Paul Robeson Malcolm X school in Detroit is replacing its principal

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A longtime Detroit public school principal who has faced misconduct allegations in the past won’t be returning to his leadership position in the fall.

Jeffery Robinson, principal at Paul Robeson Malcolm X Academy, will no longer lead the K-8 Afrocentric school due to “several disciplinary incidents and performance concerns,” Detroit Public Schools Community District Superintendent Nikolai Vitti confirmed to BridgeDetroit. Robinson is currently serving a 30-day suspension without pay that was approved by the school board earlier this month.

When his suspension is over, Robinson will be reassigned to a different school as a principal on special assignment working under the direction of another principal, Vitti said. The district will decide which school Robinson will be assigned to when his suspension is completed.

Reginald Kirkland, the former principal of Carleton Elementary School, has been selected as the new principal of PRMX and was already introduced to staff and families, Vitti added.

BridgeDetroit reached out to Robinson, who said via text message that he cannot comment on his current status with DPSCD and that any comment made will be done through his attorney.

The attorney, Anthony Adams, said the educator is “reviewing his options” regarding legal action against the district. Adams, of Marine Adams Law PC in Grosse Pointe Farms, wants to help get Robinson’s job back, despite the district already selecting Kirkland as his successor.

Adams added that DPSCD administrators didn’t give Robinson a clear reason why he was suspended.

“We requested a copy of his personnel file, so that we can examine for ourselves what’s in it, and once we get that, then we’ll pursue whatever options we have available.”

Robinson is shocked and disappointed about his involuntary transfer to another school, Adams said.

“We’re talking about a man who’s been leading that school for a long time, who has long-standing relationships with generations of students who have walked through the doors and benefited from his guidance and wisdom as an administrator in the district,” he said. “He’s a man who’s mentored numerous administrators in the district.”

Adams’ and Robinson’s next steps are waiting for the personnel file to be delivered, and the attorney is sending the district a preservation letter to preserve all physical and electronic information pertaining to Robinson.

“We’re looking for information on his employment with the district, memos that have been written by administrators concerning Dr. Robinson, video tape, whatever they have to preserve so that in the event there is a multimillion dollar lawsuit, that information will be available for the public to see,” Adams said.

Robinson has faced disciplinary action before. Last year, the educator was placed on administrative leave for more than a month amid allegations of misconduct. Robinson was under investigation after a staff member saw him drag a female student by her legs down the hallway. The staff member said the student seemed disturbed by the incident, according to a district report detailing the incident.

During his investigatory interview, Robinson admitted to grabbing the student by her legs and dragging her into the hallway, but said it was done in a “playful” way, the report noted. A district representative then asked Robinson what he thought his actions would convey to the school’s staff and students, according to the document. The principal stated that people would see it as “being silly with the seventh-grade girls,” but added that he could see his actions were unprofessional.

Robinson is an expert in African-centered education in DPSCD and one of the original staff members of Malcolm X Academy, the first public African-centered school in the country, according to the school’s website. Robinson taught math and computer science for 18 years and has received several awards, including the Milken Family Foundation’s Milken Educator Award in 2001 and the Wayne County RESA Middle School Teacher of the Year in 2003, according to the school’s website.

Robinson took on the principal’s role after Paul Robeson Academy and Malcolm X Academy, once separate schools with a focus on African-centered education, combined. A former teacher at Malcolm X, Robinson has led the combined school for more than 15 years.

Principal’s absence causes confusion

Tahmyya Johnson, vice president of PRMX’s Parent Teacher Association, said parents have been given few details since Robinson was suspended. She has not received any emails or letters from school administrators or the district about Robinson’s absence or his reassignment.

“We don’t know what’s happening,” Johnson said. “Dr. Vitti or anybody has not provided us any information on why he was removed, nothing.”

She only found out about the school’s new principal last week when a counselor posted in the digital platform Class Dojo that Kirkland was doing a virtual meet-and-greet on May 22. Johnson and some other parents attempted to join the meeting, but said the Zoom link wasn’t working.

“We expressed in the comments that we weren’t able to join, and they (the school) said that an in-person meet-and-greet would be established, but that was it,” Johnson said. “We haven’t heard anything else.”

Johnson became a part of the PRMX community when she enrolled her son in pre-K a few years ago. He is now about to complete his second grade year.

Johnson initially had a tough time choosing a school for her son and had talked to several DPSCD principals. But when she talked to Robinson, he was friendly and personable, she said.

“He wanted to have a one-on-one meeting with me and tell me more about the school, and that stood out to me as a first-time parent trying to navigate public school,” Johnson said. “He didn’t make me feel like he was too busy to talk to me.”

Johnson likes the family-friendly environment of PRMX and said that Robinson has a rapport with the students and knows them by name. She’s unsure if she will bring her son back to the school next year.

“It almost feels as if they (the district) don’t want us there,” Johnson said. “Once the new school is up, they want new children, new teachers, new leadership. That’s exactly what it’s starting to feel like.”

Reginald Kirkland is the new principal

According to the PRMX website, Kirkland has served students in urban communities for more than 28 years as both a teacher and administrator. In addition to Carleton, he was principal at Bates Academy and the now-demolished Hanneman Elementary.

Kirkland also has experience working in higher education, serving as a district and school improvement facilitator at Michigan State University and as director of K-12 relations at Henry Ford College.

He has a bachelor’s degree in political science and a doctorate in educational leadership, both from Eastern Michigan University. In addition, Kirkland has a graduate degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Detroit Mercy.

Principal a topic of discussion at school board meeting

A community member and two PRMX staff members spoke against and in favor of Robinson during the public comment period at a school board meeting earlier this month.

One woman spoke out against Robinson, saying he is responsible for his situation because he “lacks discipline and moral integrity.”

Meanwhile, a teacher who has been at the school for nine years said Robinson has been supportive in her teaching efforts. She talked about PRMX’s move into another location and the challenges it created as a new building is being built on the old school site.

“We have moved from our previous location to a new location, and with the move, there’s always going to be some transition,” the teacher said. “It is my hope that Dr. Robinson is able to lead us back to our old location because we were very successful.”

Attendance agent Kirk Peterson also showed support for the principal, asking the board to look at the academy’s performance under Robinson’s leadership.

“We need to keep Dr. Robinson where he’s at so he can continue to guide our children in the proper direction,” Peterson said.

Micah Walker is a reporter for BridgeDetroit. You can reach her at mwalker@bridgedetroit.com.