Edward Johnston of Atlanta is the most persistent gadfly in that city. He regularly writes open letters to the school board and administrators, in an effort to hold them accountable. Johnston is an adherent of the philosophy of W. Edwards Deming; he believes in collaboration, not competition; in encouragement, not punishment. He believes in improving the system, rather than shaming individuals.

I have been on his email blast list for a few years. He is not a teacher. He is a public-spirited citizen. We need someone like him in every community to hold the powerful accountable.

Here is his latest open letter:

May 17, 2015

“Dear Superintendent Carstarphen and Atlanta Board of Education members:

“Regarding your:

“Dear Frederick Douglass High School Parents/Guardians:

“As we end the 2014-2015 school year there are changes occurring at Frederick Douglass High School. We want to make sure that you are informed and engaged in what is happening.

“There will be a new principal of Frederick Douglass High School for the 2015-2016 school year. Please be assured that students, parents, staff and community will remain a priority during this transition in leadership.

“Chief Academic Officer Dr. Carlton Jenkins and Associate Superintendent of High Schools Dr. Timothy Gadson III invite you and the community to attend a meeting on Wednesday, May 20, at 6 p.m. in the school’s auditorium to discuss and provide input into the future direction of the school.

“Frederick Douglass High School Auditorium
225 Hamilton E. Holmes Dr., NW 30318”

Ed Johnson writes in response:

I write to ask you to immediately publish to the Frederick Douglass High School public community, in particular, and to the Atlanta public community, at large, an explanation of your decision to place a new principal at Frederick Douglass High School next school year, 2015-2016. Please do this in consideration of the fact that Frederick Douglass High School’s current principal has been the school’s principal only this school year, 2014-2015. And please do this to demonstrate APS openness, transparency, and trustworthiness, with the pending Wednesday meeting with Drs. Carlton and Gadson notwithstanding.

In your explanation, please cite or otherwise cover beliefs, theories, research, vetted practices and any other details that support your decision, appropriately. And please explain both negative and positive effects you theorize student learning at Douglass High School will experience as a result of your decision, given the fact that you, the APS, have placed a new principal at Frederick Douglass High School every year or so for the past several years, seemingly always based on the school reform and accountability ideology that firing principals and teachers necessarily results in school improvement without harming the children or anyone else.

The Frederick Douglass High School community group Concerned Citizens for the Education Advancement of APS Students has meet with Superintendent Carstarphen about this matter, the group’s chairperson tells me. However, it appears the group came away from meeting with Superintendent Carstarphen without a substantively coherent explanation of why Frederick Douglass High School must have yet another new principal, and understanding only that your decision seemingly derives from your wanting to realize some manner of benefit from the state.

So please note: The explanation you will publish will be summarily dismissed if it tries to “shift the blame” to the state, or to any other external entity, or otherwise contend, in effect, “they made us do it.”

Kind regards,

Ed Johnson
Advocate for Quality in Public Education
(404) 505-8176 | edwjohnson@aol.com