{"id":1245785,"date":"2026-03-02T11:57:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T16:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.washingtoninformer.com\/?p=1245785"},"modified":"2026-03-04T08:34:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T13:34:14","slug":"fletcher-johnson-alumni-honor-rutherford","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.washingtoninformer.com\/fletcher-johnson-alumni-honor-rutherford\/","title":{"rendered":"Amid Fletcher-Johnson Redevelopment, Community Members Remember the Good Times"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Nearly three decades after leaving what was then Fletcher-Johnson Education Campus, Dr. George H. Rutherford maintains contact with several of his former students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI saw a couple of them a couple weeks ago,\u201d Rutherford told The Informer as he spoke about a late January party at Restaurant 55 in Hyattsville, Maryland, that a group of Fletcher-Johnson alumni organized in his honor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Rutherford, such overtures from former students are the norm. And, as he notes, the feeling is mutual. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey were the best. I don’t care what anyone says,\u201d Rutherford said. \u201cI talk to them constantly. They come over to see me. They call me all the time. Staying in touch, making sure I\u2019m straight.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rutherford became principal of Fletcher-Johnson Education Campus in 1978, just more than a year into its existence. By the time he assumed the helm, he had accumulated more than a decade of experience as a teacher and assistant principal. His 20-year tenure would be marked with numerous wins, including frequent visits and guest lectures by D.C. Mayor Marion Barry, and even a class trip to London, fully funded with the support of then-Ward 7 D.C. Councilmember H.R. Crawford.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey were our young ambassadors,\u201d Rutherford said about the dozen young people he accompanied across the pond in the early 1990s. \u201cIt was their intent on trying to get the students to see Queen Elizabeth, because she had just been \u2026 in our neighborhood to look at some houses that were being built.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In its heyday, Fletcher-Johnson Education Campus had a student population of more than 1,000. Located along Benning Road in the Marshall Heights community, it attracted young people from all corners of the Marshall Heights community, including those from Benning Terrace (Simple City) and the former public housing community of Eastgate Gardens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within five years of his tenure, Rutherford became a darling of the student body, but not without struggle. He said students cut his car tires, filled his gas tank with sugar, and even busted his car windows on numerous occasions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey didn’t like to change,\u201d he told The Informer. \u201cI was bringing about a change, bringing about some structure to Fletcher-Johnson.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over time however, students at the school came to embrace Rutherford\u2019s leadership style, which, according to alumni, included sending tardy students home and walking into open-air illegal drug markets in search of those who left school grounds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI didn’t even have to lock my car,\u201d he told The Informer. \u201cThose students that I had\u2026were some of the greatest students in Washington, D.C., but they need a good support system.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As murders continued to ravage the Marshall Heights community, Rutherford made sure that support came in the form of after-school activities and weekend enrichment for students and parents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs I always told folks, we at Fletcher-Johnson were in competition with that drug group out there,\u201d Rutherford said. \u201cThat’s the reason we kept Fletcher-Johnson open until 11 o’clock at night. We had a program on Saturdays for the parents. That was done on our own.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rutherford moved on from Fletcher-Johnson Education Campus in 1998, taking on a job in Baltimore, and again in the District at what was Ideal Academy Public Charter School. In 2008, a decade after his departure, Fletcher-Johnson closed its doors in response to declining enrollment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt hurt me to my heart,\u201d Rutherford recounted. \u201cWhen they got rid of Eastgate, enrollment dropped down. When I left, it was still about 1,200 or 1,300. Then it dropped down to about 400. I don’t know what happened after that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the era of mayoral control, teacher accountability measures strengthened via IMPACT evaluations<\/a> while public charter schools expanded across the District, and particularly east of the Anacostia River. As teachers and administrators continue to command some of the highest salaries in the region, public and public charter schools command an equal share of the District\u2019s public school population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In February, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced a 2.55% increase \u2014 nearly $50 million \u2014 in per-pupil funding in her Fiscal Year 2027 budget proposal. Other aspects of the upcoming budget include: a stability fund intended to maintain the class sizes mandated in the latest Washington Teachers\u2019 Union contract; a $8.1 million allocation toward after-school program for elementary and middle-schoolers; $700,000 for dual enrollment courses; and $600,000 to improve literacy and promote responsible AI use in District schools.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rutherford, who acknowledges the advancements made since his days in the school building, remains adamant that the adult-student relationship will remain the cornerstone of any successful academic program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t just go to work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. five days a week and let it go,\u201d Rutherford exclaimed. \u201cSchools need to be open. Principals need to get out and see the community, know the community, be able to talk to the parents, not just at a parent-teacher conference, not just when the students are being suspended or something.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Old Memories Forge an Ongoing Battle for Neighborhood Amenities <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 2011, three years after Fletcher-Johnson\u2019s closure, and its subsequent use for public charter schools and swing space for H.D. Woodson High School, the District government permanently shuttered the site. A decade later, the Bowser administration awarded the site to Gragg Cardona Souadi, along with the Carding Group, Foundation Housing, H2 Design Build and the Marshall Heights Community Development Organization. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
**FILE** Fletcher-Johnson alumnus Ebbon Allen counts among those who anticipate long-term economic benefits to developing the Fletcher-Johnnson site, located near KIPP DC Benning Campus and south of Benning Road Metro Station. (Robert R. Roberts\/The Washington Informer)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

What followed soon after was the establishment of the Fletcher-Johnson Task Force, of which Ebbon Allen, a Fletcher-Johnson alumnus, was a member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For years, Allen joined other task force members \u2014 including Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Keith Hasan-Towery and Malissa Freese \u2014 in articulating a vision where this development site, the fourth largest property owned by the District, would include housing, retail, an urgent care facility, and even an institution for adult education. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe wanted to make sure that the community in Marshall Heights and the greater Ward 7 would be able to get those amenities, and not just have a freestanding health center,\u201d said Allen, a 1993 graduate of Fletcher-Johnson Education Campus. \u201cWe felt like on this side of Marshall Heights, no one has really anywhere to go. We’re talking about quality grocery stores.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Allen\u2019s family continues their trek to Northern Virginia and Hyattsville, Maryland for groceries, Allen counts among those who anticipate long-term economic benefits to developing the Fletcher-Johnnson site, located near KIPP DC Benning Campus and south of Benning Road Metro Station.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe understood that if you have an oasis like this, property values will go up,\u201d he told The Informer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the latter part of last year, Allen and more than a dozen Fletcher-Johnson alumni conducted a ceremony marking the demolition of Fletcher-Johnson Education Campus. Others who joined the small group on the morning of Sept. 4 were: Ward 7 D.C. Councilmember Wendell Felder (D) and Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners Natasha Dupee (7E04) and Gail Perkins (7E03). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Allen, the event marked the end of an era. He\u2019s since mulled plans for the installment of a plaque honoring Rutherford and the untold number of Fletcher-Johnson students who never made it to adulthood.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHundreds of us have so many memories of that building,\u201d Allen told The Informer. \u201cSomebody’s going to have something different, and many of us are going to have the same thing about how Dr. Rutherford paved the way, protected us, educated us, empowered us. It’s an unforgettable type of school building and environment that was created, especially on the side of Southeast Washington, D.C.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amid the gun violence that claimed and would eventually claim several young lives, including that of his older brother, Allen found solace in basketball. He said the team at Fletcher-Johnson Education Campus provided a sense of stability that\u2019s long since inspired his work with young people<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat helped me stay focused and stay out of trouble,\u201d Allen told The Informer. \u201cI felt like there was always love, even in the type of environment such as this, such as these areas and these streets and corners of Marshall Heights. I just wanted to be able to come back and leave a blueprint.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Fletcher-Johnson development is projected to be completed by early 2037<\/a>, with infrastructural work expected to begin later this year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of February, demolition of the 12,000 square foot structure formerly known as Fletcher-Johnson Education Campus has been halfway completed, according to the Office of Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amid the delayed launch<\/a> of the Universal Health Services-backed emergency room, Allen has been contacting local officials, demanding updates and insisting that the development reaches the finish line. He said he has more than enough reason\u2014 one of which is right down the street\u2014 to be anxious about the Fletcher-Johnson development timeline. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you look at BenCo [Shopping Center], nothing has been done,\u201d Allen said. \u201cThey’ve been doing so much research on so much of the crime, the gun violence, the ballistics as far as shootings. How do we change that narrative and how do we address it? None of us want Band-Aids.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you look at BenCo [Shopping Center], nothing has been done,\u201d Allen said. \u201cThey’ve been doing so much research on so much of the crime, the gun violence, the ballistics as far as shootings. How do we change that narrative and how do we address it? None of us want Band-Aids.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Couple of Fletcher-Johnson Alumni Look Back at an Era <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The event recently held in Rutherford\u2019s honor at Restaurant 55 followed instances when Fletcher-Johnson alumni celebrated him at Eastgate Day and other community events. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For several hours on the night of Jan. 31, guests sporting the school colors of burgundy and gray reminisced on the good times and grooved to the sounds of Fletcher-Johnson alumnus Ali The GR8. As Fletcher-Johnson alumna Saronda Streeter-Robinson said, traversing through \u201csnowcrete\u201d for the celebration proved well worth it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAny chance we usually get, we try to honor him,\u201d said Streeter-Robinson, a 1988 Fletcher-Johnson graduate who coordinated the celebration with William Ragland. \u201cIt’s just something we put together real quick. We know he\u2019s aging, so we honor him in every way possible.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Fletcher-Johnson alumni Saronda Streeter-Robinson (L) and Rodney Williams (R) at Restaurant 55 in Hyattsville, Maryland during a party they organized in honor of former principal Dr. George H. Rutherford (C). (Courtesy Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Long before Streeter-Robinson entered Fletcher-Johnson as a kindergartener, her large family had a strong rapport with Rutherford. While at Kelly Miller Middle School, Rutherford worked with Streeter-Robinson\u2019s older siblings. By the late 1970s, he would embark on a similar journey with another crop of Streeter children, which included Streeter-Robinson.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Streeter-Robinson recalled, Rutherford laid down the law with a student body that, from the school\u2019s inception, had already forced another principal to resign. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe was our Mr. Clark,\u201d Streeter-Robinson said in reference to the no-nonsense New Jersey principal that inspired the 1989 film \u201cLean on Me.\u201d \u201cThis man stood courageously amongst the criminals and the criminals respected him. Sometimes the alternative kids had guns in the school, and when he heard about it, he\u2019d go look for that person. He was fearless.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Streeter-Robinson said that, at times, saving members of the student body became an all-hands-on-deck effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe was finding solutions and fixing things,\u201d Streeter-Robinson said about Rutherford. \u201cLike if you didn\u2019t have clothes, the secretaries in the office were taking the kids shopping. They were getting furniture in people’s houses, dropping off food. He not just delegated, he was actually on foot doing it himself.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During her nine years at Fletcher-Johnson, Streeter-Robinson encountered a hodge-podge of students, some of whom she said were deemed at-risk and relegated to that building after unsuccessful academic experiences elsewhere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot of talent,\u201d Streeter-Robinson told The Informer, \u201cbut a very difficult population because there were a lot of emotionally disconnected children in the schools. A lot of behavior issues because of the environment. You had to have somebody in there that was strong enough to deal with these types of children.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the issues that students faced at home and on the streets, Streeter-Robinson said that Rutherford ensured that Fletcher-Johnson fostered an environment where students felt they could achieve anything. In making her point, she recounted how staff members, including her fashion design instructor, provided specialized instruction and facilitated extracurricular activities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey teach you how to sew, create patterns and measure. When we made our garments, we actually modeled them,\u201d Streeter-Robinson said. \u201cI know a couple of students that really took that to heart after we graduated and they were actually making clothes for people on a professional level later on.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fletcher-Johnson Education Campus, named after veteran D.C. Public Schools educator Evelyn B. Fletcher<\/a> and orthopedist-teacher-civic leader Dr. Philip T. Johnson, counted among several District schools that embraced the \u201copen classroom\u201d model<\/a>. In addition to academics, students enjoyed a bevy of extracurriculars, including basketball, cheerleading, and marching band. Other amenities included a computer lab, woodshop class, art room and a dining area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As 1992 graduate Takia Shire recounted, Fletcher-Johnson Education Campus also brought locally and nationally renowned talent to perform at school programs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI remember Johnny Gill coming to our school,\u201d Shire told The Informer. \u201cI still think about those times. We had the Side-by-Side Band. Different singers and different artists would come up to the school to perform. We used to always say that we wish that the school went up to high school because of the memories that we all have had.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shire, a Ward 7 resident and member of Parents Amplifying Voices in Education (PAVE), attended Fletcher-Johnson Education Campus between seventh and ninth grades. She counts among her most precious memories attending fashion shows. She also heralds Rutherford as a guiding light, and someone who always kept her best interests at heart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI went to Anacostia because Dr. Rutherford saw potential in me and my best friend to participate in the Public Service Academy,\u201d Shire said. \u201cHe called us his babies. He sent a lot of his students [to high schools] for different programs at the time.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These days, Shire represents PAVE in her engagement with education officials about budgetary matters. Though she\u2019s content with her children\u2019s academic experience, she expressed a desire for school leaders to take their relationships with the school community to the next level. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rutherford is a model of that fervor, Shire said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe didn’t have no problem knocking on your door to understand why you didn’t come to school,\u201d Shire told The Informer. \u201cHe was that principal helping families and giving them support. A few kids were getting killed or locked up. He was that figure helping them get what they needed, making sure they graduated.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an age where technological advancements are further isolating youth from adults, Streeter-Robinson said that she would like to see more school administrators channel Rutherford\u2019s energy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese principals now, they don’t walk out to the neighborhoods to go knock on the doors and look for their children,\u201d Streeter-Robinson said. \u201cIt was different back then. You didn\u2019t have social media, you didn’t have a cell phone. You got word of mouth [about] 30 of your kids are standing up there on the corner. This man is going out to these dangerous neighborhoods to go find his kids.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr. George H. Rutherford, former principal of Fletcher-Johnson Middle School, maintained contact with his former students and was honored at a party organized by alumni, who remember him as a courageous leader who provided them with support and structure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2328,"featured_media":1245786,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"_primary_brand":0,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","nota_seo_page_title":"Dr. Rutherford's Enduring Bond with Fletcher-Johnson Alumni","nota_seo_page_description":"Former students honor Dr. George H. Rutherford, the principal of Fletcher-Johnson Middle School, for his impact on their lives and community.","newspack_featured_image_position":"beside","newspack_post_subtitle":"Alumnus Ebbon Allen Keeps Eye on Development Timeline","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30817,30818],"tags":[88867,88863,66663,88864,36835,14982,11094,29458,88865],"brand":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"nota":[],"coauthors":[53576],"class_list":["post-1245785","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-education","tag-ali-the-gr8","tag-dr-george-h-rutherford","tag-ebbon-allen","tag-fletcher-johnson-task-force","tag-h-r-crawford","tag-marion-barry","tag-muriel-bowser","tag-sam-p-k-collins","tag-saronda-streeter-robinson","entry"],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nDr. Rutherford's Enduring Bond with Fletcher-Johnson Alumni - The Washington Informer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Former students honor Dr. George H. 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