John Trotter revels in hearing some folks say he's a "wild man."

There's the issue, for example, of his two arrests.

JOHNNY CRAWFORD/AJC (ENLARGE)

John Trotter outside his office.

JOHNNY CRAWFORD/AJC (ENLARGE)

The executive director of John Trotter's teachers' group was kicked off Clayton's school board. Trotter says the board member was targeted because of his job.

The 54-year-old educator and political organizer was charged with disorderly conduct and criminal trespass in 1992 after a confrontation with former Riverdale Mayor Andy Carpenter over Trotter's campaign signs. Last year, Trotter was arrested at a Clayton County school board meeting for holding a sign that said the brother of board Chairwoman Ericka Davis falsely accused a teacher of a crime.

Prosecutors dropped the charges in both cases.

Trotter, who pickets schools and claims a firm hand over a group he runs to organize teachers, proudly describes himself as "a benevolent dictator."

"If I had to give John some advice, and I know he wouldn't take it, I'd say 'John, you can catch a lot more flies with honey than vinegar,' " said Jack Warren, a former Clayton schools administrator who now works part time for the district. "He prefers the vinegar. In fact, he relishes the vinegar."

Trotter laughed when told of Warren's suggestion.

"I try to use honey," he said. "Most of the time, you have to baptize [opponents] in vinegar."

As the Clayton district struggles to keep its accreditation, the spotlight is again on Trotter, a talker who enjoys cigars, seersucker suits and battling school administrators.

Since 2003, five members of his for-profit group, the Metro Association of Classroom Educators, have served on Clayton's school board. Trotter made campaign contributions to three other women who have served on the board.

Critics argue Trotter and MACE bear some responsibility for the 52,800-student district's troubles. Trotter, they say, is a puppet master.

"I wish I had that much control," Trotter said.

In its recommendation that the Clayton school district lose its accreditation on Sept. 1, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools wrote that a districtwide curriculum program was scrapped last year because "it was not endorsed by the teacher's union in which one of its members is the executive director."

Norreese Haynes, removed from the school board this month for not living in Clayton County, is MACE's executive director.

"This left the school district without a clear curriculum for the school year and further deprived the schools and its teachers with an academic vision and purpose," the report said.

The decision cost the school district over $1 million, SACS said.

This is not the first time Trotter and MACE have caught blame for Clayton's problems.

Dan Colwell said Trotter persuaded the school board to fire him as superintendent in January 2003. Trotter denies the accusation. SACS put Clayton on probation later that year, arguing school board members were micromanaging administrators. Some community groups demanded resignations from the four board members who voted Colwell out. All four were either MACE members or board members Trotter said he helped get elected.

Now, SACS is criticizing another group of board members associated with Trotter.

"It's the second group [of school board members] that's been associated with MACE that's wreaked havoc," said Bob Hartley, a community activist who has demanded the current Clayton board resign. "I think John gave them bad advice."

Not true, Trotter and his supporters say.

"He gets blamed for a lot of stuff," said Frank Bailey, a former state representative who represented portions of Clayton for 28 years. "John tried to talk to [the school board members in 2003]. They wouldn't listen to him."

Education background

John Rhodes Alston Trotter was born on New Year's Eve 1953.

His great-grandfather was Robert Augustus Alston, a state lawmaker from DeKalb County who was killed in a gunfight inside the state Capitol in 1879. Trotter, who lives in south Clayton, thinks he gets his feistiness from Alston.

Trotter, whose accent reveals his Columbus roots, loves to talk about touchy subjects like race (He says he thinks most people are prejudiced), politics (He's a Barack Obama supporter) and religion (He rejects the notion of tithing to a church). He has a law degree from Mercer University and is quick to correct others he's "Dr. Trotter."

His office is at the end of an office park off Ga. 85 in Fayette County, just south of the Clayton border. The walls are covered with campaign posters he designed and photos of him with prominent figures such as former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former boxing champion Evander Holyfield.

A former teacher, Trotter turned to politics in 1986, when he unsuccessfully campaigned as a Republican for a state House seat.

Trotter's father and brother were principals. In 1991, Trotter was nominated to become principal of North Clayton High, but the school board voted against him ? twice. Trotter sued the board, claiming it didn't appoint him because of his "political activities." The two sides reached an undisclosed settlement.

Trotter soon began helping African-Americans run for office as Clayton transformed from a predominantly white population to having the highest percentage of black residents in the Atlanta region. Trotter, who is white, was a voice of African-American outrage, decrying "the white power structure."

His last run for office was in 1998, when he sought a school board seat as a Republican. His then-wife, Prudencia, campaigned for the same seat as a Democrat. Both lost.

"You need to shake things up," she said, explaining the dual campaigns. "We were shake-things-up kind of people." The couple divorced in 2003.

Unbeknownst to most, Trotter's influence is all over Clayton County during election time. He designs colorful campaign signs and mails glossy newsletters filled with photos of candidates he supports to likely voters. Trotter's name is not on the newsletters.

Aware some say he's trying to control the Clayton school district, Trotter purposely stays away from most school board meetings. However, he keeps tabs on the district through some board members and friends.

Trotter says he believes classroom discipline in Clayton is "out of control" because administrators do not give teachers enough latitude.

Trotter started MACE in 1995. He picketed schools and wrote newsletters attacking local and state school officials. Unlike most teacher support groups, he runs it as a for-profit because "I'd rather pay taxes and keep the government out of our business." He refuses to say how many members MACE has or its finances.

"Chick-fil-A doesn't tell you its budget," he said.

SACS officials believe "outside groups" have too much influence on the Clayton board, citing that as one of nine problems Clayton needs to address to keep its accreditation.

Trotter says the blame should be leveled at the rival Clayton County Education Association, which has made campaign contributions to Davis, the school board chairwoman, and Vice Chairman Eddie White.

Trotter dismissed the SACS report, saying officials didn't want to talk to him. SACS' president and CEO, Mark A. Elgart, declined to respond to Trotter's claim.

Dalton resident Tim Parker knows a different side to Trotter. Trotter was the assistant principal at Dalton Junior High School two decades ago when Parker, then a student, was incapacitated by back surgery. Trotter visited Parker frequently.

"He was more than an administrator," said Parker, 37. "He was a friend."

Cyd Cox, president of the Clayton County Council of Parent Teacher Associations, says she thinks Trotter has good ideas about classroom discipline but that Trotter seems only interested in pushing MACE's agenda.

"I'd like to see [Trotter] work with the system and not try to destroy the system, which I think he's tried to do," Cox said.

Friends say Trotter needs to be confrontational to attract members. They say he's unlikely to mellow anytime soon.

"He's a red-haired, country boy from Columbus," said his ex-wife, who still speaks fondly of him. "This is as toned down as he's going to get."

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CLAYTON'S EDUCATION GROUPS

• Name: Clayton County Education Association

• Founded: n/a

• Organization: nonprofit, includes administrators, leadership elected by members

• Leader: Sid Chapman, president

• Members: 2,800

• Annual Dues: $116.58

• Operating Budget: $200,000

• Name: Metro Association of Classroom Educators

• Founded: 1995

• Organization: for-profit, prohibits administrators, vote by governing board

• Leader: John R. Trotter, chairman

• Members: n/a

• Annual Dues: $480

• Operating Budget: n/a

Source: Clayton County Education Association,

Metro Association of Classroom Educators

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THE STORY SO FAR

Previously: The National Accreditation Commission voted this month to revoke Clayton County schools' accreditation Sept. 1 unless the district meets nine mandates, including removing board members who don't live in the county and removing all outside influences. The school board voted March 3 to remove Norreese Haynes for living outside the county.

The latest: Haynes, director of the Metro Association of Classroom Educators, has sued to regain his seat. His boss, John Trotter, says Haynes was targeted because of his job with the group.

What's next: The board has until Sept. 1 to meet the mandates or lose accreditation.

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