Tulsa World: Washington interim principal chosen

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Washington interim principal chosen
The high school's previous leader was removed after a scandal over ineligible student-athletes.

MOVING ABOUT
James Furch and Micheal Johnson: Furch will be Washington's interim principal, and Johnson is being reassigned to the Tulsa Resource and Adolescent Intervention Centers of Excellence, formerly the Tulsa Academic Center.

By ANDREA EGER World Staff Writer
Published: 11/12/2009 2:29 AM
Last Modified: 11/12/2009 3:54 AM

James Furch will be the interim principal at Booker T. Washington High School and former Principal Micheal Johnson will be reassigned to an alternative education school, officials said Wednesday.

The shake-up at the Tulsa high school followed revelations that more than 40 of its student-athletes had competed while ineligible because of grades or recruiting and transfer violations.

Furch had been a co-principal at the McLain High School for Science and Technology this fall until Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Keith Ballard asked him to provide temporary leadership at Washington in the days after the ineligibility scandal broke. He has been principal at Washington and a district administrator in several capacities.

Ballard said, "I am considering a couple of other options, but I am in no hurry to make a change at Booker T. because he is doing a great job out there and Mike Mims is doing a great job out there."

Mims was hired recently as Washington's assistant principal in charge of athletics. He coached basketball at Washington from 1972 to 1982 and was an assistant basketball coach at the University of Oklahoma for 13 years.

Johnson has been on vacation since he requested a transfer. He will return to work Monday at his new assignment: administrator on special duty at TRAICE — the Tulsa Resource and Adolescent Intervention Centers of Excellence, formerly known as the Tulsa Academic Center.

"Micheal is a good role model for disadvantaged kids who are at TRAICE," Ballard said.

"I think he has really good people skills, so he can put those to good use there. His assignment for next year will be evaluated over the course of the rest of the school year, with the determination made at the conclusion of this school year, and that will certainly have bearing on his salary."

TRAICE Principal Candas Bullock said Johnson's services are welcome — and much needed.

"I'm kind of excited because we are at full capacity on the high school side and it is predominantly male," with 52 boys in the total of 60 students, Bullock said.

"I am getting a strong man to assist with our young men, so it's a win-win thing. You can't ever have enough help when you're dealing with troubled kids."

Although state athletics regulations required high schools to begin academic eligibility checks on student-athletes Sept. 14, Washington did not begin them until Oct. 12. An investigative report released Oct. 27 states that Johnson and athletics officials at Washington were "reluctant" to start the grade checks.

Andrea Eger 581-8470
andrea.eger@tulsaworld.com By ANDREA EGER World Staff Writer

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Some reader comments for this story were copied from "Furch named interim principal at Booker T. Washington," which was published on 11/11/2009.

	Report Comment Fire The Politicians, (11/11/2009 9:13:05 PM) Excellent choice by Dr. Ballard, who continues to show strong leadership at TPS, something that has been lacking in the recent past. We hope that Mr. Johnson will excel in his new role and that he has learned a most valuable lesson.
	Report Comment born okay the 1st time, tulsa (11/11/2009 10:12:54 PM) he & both coaches should have been fired. Shows those kids you can get away with cheating & just get 'reassigned'.
	Report Comment enligtenedone, (11/11/2009 11:19:43 PM) The old athletic directors should be reassigned if they are not fired. Is their a moral clause in their TPS contracts? Make the dirty dogs go.
	Report Comment SC, (11/12/2009 7:19:59 AM) Furch and Mims are the best thing to happen to BTW in a long time.
	Report Comment sitting bull, Claremore (11/12/2009 9:47:17 AM) Mr. Johnson in his new position...should be in the employment line....people and coaches have been fired for less......just knowing that he is still in education is a scarcy thought....has some testicluar pride.....let him go.....
	Report Comment fld11, (11/12/2009 6:33:42 PM) TAC is a joke, so they change the name and put "excellence" in the title. That's what TPS does folks, and they expect you to think that some major changes have taken place. It's the same old horse people.
	Report Comment Fire The Politicians, (11/12/2009 8:17:43 PM) borninKenya: Maybe you can explain what you mean by "an elitist place" and "correct atmosphere" and "too much Political Correctness". You made an entire sentence out of meaningless cliches. How about some facts to back up what you are saying?
	Report Comment Whocanutrust?, (11/15/2009 5:52:15 PM) I wish Mr. Furch the best in his endeavors. Mr. Johnson my prayers are with you... now you know what Tulsa is all about(backstabbers)

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