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
Micah Perlman
October 9th, 2012
1:59 pm
“Let me extend my heart-felt congrats to APS for showing how to totally screw up the public school system. You are already the laughing stock of the state. Take this with you, voters who put them in: The right to vote does not mean the intelligence to do so! What a crock! The Klan itself in its biggest day can’t play the race card like APS!”
The issue has become crystal clear.
Certain people are not used to or comfortable with black people being in positions of power.
Hence all of the delusional cries of “reverse racism”
The quote above takes the cake. Completely devoid of reality. Completely insensitve to the hundred years of terror that the KKK reigned down on this country.
If you want to talk about a “race card,” look no further than the one you are trying to play simply because you cannot handle black people in positions of power.
For shame.
Fritz Neumeister
October 9th, 2012
3:54 pm
@Micah
Why would anyone feel comfortable with black people in power when this is what they are doing? I’ve never seen white administrators act the way black administrators do NAHS. Am I supposed to be ok with the n-word being thrown around by adults on a regular basis. Showing displays in the hallway on par with a 12 year old. Allowing bullying to take place that consists of racial teasing? Am I not supposed to be concerned when a black administrator loses paperwork, forgets to send in transcripts, orders books to be thrown away without ordering replacements, letting fights and thievery go un-punished?
Mom for Education Karen Alston
October 10th, 2012
12:26 pm
Fritz –
White administrators ha ve done the same. As I recall, there was a field trip IB students took to the High Museum a few years ago, during which many if the students were caught on camera raiding the museum store, stealing items and walking out. The majority of the students involved were white. Should I mention the white male student who snorted lines in my child’s class? He was white and went unpunished. Should I mention how one teacher told a dark young black student how he frightened her, because he was so dark he blended in with the blackboard and she couldn’t see him. She told him not to stand or sit there so she could see him. Or, about how she made all of her black students in this class sit in the back of the classroom? Or how several of the parents, including me took proof to Denine that she was grading unfairly and he wouldn’t make her change the grade until Mygrant stepped in. A white child would make an A on a test, but a black child with the same answers would make a C or a D. I know of at least three black teachers who have told students of how they hate whites in front of the entire class if blacks, whites, and other races. I’ve been there and witnessed a lot of these things first hand. So, it’s not just a issue with blacks, there’s an overall problem at the school. It’s not the students, but certain teachers, certain PTA lesfersinterference and members, some ofof the teachers, and two administrators I personally have deslt with, neither of which include Mark MyGrant. It’s funny how the kids don’t have racial problems eith each ither, but the adults are the core problem.
As far as North Atlanta not meeting AYP, it’s the teachers whowe’ve need to go. I always tried to mske sure my child had the best one, but there are some awful ones teaching AP and IB classes. Davis should have gutted the entire school in June and rehired who was qualified and let go of who wasn’t.
Maureen Downey
October 10th, 2012
12:54 pm
@To all, You cannot attack teachers by name.
Maureen
Doug Frutiger
October 10th, 2012
2:05 pm
There will be an appropriate time and place for all of those who have concerns about the quality of teachers, racism, the inequitable distribution of funds and so on at North Atlanta High School. But that time is not now.
Right now the community needs to put their dfferences aside and focus on what is happening to their school,. Last night the comunity was deceived. They were told that North Atlanta High School was failing and was about to be taken over by the state of Georgia. This is not true. Please read today’s blog written by Maureen Downey (the host of this blog) entitled “The morning after: Did Erroll Davis provide a convincing case for the North Atlanta High shakeup?” She makes it clear that North Atlanta High is not on either of the States lists of poor and underperforming schools. Actually, only two high schools in APS, Mays and North Atlanta High, are not on these lists,. Please read this article,.
The real question is why these drastic changes were made if North Atlanta High School is not failing? The second question is “what are you going to do about it?”
Facts you should know:
1) the superintendent states that IS students were performing well. But Denine was removed anyway.
2) Ms. Fairly-Nelson and Ms. Brazil were Academy Leaders for only 1 year. They could not have been part of the long-term, systemic pattern of “failure” described by the superintendent, but they were removed.
3) Mr. Colbert was the longest serving Academy Leader, but he had already retired so he was gone anyway.
So, if the school was not on the State’s list of failing schools as we were told and if the Academy leaders were not part of the long-term problem cited by the superintendent, why were they removed?
Politicians have an interest in keeping the public distracted by bickering over personal issues. These issues are important in the long-run but they can serve to keep people from focusing on the real issues at hand at the moment, The North Atlanta community needs to focus now on the issue of who is running their schools and how they are running them. Education suceeds when there is strong community involvement in schools and the decision-making related to schools. It is time to put aside the grievances and focus on doing what is best for the students of North Atlanta High School.
Jennifer Dharling
October 11th, 2012
4:45 pm
So why, Dr. Frutiger, do you think these people were removed?
N. GA Teacher
October 13th, 2012
12:38 am
As a thirty-year northside ( not Fulton) teacher, I can tell you that it speaks volumes that a diversity of students, particularly African-Americans, took the time to blog support for Mygrant and the staff. It sounds to me that Mygrant valued professionalism and standards above political correctness and being a sycophant for central office politicos. The IB program is criticized as being “too small” or “too selective”, but only the few, maybe 5%, can handle the rigors. Student’s academic skills, motivation, and discipline must be extremely high to succeed. I see the same thing at my high school, where few students are willing to take AP or IB courses. As for the Buckhead Betties (first time I have ever heard that!), every affluent community has zealous moms who want to participate in their kid’s schools. We should be glad that they aren’t (but could be) just more “Housewives of Orange County” who live self-indulgent lives of $100 lunches, designer clothes, ignore their kids as bothersome (or get rid of them via boarding schools) and take wealth and privilege for granted. Those of us who are baby boomers fondly recall the days where close to 100% of suburban lower to middle class moms participated in PTA. With few exceptions, PARENTS are the main reason kids succeed. Teachers, however, can take well-parented kids to greater learning heights. I can understand not being able to make some PTA meetings, but EVERY parent can make 2 a year. That is what sick and vacation time can be used for. That is another argument for smaller districts, as many bloggers emphasized. The school districts up north are so good in part because they are not huge sprawling, Balkanized areas like Fulton or DeKalb. Smaller districts allow parents to get to schools quickly, and they also tend to be more culturally cohesive.
EDU Math Teacher
October 14th, 2012
12:39 pm
Every Teacher who replied to this ad; there are other Districts in the Metro Area; but they do not Pay Like APS. Right
NativeAtlantan
October 17th, 2012
1:33 pm
My experience with APS just at the elementary school level has been three things 1) shocking, 2) disturbing and 3) sad. There are so many issues on so many levels. Lack of judgement, unwillingness to discipline extremely badly behaved children and some real incidents of reverse racism have all surfaced in the few years I have had my children in public school. I can’t EVEN BEGIN to imagine what parents have to deal with at the middle school and high school levels. Was I surprised when I read this story about Principal MyGrant? Sadly, no. There appears to be no professionalism and no judgement in APS. I truly feel for any legitimate educator who has to work within this system. I really do.