Did Atlanta superintendent overhaul North Atlanta High and upset community without reason or true data?
In his explanation for the administrative purge at North Atlanta High School 12 days ago, APS Superintendent Erroll B. Davis cited poor academic performance. A forensic accountant from Midtown decided to research that statement and found a much different picture than what Davis presented.
“He seemed to imply that North Atlanta High School should be held to a higher standard than other APS schools because of the neighborhood’s wealth,” said Jarod Apperson, who writes the Grading Atlanta blog.
“While the neighborhood includes wealthy residents who attend private schools, NAHS itself actually serves a fairly high-needs population. It is the only high school in Atlanta serving a sizable number of Hispanics. Also, those coming into NAHS through the admin transfer process are grossly under-prepared,” says Apperson.
Here is Apperson’s analysis and conclusions: (Please note that this entire piece is from Jarod Apperson. None of the comments, including those at the end, are mine. I am adding this note as apparently people are getting confused because of the weird font changes but that is a reflection of the chart challenges. Maureen)
According to Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Erroll Davis, a recent shakeup at North Atlanta High School was motivated by poor performance. After analyzing the school’s performance in closer detail, Mr. Davis’ claims of poor performance don’t appear to hold water.
Who Attends North Atlanta High School?
Several of Mr. Davis’ comments imply that he perceives North Atlanta to be a school serving affluent students. During a recent meeting with parents, he spoke of the “resources” in the community, and stated that he has different expectations for different schools, implying that North Atlanta is held to a higher standard due to the type of students who attend.
While those living in the neighborhoods surrounding North Atlanta are indeed privileged, the students actually attending North Atlanta High School are anything but. More than half of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch. See the attached racial/ethnic profile of the freshman cohort of 2008. This cohort was scheduled to graduate in the spring of 2012, and these students should be the cohort referenced in the most recent graduation data available to APS.
Using CensusViewer, I cross referenced this data with information on race & ethnicity by census block. I comment on my observations below.
White students aged 15-17 are spread throughout Buckhead. The majority live in the residential neighborhoods west of Peachtree Street and east of the Chatahoochee. Typical homes in these neighborhoods are priced from $700,000 to $10,000,000. Therefore it is reasonable to assume that most white students living in Buckhead come from wealthy families. Though these students make up the majority of the area’s population, the vast majority do not attend North Atlanta high school. If all (or even most) of these students chose to attend North Atlanta High school, the school would be overwhelmingly white. Instead, the 2008 cohort was only 13% white (see the attached map).
For Hispanics aged 15-17, I observed that virtually none lived in residential Buckhead. Instead, these students are concentrated in a few apartment complexes. We can safely disregard the notion that Hispanics attending North Atlanta are a group of wealthy, privileged immigrants. Instead, they are more likely first generation immigrants who arrive at APS with high needs. It is also worth recognizing that as apartment dwellers, this community may experience higher levels of turnover than other communities residing in single-family homes (see the attached map).
No other high school within APS serves a significant number of Hispanic students. In fact, the Hispanics served by North Atlanta represent more than half of the high-school aged Hispanics in the whole of APS.
A small minority of Blacks aged 15-17 live in residential Buckhead. It is probably safe to assume that these students come from very wealthy families. The majority of Blacks, however, live either in apartments or in Bolton, an area where real estate is significantly less expensive (see the attached map).
In addition to students zoned for North Atlanta, approximately 20% of North Atlanta’s students arrive through an admin-transfer process. Most of these students are zoned to schools which are majority black and majority low income. It is worth noting that admin-transfers at Sutton Middle school are much lower. As such, most of the students arriving at North Atlanta through the admin transfer process are unlikely to have attended Sutton. Should disparities exist between the preparation received by students attending Sutton and those arriving through admin transfers, North Atlanta would be tasked with bridging that gap.
In fact, incredibly large disparities do exist between the preparation of students attending Sutton and those attending other APS middle schools.The attached table is startling. When compared to all schools in the state, Inman’s students average in the 97th percentile, and Sutton’s average in the 82nd percentile on 2012 CRCT tests. After that, a huge drop occurs before we get to Young Middle, where students are in the 22nd percentile state wide. Things only get worse from there.
Based upon this information, the only reasonable conclusion to draw is that North Atlanta serves a high needs population. Despite the school’s proximity to wealthy neighborhoods, most of the students attending North Atlanta do not live in the wealthy parts of Buckhead. Students attending North Atlanta through the admin transfer process arrive at the school having attended middle schools ranked in the bottom quartile state wide. They are then expected to integrate themselves with students from Sutton, a school ranked in the top quartile.
Now that we have a better picture of what the school faces when a cohort enters 9th grade, we can approach performance data with an appropriate level of context.
Are fewer students graduating from North Atlanta than expected?
Sixty-two percent of North Atlanta’s freshman cohort graduated within four years. While it is disappointing that any students would fail a grade or choose to drop out of high school, it is not a fact uncommon to APS schools or schools throughout the country. The median graduation rate at APS high schools is 63%, roughly equal to North Atlanta’s. There are two important factors which likely reduce North Atlanta’s graduation rate. First, North Atlanta has a high Hispanic population. Second, the admin transfer process may result in “mismatch.”
According to the U.S. government, as of October 2009, approximately 18% of Hispanics aged 16 through 24 dropped out of high school. Approximately 9% of Blacks dropped out, and 5% of whites dropped out. Nationally, Hispanics drop out of high school at a rate twice that of Blacks and almost quadruple that of whites. If Mr. Davis wants to hold different schools to different standards, the fact that North Atlanta is the only APS school serving a significant number of Hispanics cannot be ignored.
By coming into North Atlanta less prepared than students from Sutton, admin transfers may experience what researchers term “mismatch.” Recent research discussed in The Atlantic has shown that when students are placed in classes where they are less prepared than their peers, they are more likely to become discouraged and drop out.
The time to integrate students is at a young age when gaps can be overcome. Expecting students to arrive at North Atlanta in 9th grade grossly underprepared and succeed in classes with Sutton’s students does a disservice to the students the admin-transfer process is intended to help.
If APS as a whole is unable to properly educate its kids in grades K-8, how can it expect North Atlanta to work miracles in the one/two years before students are eligible to drop out?
How does North Atlanta’s SAT performance compare to other schools?
Black, White, and Hispanic students at North Atlanta all exceed APS averages on SAT tests. Both Blacks and Whites also exceed national averages. See the attached table reflecting 2011 scores by race/ethnicity.
Black students score approximately 38 points higher than the APS average and 29 points higher than the national average. White students graduating from North Atlanta score higher than all but two schools in the Atlanta metro.
What mistakes did APS make in the shakeup?
The mistakes made by APS reflect faults of both substance and form.
Mr. Davis claims to have based his decisions on a detailed review of data, but it appears that his review ignored the context within which that data should be considered. North Atlanta is, by and large, not made up of privileged, wealthy students. It is unreasonable to hold the school to a standard based upon the “resources” of the area when wealthy kids and their resources go to private schools.
The form of the dismissals was unnecessarily dramatic. I understand Mr. Davis’ goal of providing the incoming principal a fresh slate. However, the exit of current administration didn’t need to be so eventful. Administrators could have been told they would be reassigned on October 29 and given a few weeks to prepare. Alternatively, the incoming principal could have been given some time to decide which administrators he wanted to keep and which he felt needed to be replaced.
What should North Atlanta parents do?
APS is undergoing dramatic changes. Enrollment has steadily declined for over 10 years. The only areas which have seen increasing enrollment are the Grady, North Atlanta and Jackson clusters where middle-class and upper-class families have purchased homes.
Also, in Buckhead, more white students are choosing to stay in the public education system. Ten years ago, only about 25% of white students in Buckhead stuck with APS from first grade through transitioning to Sutton in sixth. Respect for Sutton has grown and this past year, over 50% of students made the transition. That is a significant increase in just 10 years.
One reason that schools in these areas are succeeding is that they have active parent associations. It’s time for these parents to take on roles in the Board of Education. Parents interested in an improved APS should consider running for at large posts on the Board of Education. Elections will be held in the fall of 2013. Without a majority of competent board members, we will continue to see this type of mismanagement.
Overall, I think Mr. Davis is genuine and intelligent. In many ways, he has done a good job of managing APS, but missteps like this one undo much of the good he has achieved.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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142 comments Add your comment
William Casey
October 18th, 2012
2:16 pm
Based upon my years in school administration, the circumstances of these personnel changes smell like pure institutional politics having very little to do with student achievement. I could be wrong.
Nahs dad
October 18th, 2012
2:30 pm
@anther comment: something you mentioned hit home with me -title 1 funds. I have a saying that when nothing else makes sense, follow the money. What Mr. Davis and APS did doesn’t make sense, particularly in light of Mr. Apperson’s impressive analysis. So let’s follow the money, shall we?
The national center for education statistics states that for a school to be eligible for title 1 funds at least 40% of students must be from qualifying low income families. At an estimate of $1200 per qualifying student and 650 eligible students (52% title 1 eligible students x 1250 students) x $1200 per student. That is $780000 in title one funds coming through APS earmarked for NAHS.
The student population is growing rapidly with non-qualifying Title 1 students.
I believe APS has some flexibility to redistribute title 1 funds to the most needy schools within its district.
If I am indeed correct, the potential risk of $780,000 in federal funding would explain APS, Davis and Mcdaniel’s actions
Fritz Neumeister
October 18th, 2012
2:47 pm
There appears to be a goal here by Davis, if the current situation changes for the better he loses control of NAHS and federal funds which while earmarked for NAHS never actually make it there.
Entitlement Society
October 18th, 2012
2:50 pm
$1,200 per student in Title I money? That’s all we’re talking about? $780k is chump change in this city. For gosh sakes, they raise our property taxes $1,200 some years!!! Why would they care so much about $780K?
Another Mom
October 18th, 2012
2:52 pm
Okay – let’s go back to the 4 SLC administrators re-assigned. If you look at them individually, Mr. Davis’s actions make no sense. Everyone agrees that there is not a graduation problem or achievement problem in the International Studies SLC. So why get rid of that academy leader? The leader for the Center of the Arts was retiring this month anyway, so why get rid of him at this time? (of course, they had to ask him back because he was in charge of the foreign exchange students coming on Saturday, the day after they asked him to leave). The Center for Global Broadcast Journalism is a new SLC and has had no one graduate yet under that SLC’s watch. The academy leader for the Business SLC has also been on the job for only 2 years, so there is no history of failure yet for her as well.
If Mr. Davis did it merely to pathe the way for the new Principal, fine say that, but don’t smoke screen it to do with the administrators performance. Yes, let’s move forward, but without Erroll Davis.
APS Customer Satisfaction: 0%
October 18th, 2012
3:22 pm
Enter your comments here
Rural High School Teacher & Parent
October 18th, 2012
3:33 pm
Thanks, Mr. Apperson – Job Well Done!
Top School
October 18th, 2012
4:03 pm
Fifty Years Ago This Month: APS Is Integrated – Flash Back – Atlanta Magazine
The real heroes of the day were the nine teenagers who entered the hostile territory of those four high schools, and their bravery was largely greeted with silence. Mary McMullen Francis, who integrated Grady High School, told Atlanta magazine four decades later that no one asked her how her day went, and no one talked about her experience. “Even in my own community, it was as if it never happened. The city made it known that nobody wanted you to talk about it.”
This is the ATLANTA WAY … and the APS schools have remained segregated on the NORTHSIDE OF ATLANTA to this day. Today, APS SUTTON MIDDLE SCHOOL & NORTHSIDE HIGH SCHOOL remain segregated schools to satisfy the neighborhood. Slick at hiding the segregation of students…NORTHSIDE PARENTS have developed TEAMS within the schools to separate students and IB SCHOOLS to hide their separate but equal agenda. Their “neighborhood schools” segregate within the walls of the school. And minority leadership turns a blind eye to keep the “tax base” of ATLANTA SATISFIED until they can manipulate another way.
APS OFFICIALS and Buckhead NORTHSIDE SCHOOLS would like the public to again…erase it and “pretend as if it never happened. The city made it known that nobody wanted you to talk about it.”
another comment
October 18th, 2012
5:06 pm
I bet it is the Title the one funds. That is why they import all the out of district folks. That is why they push black and hispanic folks to fill out the forms. Leave the income part blank. Do the white folks that live in Buckhead or even in the new houses of Bolton Rd, even be seen holding a free lunch form. No way Jose. That is the first thing that goes in the trash in my house. My 12 year old told me that her black and hispanic friends at middle school told her that if you have a single mom, you qualify. So you have a single mom, you should get get a free lunch too. I said that is not the qualification sweety. It is if you make over $22,000 a year for a family of 3. I don’t understand how you can live on the Northside Perimeter area even in a cheap area and qualify. You certainly can’t live in a house and qualify when the cheapest house is in the $300K’s or $2,000/ month to rent.
The real fact the school districts are not going to get better until they are broken up. They must be broken up into the smallest denomenator possible. That is one high school or two high schools large. Just look up North and the Mid west, rich and poor go to public school together. There is one school, the town high school everyone, no matter how rich or poor, black , brown , white, purple or green goes to one high school. The school boards are elected but receive no pay. You see the school board in the grocery store, they are your neighbor. The superintendents make $150K a year. They directly supervisor the Principal of the High School, Middle School, Elementary Schools. These small districts may share vo-tech schools with neighboring schools. I went to one of these districts. My nieces and nephews go to two of these districts. We did not grow up prejudice. I was so shocked when I moved to Atlanta, and my children became school age.
I am a Liberal, not a Democrat, but a Liberal. After a while, one gets really sick of being one of the few parents that volunteer. It is shocking when you do volunteer when you have second graders at the end of the year, that can’t read. I spent a year of going into a class twice a week working with two kids a girl and a boy. Just when I almost had the girl reading, she disappeared ( moved) tragic, she was so on the verge of being a reader. The boy, the parents were more interested in him playing sports, football, basketball, baseball, soccer, than reading. I even offered to save then the $5 ASP fee by having him ride the bus home so I could tutor him in reading. They could only write the note 3 times. I bought him boy books at the thrift store for 30cents to keep. He couldn’t believe I was giving him books. Again, I almost had him reading, but the parent’s fighting and the sign-up for the next sport was more important.
At least let my children go ahead and not be held back, by those who don’t care. Those who don’t correct improper English. Above all do not hire teacher’s and Administrators that dare speak to me using “Ax” instead of “ask”, among other things.
FJ
October 18th, 2012
5:31 pm
The timing is just so strange to me. I can’t figure out why Davis would do this right before they move into the fancy new building. There are so many parents out there that are watching and waiting and hoping that high school will be something the community will use. Why in the world would they not want buy in from the parents right now? It makes no sense. Lots of us are just shaking our heads right now and patting ourselves on the back for bailing out of APS when we did. My youngest has over a decade of school left before college and I would love to see NAHS become a decent option for him. I hope they can pull it together over there. So much potential if only APS would stop dragging them down.
APS Customer Satisfaction: 0%
October 18th, 2012
5:46 pm
Andrea Zazi: We are getting a 100 million dollar 56 acre facility….perhaps the other APS schools ought to be outraged over that.
And do you know why APS had to build us a BIGGER high school? Because about 13 years ago, Mark Mygrnt became the principal at Sutton MS, and turned that school around to the point where local parents actually wanted to keep their children in public school beyond the 5th grade. He did such a great job, they made him principal of NA where he, again, did such a great job that the local community kept their kids in public school all the way through graduation. In fact, prior to him being principal, NAHS was so UNDER populated, that students were brought in from Douglas HS. Now we are so OVER populated, APS needs to build us a bigger school.
Entitlement Society: Why would they care so much about $780K?
Perhaps because they had to lay off almost 400 teachers this year due to budget cuts!!!!! (Somehow, APS was able to find the money to create several new positions called “principal mentors.”)
It always comes down to money. In fact, that is probably why APS changed the districts for the elementary schools in the north cluster–to put enough kids on free and reduced lunch in each school to keep their federal money coming in.
APS Customer Satisfaction: 0%
October 18th, 2012
5:58 pm
FJ: I hope they can pull it together over there. So much potential if only APS would stop dragging them down.
From your mouth to the Board Member’s ears. BOE, please do not extend that man’s contract!
Private Citizen
October 18th, 2012
6:56 pm
“The distinctive feature of a prejudice-related attack or insult is that a person is
attacked or insulted not as an individual, as in most other offences, but as the
representative of a family, community or group. Other members of the same
group, family or community are in consequence made to feel threatened and
intimidated as well.”
http://www.insted.co.uk/prejudice-related-bullying.pdf
Private Citizen
October 18th, 2012
7:01 pm
“The distinctive feature of a prejudice-related attack or insult is that a person is attacked or insulted not as an individual, as in most other offences, but as the representative of a family, community or group. Other members of the same group, family or community are in consequence made to feel threatened and intimidated as well.”
http://www.insted.co.uk/prejudice-related-bullying.pdf
Nahs dad
October 18th, 2012
7:10 pm
I read a couple educational journal articles online about Title 1 to get more educated. A consistent theme in the artcles is that the Title 1 federal dollars don’t flow dollar for dollar to the classroom. Too often states cut education funds coincident to the title 1 surplus. Then states use the former education funds as a stopgap in some other area of the state budget.
If APS has to pay back some of the Beverly Hall money that would also strain the APS budget.
It isn’t difficult for me to imagine Mr.Davis having a conversation with his political superiors where he is instructed to ‘go get that federal money (title 1 $).
RW
October 18th, 2012
8:11 pm
Andrea–I am not arguing with the decision made, it is how it was executed. The world is littered with waste from great visions and concepts with poor execution. A great leader should never worry about being vilified–they should worry about not actually being a villan.
We can do better at NAHS and APS–the prior team made an impact on my son–very positively. But could they move the needle enough in the time frame after it was so completely ignored due to the redistricting, cheating issues, etc that were the focus of Mr. Davis. Did they have the leadership and suppor from APS and NAHS? Redistricting didn’t happen mid-year because of the impact it woudl have on the students and the system. This could have had better timing on our NAHS system.
MDHansen
October 18th, 2012
8:20 pm
Maureen – thanks for printing this first rate analysis. It shines daylight on what most of us whose kids have gone through the system have tribally known for years. Now we have a little proof.
Bill Mackinnon
October 18th, 2012
10:18 pm
The most important idea expressed in this analysis, which seems spot on to me, is that the kids “admin transferring” in from the other middle schools in the lowest quartile, were not prepared to function in the NAHS setting. Why wasn’t the administration, who claims ot be so focused on the needs of the students, providing the support these kids needed? This was an agregious way to set these students up for failure. APS spends more per student than ever but not on the students. Beverly Hall presided over a system that produced numbers she won awards for, but they were derived by cheating and lying. Erroll Davis is proving that he is about his business the same way. Nancy Meisters letter stating the Board needs to wait to renew/extend his contract is the right thing to do. My fear is that the wagons will be circled around him along racial lines. I still maintain that a Truth and Reconciliation style commission needs to be performed and let the chips fall where they may.
Bill Mackinnon
October 18th, 2012
10:46 pm
@ Mrs. Norman Maine-I bet you voted for Newt Gingrich and modeled your comments after his tendency to throw “bombs.” How’s that working for you?
Former APS student
October 18th, 2012
10:59 pm
It seems to me the people responsible for motivating the student are the parents of that student. I was myself properly motivated by my own parents when I did not take my schoolwork seriously or do my best. I don’t think a school should be responsible for the motivation. They already have enough responsibilities as it is. This is where the parent has to step in and be a “parent”………
@Big Mama Yes it is the responsibility of the parents to be the motivators. But all children do not come from stable homes, You have children who are from single parent homes who parents are not involved… Yo have children who may be living with relatives who dont give a care, Some of these kids mayb homeless,living in shelters and extended stay hotels …. This high school could be some of these at risk students last hope. Even though statistic shows that it is very difficult to turn a struggling student around at the high school level …. it is not impossible. Now some students may fall through the crack but a 40% drop out rate is entirely too higgh for any high school. Did this principal put any programs into place for potential high risk students? Seem to me they were completely ignored.
appalled
October 18th, 2012
11:35 pm
I have to call foul on the numbers because I happen to know for a fact that 20% of the population of NAHS is not from transfers. The senior class, right now, is the last class of the magnet program that was phased out. Last years incoming class of 9th graders only had 10 transfer kids within it. And, this year they didn’t allow NOT ONE transfer at all. Now I know the basketball and football teams snuck in some players, but they don’t count as transfers at all. So, if this number is inaccurate, I am left to deduce that the other numbers are as well.
PS Fan
October 19th, 2012
12:11 am
@ Bill Mackinnon, You mention Nancy Meister’s letter suggesting that a vote on the extension of Supt. Davis’ contract be postponed, but, as of today, the Board has called a special meeting for next Monday in which it appears they will discuss and vote on an extension. Whatever one’s thoughts on the situation at N. Atlanta, the question we all must ask is why is the Board rushing into the vote? The contract for Mr. Davis does not expire for more than 6 months. What is the need to do this right now? So far, letters sent to the Board asking these questions have gone unanswered. Ms. Downey – maybe you can get an answer.
A Former NAHS Student
October 19th, 2012
12:53 am
@appalled: Yes, the magnet program has definitely phased out, so the issue of transfers is not as pertinent NAHS today as it was in the past. That being said, you must realize that the study in this article is based on the most recent graduating class, which did have the magnet program. You can’t get drop out statistics from a freshman class. In addition, I’m sure that the statistics have changed in the past four years. The freshman class in ‘08 was drastically different from the freshman class this year. Also as a side note isn’t it ironic that our best athletic teams didn’t recruit. Football and Basketball never really performed well during that period of “recruitment”, while Baseball, Wrestling, Soccer, and several other teams made it to State and performed decently for being a NAHS Athletic team.
APS High Schools in Practice
October 19th, 2012
7:45 am
If someone hasn’t already pointed it out, APS included NAHS on the list for administrative transfers even through this year. These students apply downtown for open spaces that APS has identified at the school.
The NAHS population explosion sits at Sutton and the elementary schools waiting to roll upward. APS planned for this population in advance by slating their new high school to open fall of 2013.
This begs the question if they will need the high school if the NAHS community (who have the financial wherewithal for a paying choice) all decide that the cost of private school is worth it for the stability of their kids. If this happens, then APS will have a behemoth of a building sitting on the Cobb County border that really isn’t useful to any other clusters.
Way to go APS. Private schools are already leveraging on this snafu and inviting elementary school and select middle school families to open houses for their schools.
APS High Schools in Practice
October 19th, 2012
7:47 am
I should underscore that administrative transfers are not applying to a magnet program. They are applying for any open space at the school. NAHS has lots of administrative transfers.
I believe the only APS high school is on the list not allowing administrative transfers is Grady High School. But then, they have the fraudulent enrollment problem that more than levels the score on that front.
Pride and Joy
October 19th, 2012
11:32 am
Perfectly said “If APS as a whole is unable to properly educate its kids in grades K-8, how can it expect North Atlanta to work miracles in the one/two years before students are eligible to drop out?”
EXACTLY.
Entitlement Society
October 19th, 2012
12:06 pm
“This begs the question if they will need the high school if the NAHS community (who have the financial wherewithal for a paying choice) all decide that the cost of private school is worth it for the stability of their kids. If this happens, then APS will have a behemoth of a building sitting on the Cobb County border that really isn’t useful to any other clusters.”
With yet another demonstration of unstability and erratic behavior on the part of APS, I would say, yes, many, many, many parents (like I) will decide/have decided that the cost of private school is worth it for the stability of our children (and a myriad of other reasons). Look at all of the outrage ONE personnel change caused at NAHS. Who would ever want to put their children through that? My prediction is the new high school will be a ghost town when Davis and the current school board are finished ruining our public school system.
Jarod Apperson
October 19th, 2012
12:19 pm
@appalled. There are a couple of sources to consider.
The first is this APS document which reflects last year’s enrollment by zone. It shows that 19% of NAHS students are zoned for a different school.
http://www.atlantapublicschools.us/cms/lib/GA01000924/Centricity/Domain/45/Student%20by%20School%20Attendance%20and%20Residence.pdf
The second things we can look at is a comparison of Sutton in the Spring to NAHS in the Fall. Here are the 2008 numbers:
Race/Ethnicity – Sutton – NAHS – Change
Black – 128 – 285 – 157
Hispanic – 50 – 78 – 28
White – 79 – 58 – (21)
Other – 13 – 19 – 6
The total increase is 191 students. Out of 440 total enrolled, that is 43% coming from somewhere other than Sutton. Some were probably through the magnet program and others through admin transfer. Again this is 2008 information, and rules/programs have changed, but the graduation data cited by Mr. Davis is for this cohort.
Warrior Woman
October 19th, 2012
2:05 pm
@Mrs. Norman Maine – If this story doesn’t interest you, don’t read it. It clearly interests others.
Top School
October 19th, 2012
6:45 pm
About 2 years ago…many of the bloggers on this post were accused of RACE baiting. Actually, we were TRUTH baiting. Trying to explain the dynamics of NORTHSIDE APS. You actually need to be on the inside as a NORTHSIDE APS EMPLOYEE…LOOKING OUT. ( of course you would need to have some ethics to judge properly the state of affairs )
Those on the outside looking in…can’t really see the complete picture. It takes some time to sift through all the smoke and mirrors.
When one finally sees the clear picture…NAUSEA…It is similar to watching some of the shameful acts during the civil rights movement.
Andrea Zazi
October 20th, 2012
1:51 am
“appalled
October 18th, 2012
11:35 pm
I have to call foul on the numbers because I happen to know for a fact that 20% of the population of NAHS is not from transfers. The senior class, right now, is the last class of the magnet program that was phased out. Last years incoming class of 9th graders only had 10 transfer kids within it. And, this year they didn’t allow NOT ONE transfer at all. Now I know the basketball and football teams snuck in some players, but they don’t count as transfers at all. So, if this number is inaccurate, I am left to deduce that the other numbers are as well.”
Yes, this “analysis” is very inaccurate.
I am still waiting for an explanation why Mr. Apperson does not count black and Hispanic students who live in Buckhead apartment and condos as part of the “residential Buckhead” community.
So far no answers on that one.
Take this “analysis” with a grain of salt.
appalled
October 20th, 2012
10:50 am
“NAHS has lots of administrative transfers.” @APS H S in P, that is just NOT true. The blacks and Hispanics that attend this shool ARE part of the Buckhead community!
@Apperson, we DON’T need four year old reports right now. We need up to date info which reflects the TRUTH. “19%” andmin transfers. according to APS records, are only reflective of the 2013 graduating class, ONLY!
@Andrea Z, This “analysis” is only a “grain of salt” that was poorly researched and printed for the sole purpose of producing public outrage and comments to this blog for a close friend of Nancy Meister.
Former APS student
October 20th, 2012
11:27 am
SMH as I read through these comments It dawns on me what Northside elite parents want. No administrative transfers, No magnet program and a lilly white North Atlanta High school. The problem is you still gonna have a problem with class since you dont want to count students who lives in apartments and condos as buck head residents. Yall are pathetic. modern racism and classism at its best. The old Northside high didnt even have that mentality. They bussed in kids all over atlanta to attend Northside. I mean literally went into the south side neighbor hoods and trainstations and picked the students up. Their was always a population of students who did not live in the buckhead area that attended North side and Later North Atlanta. But keep it up with your racist agenda. Your children will loose out on the benefits from attending a school with a diverse student body as oppose to a student body whose background are simular.
JW
October 20th, 2012
2:56 pm
Maureen, AMEN to your comment about there not being enough attention paid to middle school reform! PLEASE convince Jarrod A. to do more analysis about the middle schools in APS and how the issues at the MS level affect HS graduation rates.
Ms. Tomes
October 21st, 2012
9:20 am
Maureen, thanks for covering this NAHS story and for keeping watch on the APS Board, Davis and his team. We purchased in this district so our younger children would have good public school options through K-12. We now fear the repeated actions of the APS Board & administration will continually drive away the “good teachers & administrators” in these schools and subsequently bring down the schools’ reputation and demand for this district. We need more folks with “good, moral high ground” (who do what’s best for the students) controlling our schools and less corrupt, political climbers.
Beautiful Lady
October 21st, 2012
9:32 am
Mr. MyGrant was and is a good person. He was the principal at Sutton Middle school when my child attended Sutton. He demonstrated a caring and concerned spirit for all students. My child also attended and graduated from North Atlanta High School. No, Mr. MyGrant wasn’t the principal at North Atlanta High School at the time, but was a factor in my decision to send my child to North Atlanta. The principal at North Atlanta High School at the time was Delphia Bryant Young, who was very ugly to many students and parents. I understand that she now serves on the SACS committee. How tragic!!!!!!!! Corruption still exist at all levels and all places. Mr. Davis’ actions were very unprofessional, as well as demonstrated a lack of care for students and parents. Why is he even being considered for a contract extension. He doesn’t seem to care about what is in the best interest of students, His deputy superintendent, Karen Waldon is no better. She left Henry County to come to APS. Has anyone ever wondered why? For the money—yes. Our children deserve better. Not just one group of students, but all students. Why not march Mr. Davis and his team out of APS. If the board extends his contract, they need to be marched out also.
Hey Maureen!
October 21st, 2012
5:20 pm
Is it violation of federal law to use Title 1 monies to hire an extra teacher? If so, NAHS is not the only APS school to do that. At my elementary school, the principal felt it was probable that we would loose one teacher after the final count. Because the leveling process caused so many problems with rearranging homerooms last year, she told out faculty that she had approval to use Title 1 money to retain that teacher, if necessary. If true, this would negate the poster who called Mygrant criminal.
Current Community
October 22nd, 2012
8:28 pm
Former North Atlanta Student, those of us in the current NAHS community desire an integrated school where students of different races, ethnicities, religions and socio-economic classes all be together in one school. From your letter, it sounds as though you liked North Altanta because it was a “population of students who did not live in the buckhead area.” Do you not like diversity if it involves people from Buckhead?
Jayne Gojo
October 23rd, 2012
4:58 pm
“Former North Atlanta Student, those of us in the current NAHS community desire an integrated school where students of different races, ethnicities, religions and socio-economic classes all be together in one school.”
Unfortunately that does not seem to be the case for many parents.
Even Mr. Apperson made his attitudes clear by excluding Hispanic and Black students who live in Buckhead condos and apartments from part of the Buckhead community.
Jarod Apperson
October 23rd, 2012
8:32 pm
@Jayne and others:
It seems that you have misunderstood. To clarify, I do not want to exclude anyone from the Buckhead community. I think its great for students from different backgrounds/incomes/housing types/races/etc. to all go to school together. My only point in highlighting where the majority of blacks and hispanics live was simply to say that its not fair to assume that most of the people who go to North Atlanta are super rich just because they live in the area. A few at the school are, most aren’t. Given that, it’s unfair to hold NAHS to a higher standard than other high schools just because wealthy people live in the area even if they don’t attend the school.
Elizabeth Ray
October 25th, 2012
12:51 pm
Fantastic article. Thank you for helping the NAHS community find the truth.
Former North Atlanta principal wants hearing to clear his name. Still think this could have been handled better. | Get Schooled
November 1st, 2012
10:12 pm
[...] Here is a Google doc of the Delk letter and accompanying support data that the attorney made part of the package, including emails and the student performance breakdown done by Midtown forensic accountant Jarod Apperson, which I shared on the blog two weeks ago. [...]