Walkout at North Atlanta High SchoolATLANTA (CBS ATLANTA) -
On Wednesday, students at North Atlanta High School walked out of class to protest the removal of their principal and administrative staff.
The student protest lasted about an hour and took place on the school's football field.
It comes in response to the removal of Superintendent Erroll Davis and his entire administrative staff.
Despite the explanation, the school had underperformed five straight years.
Students still see the move as a power grab.
"What APS did to the principal what they did to the administration was disrespectful," frustrated senior Cameron Halter said.
Halter skipped Spanish class to vent his views. He was not concerned about the repercussions.
"I'm kind of standing my own ground, if they want to suspend me then fine, so be it, but I'm standing by a point and I'm not going to stop," Halter said.
On Tuesday night, Davis said Principal Mark Mygrant and his staff's dismissal was purely about school performance.
"If I had a team that didn't make the lower standards for five years, why should I have confidence that team will make the higher standards?" Davis asked.
That explanation for students doesn't cut it, and students stormed out to demonstrate against what many see as an unjust move.
Students and parents claim that Davis exaggerated the severity of North Atlanta's academic situation.
CBS Atlanta checked with the State Board of Education, and it confirmed that the school had underperformed under the former school principal five straight years and was in jeopardy of the state sanctions.
Copyright 2012 WGCL-TV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
