campus meeting. We appointed a leader to represent us about how our atheletes were getting hurt in practice, which the team trainer and team doctor supported, to talk to Echols. We got know where with Echols. At that point we knew that something was up and Echols was doing something wrong, and certain people knew about it and where holding it over his head. As soon as the audit came out we knew we were right and we told Avoassa. He e-mailed back in the middle of the night. Several of us sent every single e-mail. We were told that it was easier by Fulton county to get them to resign for the Financial stuff then fight it out with them for the abuse of the students. So once they resigned of the financials, Fulton stopped pursuing and investigating the individuals who resigned on the abuse. Although this summer the new principal and AD at Riverwood sent out a letter to the Cheerleading parents admitting they did not have last year nor do this year a qualified Competition Cheerleading Coaching staff. They would therefore not have a Competition Cheerleading Team.
Parent of 3 former NAHS students
October 6th, 2012
7:20 pm
The legitimate concerns are very well stated, Dr. Frutiger. I hope you are enjoying your well-deserved retirement.
chillywilly
October 6th, 2012
8:07 pm
Here’s hoping that APS will not extend Erroll Davis contract. He has demonstrated that he’s not capable of leading APS. In addition to Mr. Mygrant, I’ve also had to pleasure of meeting Mr. Colbert, who happens to be a very nice, knowledgeable, respectable, professional. These two gentlemen and other APS employees did not deserve a public humiliation.
chillywilly
October 6th, 2012
8:09 pm
Please excuse my typos in my previous post, but when it comes to APS mess, my eyes tend to cross and my fingers become numb.
NAHS MOTHER
October 6th, 2012
8:36 pm
I always respected Dr. Frutiger because he seemed ot genuinely care about all students at NAHS.
And I agree it is extremely concerning that so many people were suddenly reassigned without giving reasonable justification.
It does completely gut NAHS for the moment. I suspect there will be reversals of these decisions as the outrage continues to grow.
I, however, respectfully disagree about silencing criticism of the former principal and administration. In some ways, NAHS is a wonderfully diverse environment. In others, for too long, it is truly a private school within a public school where IS/IB students are treated (generally) one way and everyone else is resigned to 2nd class status.
Even some IB students of the wrong color or income bracket have been treated in disparate ways.
It’s easy to say, this is not the time for this discussion when you are never the one relegated to the bottom of the totem pole.
In any case, we do not know why this happened. Hopefully, a reasonable explanation will be given that indicates this action was justified or this decision (that affects all of the other administrators) will be reversed quickly.
Problem at NAHS
October 6th, 2012
8:39 pm
The problem with NAHS is a culture of inclusion and exclusion! Notice in every comment , the same tone is used by the speaker! APS has created a culture that is seeking to bring accountability to the North side of Atlanta. This type of action was taken during the so called cheating scandal under Dr Hall! Many of the parents of North Atlanta will use their influence to help there child! What about the segregation of students based on race and location of residence! IS small school is the location of the European American students but business and performing arts are 90 black students. The segregation of students and teachers are very apart just by walking into the building!
Prof
October 6th, 2012
8:59 pm
@ Hey Teacher, October 6th, 3:42 pm: “I’ve only seen one administrator removed in such a dramatic fashion in my career (although I’ve witnessed plenty of folks who have “disappeared” over the weekend for various reasons) and he was ultimately charged with child pornography. APS is either being really unprofessional (did they not think this action would make the blogs?) or something more serious than racist E mails will be coming to light. Something isn’t adding up here.”
If MyGrant has kept emails demonstrating reverse discrimination in APS hiring, then this could be a more damaging lawsuit than child pornography, which only affects one person. One of the multitude of bloggers here has mentioned concrete details pointing to this. (A white assistant that Mygrant was not allowed to hire while he was told to hire a black one? A lot of posts here today!) And could those longtime administrative assistants have witnessed anything they’d reveal under subpoena?
You see how these sort of actions can cause outsiders to speculate………
APS mom
October 6th, 2012
9:17 pm
We are in our 4th year at NA with 3 years before that at Sutton. During that time I’ve never needed to have a conversation with Mr. Mygrant. To me that is a sign that he was an effective administrator. Have we loved every teacher and every moment at Sutton and NA? Of course not. We’ve gone weeks without a permanent language arts teacher and had other frustrations. That is more a reflection of the way APS drags its feet when hiring, causing good candidates to take jobs elsewhere. I have met Mr. Colbert through the Julliard Jazz summer program. Is that prestigious and fantastic partnership going to be lost to NA because of the shameful way Mr. Colbert was treated? That would be such a loss. Students came from around the world to attend Julliard Jazz at NA. My senior has worked tirelessly toward her IB Diploma and she and her friends seem to be of the opinion right about now that that goal may be in jeopardy with the loss of Mr. Denine. I have to wonder if they really considered the ramifications to that program. The theater at NA is pretty small. There is no way that it will accommodate all the concerned parents Tuesday night.
Donna
October 6th, 2012
9:48 pm
Do schools exist to educate students or to support huge, inept, dysfunctional bureaucracies?
APS is pathetic. It needs to be dissolved and taken over by Kashim Reed. And there needs to
be an enforcement of the attendance zone. If you are riding the bus from West Wesley, do you
really have a right to attend?
Good luck to Sid Baker as he embarks on a journey that I would not wish on anyone. Good luck
to the kids who, after all, are just trying to get a good education.
NAHS Alimni (C/O 94)
October 6th, 2012
9:57 pm
I know that bussing is not the true issue here. However as one of those kids who was bussed to Buckehead EVERY morning from MLK & Bankhead, from kindergarten to 12th grade (Garden Hills, Sutton, NAHS) I must say that to hear how my peer’s parent’s REALLY felt of me all those years is sad. The M to M program (as it was called- Minority to Majority) changed my life… I know that the “Buckhead Bettys” and their dedication to every school I attended helped make those schools awesome for me and their kids… while my mom worked 8-12 hour shifts everyday and could not attend PTA meetings it never meant she didnt care. You know what else my being there did? Those Buckehead kids loved us bussed kids all the same. We learned from them and they learned from us. Many of us are still friends today. This nonesense about race is the adults. The kids who are in that school everyday are fine with their classmates, just as we were.
Today I am a successfull, taxpaying citizen with kids of my own. I honestly wish they could go to school in Buckhead and have the same rich cultural experiences I had as a child. Unfortunately its clear they arent wanted there.
concerned
October 6th, 2012
9:58 pm
Doug Frutiger, your eloquence and your wide regard for everyone has been a beacon and wiser words couldn’t have been written.
JAR
October 6th, 2012
10:13 pm
We don’t need to hear from any other APS officials!! Of course any APS official that does not agree with Davis will be cut, chopped and packaged for delivery to the streets. So, Davis needs to do the talking at Tuesday’s meeting.
SS88
October 6th, 2012
10:23 pm
As an alumni (NHS ‘85) I am totally shocked that the entire administration was just fired out of the blue without explanation. I can’t imagine that this will be good for the current students there. And right before homecoming? Sad, sad, sad.
The truth
October 6th, 2012
10:50 pm
First of all none of you parents know how bad this school was in 2008. My first year here I would walk by the bathrooms and almost on a daily basis smell weed. Fights were common, kids were constantly suspended and expelled, it was awful. Last year when I graduated it was a completely different school. Mygrant might not have responded to everyones emails but he definitely turned the school completely around. There is no racism going on at this school. Anyone can be in IB, anyone can be in Journalism, it is completely up to the student. Sorry that IB is predominately white? I had classmates of all races. It was up to who wanted to take the challenge. For the parents with kids there now let me tell you something you need to understand. Without Denine and Gautreaux this school is in for a world of hurt. Those two administrators kept everything in line as far as behavioral issues with students. John Ballard is also gone, who was easily the best employee in all of APS bar none. The best literature teacher in the school left last year. Its shocking as to why more great teachers arent leaving. This school is in for a world of hurt if they dont get things fixed.
To all of the people that are bringing up allegations around the valedictorian situation, everyone in that senior class, including the salutatorian knew it was legitimate. Lastly, IB is so far from “a joke” at North Atlanta that the person that wrote that must be enduring some sort of traumatic brain injury. It goes by the IB curriculum, meaning they arent APS standards, which is probably why it has created the success in the students that it has. Does everyone get the diploma? No. But, with exception of just a few students, everyone is at great schools doing well.
This school is racially divided on some levels but that is by no means the administrations fault. Ever since the day I got there, its been clear that a majority of the kids that are not in IB, regardless of race, are trying to take the easy way out. If your child really wanted a challenge, he/she could have easily joined the IS/IB program at any point in their highschool career. I’ve been in class with many business and PA kids before and the amount of disrespect they give to the teacher is horrific. It is not the administrations job to parent your child into being a good young adult, so if you find yourself blaming APS for your child being arrested and expelled then take a look in the mirror and understand that it is your fault and your childs fault. Not Mygrants. I just dont see how else this racial discrimination allegation can be seen. Especially bringing up the “buckhead girls” and their “pot brownies”. Pull your kids from this school before its too late. It will never get better unless they bring back the old team.
NAHS STUDENT
October 6th, 2012
11:26 pm
What about the students though. We don’t take sudden change without an explanation very well,so somebody needs to come out with the truth of what really went down.
Megan NAH c/o 2009
October 7th, 2012
1:12 am
I went to North Atlanta, Sutton, and Morris Brandon. I was not zoned for those schools but my mother was an educator for APS, so I was able to attend them anyways. My father retired as a high ranking manager from Delta Airlines while I was in high school, so I don’t feel I need to explain that I’m not from the hood. I was in IS and IB, I was in challenge, I was always on the Honor Roll and I stayed out of trouble.My neighborhood schools were the pits and I got the better education because my parents did what they had to do to make sure I could survive in the real world. I can’t help where I lived, but you’ll do what you have to do for your children to get the best in education. Realistically, no one is about to move to a new neighborhood, regardless of how much it will cost, just for their kids to go to a better school. Life does not work that way for everyone. Mr. Mygrant was a great leader to my middle and high school. Reading what people have accused him of is horrible. To be honest, when I was in high school and they began all the rezoning tasks, that was when all the riff raff came to North Atlanta that you all love to hate on and they went to their neighborhood school. APS is forever looking for ways to close schools in black neighborhoods, neighborhoods that have a higher density than all of buckhead. Everyone’s always trying to say that they’re closing the schools because of poor test grades, low enrollment, and over all poor performance. Well… if you close our schools instead of finding better administration to run them, the black kids from the South side will have no choice but to move further up North into your neighborhood schools. Instead of trying to clean Mr. Mygrant’s name as well as the other educators being framed for such an ugly accusation, everyone is on here trying to send those kids back where they belong. We get it, everything that is not white tarnishes your beloved Buckhead and your property values. I’ve always known that, so I worked hard so when people saw me, they did not think I was some black kid from the South side taking up space, but a young woman worth investing in. I am proud of where I came from. I will represent South Fulton for all of my childhood experiences that made me the woman I am today. I would not trade in my education or my parents’ decision to send me to school in Buckhead either. What I would change is the fact that from 1996-2009, all my years in APS from K-12, I had to prove I was worthy to be there. It doesn’t matter if I am black or not. If you want to weed out kids, go for the ones that do nothing in life and prove every day that they are a lost cause. You would be surprised about how many of them ARE NOT Black OR Hispanic. While I am on here I want to thank Mr. Mygrant, Mr. Denine,Ms. Gautreaux, Mr. AND Mrs. Colbert because without their leadership and their faith in all of their students, regardless of what they look like, I wouldn’t be in my 4th year of my 5-year Bachelor of Architecture Degree program at Tuskegee University. I would not have gotten the kind of support they give had I not gotten up every morning at 5 AM to catch the school bus. I would not have gotten that if I didn’t work hard. I wouldn’t have gotten this far in life if I had given into present day segregation. I am sorry for those of you who hate the idea of black kids in your neighborhood schools, you let APS do that, not Mr. Mygrant. There are more important things to argue about than kids not going to their zoned schools like losing a great leader that all of you would have been lucky to have as your principal.
C/O 07
October 7th, 2012
1:19 am
I am African American and a recent college graduate, and current grad student at a competitive institution. I can honestly say, that I am proud of the education that was provided to me at North Atlanta High School. It is really embarrassing to know that people who never attended NAHS, or even set foot in an Atlanta Public School are criticizing the administration at NAHS. Furthermore, PTA meetings and coffee talks are not the only ways to gain an audience with the principal. Whoever said that needs to do better. My parents could not attend because they had to work, and children to take care. However, they found other ways. I had the pleasure of knowing four of those people who were fired. Mr. Mygrant, was my middle school principal. Ms. Geautreaux, was my PE teacher in middle school. Mr. Denine, was one of the assistant principals in the IB Department. Mr. Colbert, was head of the Performing Arts Department and my band instructor. When I was there, we chose the education path we wanted to take. We had to apply to get into the magnet programs offered at North Atlanta. True, there were not a lot black students in the IB/IS department. However, that was the student’s choice. I made that choice, and have not regretted it since. I am not sure people realize the impact that those teachers have made on students lives. If they don’t comeback , I don’t blame them.
TCCB
October 7th, 2012
4:20 am
I have been employed with Atlanta Public Schools since 1990. I wanted to talk a little about
out of zone students in the North Atlanta cluster. In the 90s the economy was great, there are
private schools on every corner in Buckhead and the Buckhead wealthy filled the streets with traffic
to get their kids to Pace, Lovett, Galloway, and the rebuilt Atlanta International School.The
neighborhood schools were empty. Bus loads of children were transported from all over the city
to KEEP THOSE SCHOOL OCCUPIED as we all know Buckhead in not Vine City and Atlanta
could not leave a vacant building in Buckhead for 20yrs. Buckhead also took advantage of busing
NONE (believe me when I tell you None)
of the children that lived in the Margret Mitchell Neighborhood attended Margret Mitchell Elementry School (that was the school that the Hispanic and African American children attended)
The ( White children) were bused away from their “NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL” to Brandon,Jackson or Sarah Smith
TCCB
October 7th, 2012
4:34 am
APS must clean up this mess. I am waiting on a better economy I would love to see what will happen when the Buckhead Elite go back to private school. I would not let another child of mine attend a North Atlanta Cluster school if I were paid to do so. Erroll Davis Rocks!!!!!!
The Real Truth
October 7th, 2012
5:49 am
@The Truth… It is my sincere hope and prayer that your young and feable mind is developed and not clouded by poor judgement, a system of blatant disregard, disrespect and inhumane behavior. Yes, the school has changed but not for the better. Great leadership should be systemic…whether MyGrant, Denine or Gautreaux are at the helm of the school or not, the school should be able to operate and continue to operate. The fear of this administration leaving is not for the instructional program of the school but for the “microcosm” called IS/IB. Equity is not afforded to all students at NAHS. You simply do not know what you are talking about, so let me educate you. When your beloved, “best literature teacher” and Mr. Denine hold study sessions for a select population of IB students in their home without affording all candidate the same luxury is not equitable. When grade inflation occurs because students are in IB and receive weighted credit but do not sit for the exam, this is not equitable nor fair. When students break the law, but are not sent to ISS but are allowed to sit in Denine’s office as punishment, this is not fair nor equitable. By your own admission, “the school is racially divided on some levels”, … do you believe that this is best practice? Sorry, my dear…but a school should not be divided on any level, but I guess you are dillusional or suffering from traumatic brain injury to believe that separate but equal is acceptable. Lastly, there are no easy way out for any student or at least there should be, but may I ask…how many study hall classes have you taken and received an A for just showing up. Again, I stand on my declaration that IB/IS is a joke!! Simply, look at the data…and again, I ask, HOW MANY STUDENTS RECEIVED THE IB DIPLOMA in the last 5 years? If the program is so stellar, there should be more students receiving the diploma and the numbers don’t lie… it simple…either the students are not prepared well by the beloved IB teachers or the student dont take the exam serious…I beg to differ that it is the latter because your parents or the Foundation will not shell out all those funds to pay for an exam that you can’t pass. So, it’s simple… you are not prepared. Lastly, with regards to the culture of the school…my dear, please look under the rug, where much of the mess, drama and chaos of IS has been swept and you will see just as much mess as in the other SLCs. Change is a good thing…it was time for MyGrant and the adminstrative staff to move on. Look at Sutton, once he left Sutton..the school soared under the new adminstration. I’m quite sure the same will occur at NAHS. Again, I applaud Mr. Davis and his team for the courage to address the ills of NAHS and not be controlled by the parents, who simply have an agenda which does not include all students at NAHS
concerned
October 7th, 2012
7:08 am
To the Real Truth, The IB is open to all students. The success rate for some students on the IB is dictated by their preparations for the exams which fall at the end of senior year- ripe with senioritis as the seniors who have college admissions and financial aid are sitting pretty.But, the program is open to all students and it is collectively a very hard program to manage and just going through the program is a boon for any students who will be presented with college level work load the next semester. It is a supportive and inclusive program,
BUT- the school is a culture and a community. I am fearful for the kids who might not be so motivated to pay attention to school life and Ms Gautreaux who has known them since they were knee high and knew their cousins, their siblings, their parents- she has an encylopedic knowledge of that student body. This tiny but mighty woman would stand toe to toe with students just about to get into a scuffle and get it settled down and on its way to resolution before anyone could bat an eye. You don;t get that level of respect unless you have earned it and Ms.; Gautreaux had the absolute best interest ot the students there. I have written before about the professionalism of all of the coordinators who have worked so incredibly hard to make every and all transitions transparent and group supportive. It was for the Good of the Order and always shall be.
Pam Woodard
October 7th, 2012
8:10 am
To The Real Truth: If you are not there everyday do you really know more than someone who is? The IB reading groups and study sessions were open to any parent who wanted to attend. I take it that you were not interested in that book club. I know I wasn’t. As for the discrepancies in the number of students taking the IB classes and getting weighted grades, but never taking the test or taking the test and not passing: IB is hard. The amount of work is astronomical. The level of scholarship that is demanded from these students is equal to that demanded from a college student. To be successful in IB, a student needs to come prepared and they need to put in the work to stay prepared. And unlike the CRCT, the IB exams are difficult. The fact that a student can even sit for the test is an accomplishment. Every student at North Atlanta is not IB material, just as every student at North Atlanta is not PA material. But no one is complaining about that. If a student is not reading on grade level, or preferably above grade level; if a student doesn’t have a firm grip on mathematics, and if they think they can get by on charm, IB is not the place for them.
My son was challenged for the first time in his life at North Atlanta. He graduated number 15 in his class of 200+ (I think), and was eligible for a Zell Miller scholarship. That means that at least 15 students had grades higher than his, and he had a 3.8. Not all of these students were white either. Many of these high achieving students were not white. Someone who keeps up with the numbers would have to tell you that.
I spoke with a number of parents during my son’s tenure in the IB program. I wanted to know how they supported their student. Parents stayed up late with their kids while the kids were working. Families curtailed many social events. Parents discussed all of those strange and gruesome novels the students read and annotated and did journals and reports on. The students got chore relief at home/ many parents went back to cooking breakfast every morning. I did all of that, and took my son to school every morning that he missed MARTA, because his bus driver decided that she didn’t need to stop at his stop anymore. And I also communicated with his teachers and with John Denine.
I don’t know what goes on in Arts or Business, but I did read The Truth’s statement about the level of disrespect those students offer the teachers. Disrespectful students seldom do as well as those who want to learn. But I see that you didn’t care to address that. At some point, children and parents have to take ownership of their education. It is not always (it is not usually) the teachers fault, nor the school’s fault, if a high schooler does not succeed. And that’s not only at NAHS in the IB program, that’s everywhere.
I don’t know what happened at North Atlanta. I do know that getting rid of an entire administrative staff at once is beyond short sighted. It’s stupid. Somebody who knows what and how has to remain. I’m glad that my son is in college now. And I wish the best for the North Atlanta family.
Dash
October 7th, 2012
8:16 am
This all sounds JUST like when Voldemort and the Death Eaters took over the Ministry of Magic and then immediately seized control of Hogwarts. Who is the Voldemort of APS?
NAHS IB student
October 7th, 2012
8:26 am
When I heard the herd what had happened on Friday, I was completely shocked and outraged. The administrators that were in place were not crooks or discriminatory in any way! I had a good relationship with all of them and they were very fair. I’m an average student. My parents aren’t exceptionally wealthy or involved in the school, but I was never looked down upon. To suggest that this has something to do with racist is preposterous! People will find “discrimination” anywhere they can. I’m sad to see all of these good people go, and I hope APS has some serious explanations, or I’m going to fight my way through their corrupted beauracracy to find one!
Chris Murphy
October 7th, 2012
9:52 am
I really appreciate the current students that have posted here. Realize that the internet allows all these spineless adults to say whatever they want, but that their influence off-line is limited by their jellyfish-like presence. They have neither courage nor convictions, just the hurt feelings you’ve seen in immature classmates that wouldn’t own up to their own behavior. Now you know why your parents talk about character and the role it plays in one’s life- you don’t want to end up like these miserable miscreants.
Nahs parent
October 7th, 2012
9:57 am
I’m sad to see so many negative comments about NAHS, its parents, teachers, students, and administrators. I am glad to see that this is really only coming from a couple of posters who obviously have very strong feelings.
My main concern about the matter at hand is gettin some answers from APS. Based on the public statement yesterday, the decision to remove our administration was deliberated for quite some time. Then why not give written notice of the decision in advance? You’ve admitted there are no allegations or suspicions of wrong doing. Why wait until 5:00 on a Friday before a holiday weekend, spring this on everyone, and why show up with security? You gave a curt notice after the fact providing no real explanation and leaving parents, teachers, and students to look to the Internet for answers. And this is what we find.
Maureen, you have done an excellent job keeping us informed but the comments on this blog will do more damage to our school than any individual administrator could have ever done. This is an embarrassment.
If you don’t like NAHS, get involved and work to change it, go somewhere else, or keep quiet. And yes – my child is a minority and we are/were happy with the school.
Jeff A. Taylor
October 7th, 2012
10:06 am
After sorting thru ALL these comments it certainly sounds like that the only way the broader public is going to get anything like the truth is via lawsuits. If indeed anyone with APS used the epithet “racist” to describe any current or potential staff member, that is defamation. Period.
SAME BAT CHANNEL
October 7th, 2012
10:35 am
Principal – re: one hired in july, gone in three days – rationale: see racist twitter / blogs comments from parents and he goes back home within a few days (is this a ‘botched’ hiring process); assistant principal – withdraws from selection pool; internal academy leader interviews and gets back job at North Atlanta High School after first principal selected; retired principal ‘generously’ comes out of retirement to set up new principal to keep current support administration; note: all support administration actually hired from within after teaching only at North Atlanta High School; current administrative team sets up new PTA prior to arrival of new principal and is set to select floors and continue programming while conveniently setting up certain evaluators and teachers ‘legally’ to remove unwanted teachers prior to arrival at the new location; Tuesday faculty meeting set up to receive new principal with ready made internal transition team; new principal is ‘detained’; faculty and staff receive merely a second overview of employee handbook direct from H.R. never mind training already completed; Bloody Friday: administrators reassigned effective immediately; teachers are thanked for their service and notice of a ‘new’ North Atlanta is promised; conveniently, news picks up little white lies behind irregular internal hiring practices and internal strives to right wrongs ; racist attitude: North Atlanta High School is exempt from regularized practices of the AISS (?) with a full school year just past other schools restructuring and hiring new principals as well; parents encourage students to use themselves as human shields on Wednesday (the first day after fall break).
Stay tuned: parent protest on Tuesday (a planning day)
NAHS senior
October 7th, 2012
11:52 am
I am a senior at North Atlanta in the IB program. It would be greatly appreciated if everyone would listen to my inside scoop on this awful subject.
North Atlanta is one of the few schools that offers the International Baccalaureate to ALL students, regardless of race, income, or grades. Students are given ample opportunities to make it in to the prestigious program. Students are allowed to be in IB whether they can afford it or not. Financial aid has been given to students who cannot afford it. If a student comes to the IB coordinator wanting to drop out, the coordination does everything in her power to make sure the best decision is made.
Many comments are contradicting of themselves. People want the IB open to all students but then complain when the scores aren’t high enough. This is because NAHS gives everyone the opportunity to be in IB, regardless of what their GPA is.
Regarding the administrators: As a senior, I have been stressing out about the new administration coming in, knowing nothing about anyone. The night before my final SAT, I received news of this event and was certainly distracted by it. I’m scared to go to school on Wednesday. The new administration will know nothing about dress code, policies or, heck, even where the bathrooms are!!! This weekend has definitely had a change in focus. What was supposed to be a fun fall break has now turned in to a mourning of North Atlanta’s administration and a constant fearing of the conditions of school on Wednesday.
There was obviously very little thought to how this will affect the students. I’ll be at the meeting on Tuesday and look forward to hearing Davis’s thoughts. I’m incredibly disappointed in the Atlanta Public School systems choice.
P. Gunnarson Rambo
October 7th, 2012
11:54 am
The removal tactics used on Friday at NAHS were used several times in Dekalb County, to my knowledge. This Gestapo-like action is typically a power move, stylized by unprofessional and possibly corrupt county Higher-ups. As a teacher, I have witnessed similar actions. I have also dealt with county office stand-ins. Each one was incompetent. These people have failed and been reshuffled many times. The temps cannot manage anything. The people that work the hardest and are generally honest are the teachers. Yes, there are a few that are not adequate. That is why they become administrators. Those of us that truly want to teach stay in the classroom.
Robert
October 7th, 2012
12:01 pm
So, a white principal is removed from a majority-white high school by a black superintendent after charges of hiring “racists”?
The real racists here are the APS’ black equivalent of the good-ole-boy system. It’s clear the principal was removed due to the color of his skin, and for not being subordinate to the black masters of the APS system.