APS board chair supports superintendent over North Atlanta firings

ATLANTA — The chairman for the Atlanta Public Schools board told Channel 2 Action News he's standing by the superintendent over the firing of several administrators at North Atlanta High School.

APS Board Chairman Reuben McDaniel agreed to talk to Channel 2 investigative reporter Aaron Diamant as the chairman got off a plane Friday evening at Hartfield-Jackson International Airport.

McDaniel said bottom line, he stands by Superintendent Erroll Davis' bold actions.

"If he felt that this was necessary. I'm in full agreement," McDaniel said.

Last Friday, district leaders showed up at North Atlanta High School with a security team to let interim principal Mark MyGrant know he'd been fired and the school's top leaders were being reassigned, sparking days of protests by students and parents.

But McDaniel said over the last 15 months, APS officials have fired 43 principals. Each firing had a security detail.

"You have to be careful, you do it with the right protocol, but nobody was walked out of North Atlanta. There were no perp walks," McDaniel said.

Tuesday, Davis told angry parents the school was underperforming, based on data, and leaders wanted a clean slate for the new principal set to start later this month.

"He was willing to be the bad guy, because end of the day, he knew major change had to happen," McDaniel said.

Diamant asked McDaniel about MyGrant's claims he got the boot over anonymous allegations that two of his recent hires were racists.

"I don't have any information about the two specific teachers that have been tossed around a bit, because that's really not my prevue," McDaniel said.

But McDaniel did say he's received many complaints from parents about minority students not having access to the same school resources as white students.

"That is something that had to be addressed. Now, I'm not the person to address it. I'm just the person to bring up the issue," McDaniel said.

McDaniel said he will be keeping a close eye to see how those issues are investigated and addressed.

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