A Storm at Coan Middle School

As darkness falls and a storm front with light rain comes through, parents meet at Coan Middle School to talk to Atlanta Public Schools representatives.

The crowd slowly filled the gallery on the second floor. The mixed crowd of students and parents ranging from African Americans, whites and Asians.  Some wore Emory shirts or stickers on their shirts with “We are Coan.”

On the walls was student art, some abstract, one of Martin Luther King Jr. and another stating “Art is Life.”

The meeting started with the APS representatives stating that this was a summary and there should be no lip service, since Erroll Davis could not attend again, like he did on the Wednesday meeting, but they would listen to questions.

They mentioned that King Middle School will remain stable for 10 years and the district would save $500,000 per school per year for each school closure. In the Jackson cluster, the district would save $6.5 million per year. Coan may be closed by August and maybe leased, destroyed or rented out in future. No confirmation, as of yet, they said.

Twenty-nine total people asked questions or stated their opinion. The group ranged from five white males, five white females, two mixed young females, five black males and 12 black females.

The questions varied from passionate statements to specific questions, with many applauds and some outbursts.  I picked a few of the best questions and statements.

Questions and statements from the audience:

• Man asked What is the purpose to design redistricting by race?
• Woman was disappointed that this debate was not in this context before with any follow up?  She asked were the demographers’ numbers a decision to close Coan by Davis that were complied from 2010 Census data?  She asked will APS prevent charter schools from coming to Coan?  She asked if they should integrate Toomer and Coan.
• Man stated how dare a representative joke about Coan.
• Woman asked if APS will invest $15M into King.
• Woman stated that APS “needs to believe in our families and children.”  She asked if the district will talk on the projected enrollment that was based on conservative numbers.
• Man stated his child took the initiative to help another child that was not doing their homework, without being told.
• Man asked how busing children to King would save $500K per school.  He further stated they need more professionals.
• Man asked why charters are doing better than public schools, like Coan?  He asked why someone in the last meeting mentioned that they would not reinvest in Coan because of “historical items.”
• Woman, 21 that once attended Coan, feared she cannot share memories of Coan with her son.
• Woman said Davis needs to focus on the “whole child,” since he told parents they should be more involved.
• Man asked if King will teach Mandarin Chinese, like Coan?  He asked what the utilization rate with the merger with King would be?
• Woman in a wheel-chair stated that her aunt was Sammye E. Coan, the first black principal in APS and Coan was the first Middle School in Georgia.  APS should create a “life of equity.”  When schools close, the community suffers.  She said APS should think about the “whole person” and “the greater good of the children.”
• Woman stated if APS is concerned with “equity in academics”, “what about the equity in people?”  Coan is not treated equally with North Atlanta schools.  If Davis asked parents to be passionate, where is APS’s passion?  Parents “didn’t know we needed to shout?”
• Woman stated “look at the art on the wall by babies expressing themselves.”
• Woman holding an Emory sign, states how Emory students come to help Coan students.
• Man asked to agree on 3 items to tell Davis.
• Man stated that he moved to Kirkwood in 2011 and did his homework on what school to put their child.  He asked, who should be accountable when a school fails in a community, with few books in their library?  Where was APS’s passion?  He stated that buildings do matters and should be part of the conversation.  APS was “marginalizing” Coan, by putting students into an economic “class in one corner.”  Why not merge Coan with north Atlanta schools?  The reason APS will not, is because of votes and power. 

APS representative’s answers:

• The vote on whether Coan is closing or merging will be voted on by April 10.
• APS said a team will “repurpose” Coan’s process.
• APS talked about “fiscal responsibility.”
• They will use this feedback at meetings to make adjustments in their decision.
• APS will invest $15M into King to make it a “friendly” and “brighter building.”
• APS does not want to close Coan.
• APS projects enrollment of King at 700.
• No Child Left Behind is dead now and APS faces the next generation of schooling.
• When enrollment goes up, they will hire more professionals.
• APS does not have to only focus on CRCT scores.
• APS never heard of “historical items,” with not reinvesting in Coan.
• APS stated this was the First Proposal by demographers and they were making modifications everyday.  This was not the Final Proposal.
• APS stated some programs will move from Coan to King.
• The utilization rate at King would be 91% or 804.
• Mr English, a board member that grew up in the West End, but did not attend schools there, stated that APS failed children for generations at Coan and elsewhere. He was here to fix inequities and focus on quality education, not having allegiance to a building.  He would represent them directly to ABE.

The meeting ended peacefully, with parents talking to the APS representatives to get contact information etc. 

As I left the building, I noticed it was dark with no rain and the storm settled.  I hope the same applies to the future of Coan Middle School.