Student Walk-Out Over Principal's Firing

[Ben E Lou]

There's a good bit more to this story, and it will probably get ugly in the next few days. Stay tuned.

Lakeside students walk out

Protesters back ex-principal

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/03/06 More than 100 students walked out of class Thursday in protest of the sudden removal of their principal at DeKalb County's high-achieving Lakeside High School, even as the school system's leader sought to assure the community about his decision.

Superintendent Crawford Lewis met privately with PTA leaders and school council members, his second meeting on the issue in as many days since he removed principal Wayne Chelf on Tuesday.

It was not known at press time what Lewis told them.

Parents first received word about Chelf's removal in an e-mail Tuesday night. During a three-hour meeting at nearby Henderson Middle School the next morning, Lewis told parents he should have had more communication with them during the school year, that there were grounds for Chelf's removal and that his decision won't be reversed.

But Lewis provided little detail, sticking to his policy of not discussing the details of personnel issues even as he has returned calls to parents angry with his decision and wanting more information.

"I felt better after talking with Dr. Lewis — I give him credit for calling me back — but I think the way it was done in that they came in right away and removed [Chelf], it's a hard pill to swallow," said Judy George, who has three children at Lakeside.

Debbie Wellborn, who also has three children at the school, said she did not like "everything that [Chelf] ever did, but I don't like what happened."

"We deserve an explanation," she said. "They need to do something to make it right."

Chelf was well-known in this north DeKalb community, having also worked at Henderson Middle School. At Lakeside, he was an assistant principal before he took the reins of the racially and ethnically diverse school nearly two years ago.

Some students and parents described him as a cheerleader who religiously attended school events, worked hard, didn't cut corners and expected others to do the same.

They said that his high expectations sometimes ruffled feathers. A student posting about Chelf on wwwratemyteachers.com — a Web site where students post reviews and discuss their teachers — said in December 2003: "He's unhelpful, strict, harsh, over opinionated and well . . . not a cool guy. But I guess he does his job."

Most of the posts on the site, however, are positive.

"Students are willing to show their support for a principal that we have grown to like a lot," said Lakeside student Chris Tyre in an e-mail sent before the walkout Thursday. "The fact that the superintendent . . . abruptly removed Mr. Chelf without public reasoning is the main source of concern."

Students began to gather around 10 a.m. in the wide, pine-straw-matted buffer at the front of the school building. Several had signs or wore stickers demanding Chelf's return, with some occasionally shouting, "Bring back Chelf."

The protest lasted about 40 minutes, with students under the watch of several administrators and a campus security officer. Interim principal Randall Lee repeatedly asked them to return to class, telling them it would be more appropriate to write to the superintendent and school board members.

Chelf has been temporarily reassigned to an area superintendent's office.

This is not the first time Lewis has yanked a principal midyear. Parents protested in May when he removed Cornelia King from Briar Vista Elementary School.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

[center] [left][size=5][size=2]There's a good bit more to this story, and it will probably get ugly in the next few days. Stay tuned.

Do tell.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

Do tell.

As you may know, this is one of the two high schools I'm heavily connected with, and I got my info from a "you didn't hear it from me" person. I'll leave it at this: racial stuff. I'd rather not say anything else until more stuff hits the news. Going to check the local news sites right now, though. It shouldn't be long. This is too high-profile of a high school for there not to be leaks to the press.

[Raiders Army]

If he were popular, I could understand that. To a certain extent, I have to believe that some students would walk-out much like people riot in L.A. Find a good excuse to skip school and bam, I'd be gone.

[Ben E Lou]

Here we gooo.....

http://wsbradio.com/news/030106principal.html

__________________
The media don't understand the kinds of problems and pressures 54 million come wit'!

[Blade6119]

Were they black againsnt white or the reverse. Since the principal was white, this is a key in the story.

[BrianD]

This is starting to sound like a situation where the superintendent is trying to do the right thing and defuse what could become a bad situation while keeping the principal's reputation intact. Seems like this attempt is about to blow up.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Blade6119

Were they black againsnt white or the reverse. Since the principal was white, this is a key in the story.

Wayne Shelf (principal): white
Crawford Lewis (superintendent): black
Lakeside "official" demographics (this doesn't seem right to me, but it is possible...LHS seems more white than this): 47% white, 14% Latino, 27% black
Lakeside average SAT score: 1126

[miked]

Nice. I just bought a house in the Lakside school zone. This better not hurt my value

[Blade6119]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Wayne Shelf (principal): white
Crawford Lewis (superintendent): black
Lakeside "official" demographics (this doesn't seem right to me, but it is possible...LHS seems more white than this): 47% white, 14% Latino, 27% black
Lakeside average SAT score: 1126

So it was likely white against a minority. I think that the principal was white means it will get more attention then it might deserve. Not knowing him, i know my former high school principal was someone who liked to handle EVERYTHING in house. He never wanted the kids records to be tarnished, regardless of which cultural group it was committing acts(violence, racism, cheating). He thought up his own punishments that he felt taught lessons without ruining their lives. After a few kids vandolized another kids garage door, he had them re-paint their whole house, inside and out. He could be one of those, or racist i presume. Its tough to say without knowing.

[Crapshoot]

Man, can I complain about more fascinating Georgia stories ? This offends me more than Jesse's thread did...

[Lorena]

Originally Posted by Raiders Army

If he were popular, I could understand that. To a certain extent, I have to believe that some students would walk-out much like people riot in L.A. Find a good excuse to skip school and bam, I'd be gone.

Bingo. When I was in high school (1988-1992) we had a supposed walkout in protest of something (can't remember what it was... long time ago), but it was an excuse to ditch school.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by miked

Nice. I just bought a house in the Lakside school zone. This better not hurt my value

Apart from Buckhead/Vinings, the LHS zone may be more expensive, in terms of the size house you get compared to square footage and acreage, than pretty much anywhere else in metro Atlanta, and due to it's location inside the Perimeter, I don't see that changing any time soon.

[Joe]

the new principal will be black

[Raiders Army]

Originally Posted by George W Bush

the new principal will be black

At first I thought you said the new principal will be back.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by George W Bush

the new principal will be black

The interim is white (the former principal, actually), but that may well be the outcome. Could be VERY interesting...

[st.cronin]

Originally Posted by Raiders Army

At first I thought you said the new principal will be back.

The new principal will be Arnold Schwarzenegger.

[miked]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Apart from Buckhead/Vinings, the LHS zone may be more expensive, in terms of the size house you get compared to square footage and acreage, than pretty much anywhere else in metro Atlanta, and due to it's location inside the Perimeter, I don't see that changing any time soon.

Man, don't I know it. I just can't fathom driving to work everyday from where my wife's family lives (Lawrenceville). LHS area is very nice.

[Klinglerware]

Originally Posted by Raiders Army

If he were popular, I could understand that. To a certain extent, I have to believe that some students would walk-out much like people riot in L.A. Find a good excuse to skip school and bam, I'd be gone.

A little cynical and selling the kids' idealism a little short, don't you think? Don't you remember the passion when Brandon led the walkout demanding "Donna Martin Graduates!" on 90210?

No Roger, No Rerun, No Rent!
No Roger, No Rerun, No Rent!

[Ben E Lou]

Meeting last night. Article from this morning's AJC...

Crowd supports ousted DeKalb school principal

Published on: 03/07/06 About 75 DeKalb County parents and students packed into a school board work session Monday evening in support of Lakeside High School Principal Wayne Chelf, who was removed from his job without notice last week.

Superintendent Crawford Lewis' decision to remove Chelf stunned the Lakeside community, with many — including PTSA leaders — saying they were unaware of any problems that would warrant such action.

Lewis said in a letter sent to parents Friday that he was concerned about "school climate" at Lakeside, one of DeKalb's highest achieving schools. But he left open the possibility of Chelf's return and said he would meet with students, parents and staff before making a final decision.

"The true climate is one of hard work," said parent Sammie Calder, one of seven people addressing the board on behalf of Chelf during public comment.

"All I ask is for a fair evaluation," said another, student Emily Eng, a Lakeside junior.

"You weren't hearing [about problems] from student and parent groups ... Why didn't you walk the halls to see for yourself?" said parent Barbara Arne.

Board members did not respond to the comments as is their policy with personnel matters. Lewis has not set a deadline for his decision.

— Kristina Torres

[Glengoyne]

Come on we need more details!

This just isn't scandalous enough. I don't even have enough information to take a side!

[Senator]

We used to beg for reasons to have a walk out. None of it had anything to do with our beliefs, but you would never have any of us say that. Most kids are pros at imaginary righteous indignation.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Glengoyne

Come on we need more details!

This just isn't scandalous enough. I don't even have enough information to take a side!

Two possibilities that I can think of here, 'cause this could make a juicy story, and the local press has definitely covered much smaller stories in the past.

1. They have their heads in the sands on this one.
2. We are talking about an affluent school with some powerful people. I wonder if someone is pulling some strings to keep this one to minimal press coverage.

I'm thinking it is the latter. There's a definite "circling of the wagons" going on among the LHS parents I know in conversations. ("WE don't have racial issues. We're MUCH too progressive and liberal and wonderful for that sort of thing...") That circling of the wagons does not jibe with things I've heard and overheard from kids and even parents who are being honest. I'm particularly surprised that there was no TV coverage of last night's meeting.

[jeff061]

Well I was made privy to this story from sources outside of FOFC fairly recenty, can't remember where. So it's getting some decent sized coverage somewhere. Surprised Lewis hasn't leaked something just to make himself look better, maybe he's planning on bringing him back.

[Karlifornia]

Stay tuned for more "World Local News: Local News From Around the World"

[Ben E Lou]

FINALLY!!!

As I had assumed, my source was dead-on-balls-accurate. The AJC finally got the dirt.

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/met...tlakeside.html

Ousted DeKalb principal on probation before removal
Principal Wayne Chelf had been on probation for months because of allegations of racial discrimination when Superintendent Crawford Lewis removed him last week from DeKalb County's Lakeside High School.

Chelf was placed on probation after allegations that date to last May and culminated with an official reprimand in September from Lewis, according to his personnel file.

Lewis reassigned Chelf without clearly explaining why. The superintendent has refused to explain his decision, and Chelf has not responded to phone calls seeking comment.

The move stunned many parents and teachers, who have rallied behind Chelf, and Lewis has indicated he may be willing to reconsider his decision. On Tuesday, he met with staff and some students at the school.

Chelf's file, obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution under the state's Open Records Act, contains no definitive explanation for Lewis' action.

However, the file does show that the 57-year-old principal had become a subject of concern for school administrators who had begun to question, caution and even reprimand his management style.

The complaints began May 24 when Lakeside media specialist Miriam Martin reported to the administration actions she said constituted "racial discrimination."

Martin, who is black, accused Chelf, who is white, of providing preferential treatment to white employees. She complained Chelf was allowing one of her subordinates to work a second job off-campus when the employee was supposed to be working at school. Additionally, she said he allowed a faculty member to report to work late even as he chastised his staff about chronic tardiness. She also questioned his handling of the school's teacher of the year selection.

All three staff members still work at the school, according to Lakeside's Web site.

Martin said Tuesday she felt Chelf favored staff members who had supported his becoming principal and that most of those people — if not all — are white. She said there was no concerted effort to get rid of him.

District investigators verified many of Martin's complaints, according to a July 8 memo by David Francoeur, then head of human resources. Francoeur recommended probation for this entire school year and other punishments.

Among other punishments summed up in an Aug. 23 memo from Area Assistant Superintendent Deborah Rives, Chelf had to serve a 10-day suspension without pay (July 18-29) and would be subject to an individual performance improvement plan.

Lewis followed Sept. 8 with a formal letter of reprimand and reported Chelf to the state's Professional Standards Commission.

The commission declined to take further action.

Complaints about Chelf, however, continued to surface.

On Nov. 18, Rives outlined a slew of them — from various sources — in a memo to Chelf. Coupled with the probation, they "have placed you in a tenuous position," she wrote.

They include incidents she thought indicated "their [sic] may be staff prejudice." Rives also noted some parents' complaints to Chelf's higher-ups about how he had handled questions of grades, teachers and staff.

She cited an e-mail indicating that faculty "morale [is] lower than it has been in 10-20 years" and that Chelf allegedly had told two department chairs that staff could transfer if they didn't like it at the school.

"Your lack of expediency, in dealing with issues that must be dealt with quickly, has become a problem for you professionally," Rives summarized. "It appears as though you have difficulty in confronting issues and staff members."

Rives' memo is the most recent from staff in the file. It is not clear what, if anything, has happened since.

The complaints stand in contrast with the rest of Chelf's file. Starting in 1995 as a para-professional after a decades-long career in sales and manufacturing, the Iowa-raised Chelf earned glowing job reviews and citations of perfect attendance, records show.

Parents interviewed over the past week say they have heard rumors about conflicts between Chelf and some staff members, which they attributed to personality conflicts and Chelf's high expectations.

Some singled out Lakeside Assistant Principal Scherita Daniel as a source of conflict. Daniel, who is black, had applied for the principal's job but lost to Chelf, who was also an assistant principal at Lakeside.

Daniel's name does not appear in Chelf's file.

Reached at school Tuesday, Daniel declined comment except to say, "There are a lot of rumors flying around here, some of them absurd. At the appropriate time, if I need to address them, I will."

Attempts to reach Chelf were unsuccessful. He has been temporarily reassigned to an area superintendent's office.

Parents and students continue to rally. About 75 of them packed into a school board work session Monday, many wearing T-shirts that read "Background Noise?" — which they said referred to a comment Robert Moseley, DeKalb's associate superintendent for curriculum and instruction, had made about them last week.

"We are still trying to work through what happened," Lakeside PTSA co-President Sally Elliott said during the meeting. She has two children at the school, a senior and a sophomore, and she said it was her wish that her senior received a diploma "signed and handed to her by H. Wayne Chelf."

[digamma]

according to a July 8 memo by David Francoeur

The answer to the question is yes.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by digamma

The answer to the question is yes.

[Senator]

Sounds like a race war. We see this at the Dallas School Board and Dallas City Council almost daily. The battles are split by race, but instead of black vs white, we have vs. hispanic as well. They proclaim as loud as they can, "this is not about race", but every battle, and I mean EVERY battle, is divided by race. Some appear to enjoy it.

[Glengoyne]

Poor white guy can't even catch a break!

[Buzzbee]

Originally Posted by digamma

The answer to the question is yes.

My first thought as well.

[oliegirl]

She also questioned his handling of the school's teacher of the year selection.

After checking out the Lakeside website, I discovered that the TOTY is black...so is she pissed that it's a male instead of a female? Not really sure how this ties into her other arguments...

Lakeside TOTY Webpage

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Senator

Sounds like a race war.

That's what I was alluding to in my first post--that once all of this hits the public, it will precipitate an ugly, prolonged, racially-charged battle.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

That's what I was alluding to in my first post--that once all of this hits the public, it will precipitate an ugly, prolonged, racially-charged battle.

And in/around Atlanta this comes as a surprise?

As we've discussed (and largely agreed IIRC) before, pretty much everything in the ATL is racial. And if it isn't, somebody will search until they find a way to make it so.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by oliegirl

After checking out the Lakeside website, I discovered that the TOTY is black...so is she pissed that it's a male instead of a female? Not really sure how this ties into her other arguments...

Lakeside TOTY Webpage

Well, that's the 2006 TOTY. Her complaints were from last May or so, right? I'll try to find out who was TOTY last year.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

And in/around Atlanta this comes as a surprise?

As we've discussed (and largely agreed IIRC) before, pretty much everything in the ATL is racial. And if it isn't, somebody will search until they find a way to make it so.

Rumor has it that DeKalb County will soon be adopting the motto of the A-T-L: "Gubmint OF the bruthaz, BY the bruthaz, and FOR the bruthaz."

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

And in/around Atlanta this comes as a surprise?

As we've discussed (and largely agreed IIRC) before, pretty much everything in the ATL is racial. And if it isn't, somebody will search until they find a way to make it so.

Dola:

I find it more humorous considering the bastion of liberal progressiveness that is DeKalb County, and the Lakeside district in particular. Methinks the chickens are about to come home to roost

[oliegirl]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Well, that's the 2006 TOTY. Her complaints were from last May or so, right? I'll try to find out who was TOTY last year.

Ahhh - didn't realize that...

[Samdari]

Originally Posted by Area Assistant Superintendent Deborah Rives

"their [sic] may be staff prejudice."

Ugh, just ugh.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Samdari

Ugh, just ugh.

I wondered how many people would notice that.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I wondered how many people would notice that.

Well, considering that I bolded it and put it in red, I'd imagine a few.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

And in/around Atlanta this comes as a surprise?

replace Atlanta with Georgia, and you have my initial thought.

[JW]

As one who has worked in racially mixed school systems for many years, racial politics are often an issue. Racial groups jockey for position, and issues of internal bickering and power struggles often become racial. This is true of black and white. Race is used as a lever by both sides. Both sides (or all sides when Hispanics are also involved) are often guilty of using race in an inappropriate manner. I don't know what the facts are in this particular case, but whenever racism is thrown out as the issue, there is usually something else behind it, and that something else is usually a power struggle. Sounds like this may be a power struggle between two groups, one largely white, one largely black. There will be no real winners here. no matter who is right and who is wrong.

[JonInMiddleGA]

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metr...0lakeside.html

Dismissed principal returns to Lakeside High

By KRISTINA TORRES
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/10/06

Embattled Principal Wayne Chelf will be back in charge of Lakeside High School on Monday, two weeks after DeKalb County Superintendent Crawford Lewis unexpectedly removed him from campus and hit a nerve with a community who rallied behind their school leader.

Chelf's return, announced to staff earlier today, is expected be the subject of a letter sent home with students, as well as at a 6 p.m. meeting today in the school's cafeteria.
...
"I really applaud [Lewis] for taking the time to investigate this," said Mary Kay Woodworth, immediate PTSA past president who was one of the parents who originally met with Lewis and who confirmed today's news. "The bigger part, I think, of this is that he will investigate the processes of how people are hired and evaluated in their performance of the job. I'm very sorry it had to happen this way. I think [Chelf's] reputation has been terribly damaged."