Archive for 2014
College Bound at KIPP Atlanta Collegiate
This was my first visit to KIPP Collegiate Academy, a 9-12 charter high school. The school was established in 2011 and is led by founding principal David Howland. Mr. Howland began his career in education as a teacher at Booker T. Washington High School. I had a great tour led by two seniors in the…
Read MoreMy First Visit to West End Academy Performance Learning Center
West End Academy offers online courses to 11th and 12th graders in a non-traditional setting where students drive the pace of their own learning. West End has seen tremendous success. Every student has an individual education plan that is tailored to meet their academic and social needs. At West End Academy I was able to meet the…
Read MoreThe Cool Kids of Kindezi
We had a great visit with the leaders and students at the Kindezi Charter School this week. Principal Dean Leaper opened the school in 2010 with 96 students in grades K-3. Today the school serves 218 students in grades K-7 from all over Atlanta and next year will add an eighth grade class. Built on…
Read MoreQ and A session with amazing students at Grove Park
Whenever I visit our schools, I just love to see the great work of our amazing students display on the walls. Grove Park has managed to take a large, grand entrance, infuse it with art and make it feel welcoming. It is important that our children are exposed to many different forms of the arts as it…
Read MoreWonderful Woodson Elementary School
Today was my very first visit to Carter G. Woodson Primary School. My special assistant Angela King Smith was once a student teacher at the school many years ago. On the ride there, she expressed reservations about what the school was like when she was there and her hopes that all of the new things she…
Read MoreMy Visit to Westside Atlanta Charter School
Westside Atlanta Charter School is an APS charter school that focuses on language and literacy. It is a school with very humble beginnings, opening last fall in an empty retail space in a mixed-use building that the school then renovated into classrooms for students. Today, it is a site with two locations within a few…
Read MoreLunch at Bolton Academy
I finally had an opportunity to spend more time at Bolton Academy last week. It is a lovely school in a gorgeous neighborhood rich with lots of diversity. In addition to wanting to see the school’s academic program, I wanted lunch! Whenever I visit schools I always try to get a better understanding of the…
Read MoreGimme a B! My visit to Bunche Middle School
Having been a former middle school teacher, I definitely had a good sense of what should be happening in the classrooms and even during transitions when I arrived at Bunche Middle School. Things were running smoothly with students and teachers and it was fun to see the cheerleaders weaving through the hallways wearing their big yellow…
Read MoreOur Emerging Artists at Price Middle School
Last week students at Price Middle School were treated to a sculpting class with sculptor Fred Ajanogha. Mr. Ajanogha is working with students on a series of sculpture projects throughout the school year. Price students have participated in three workshops where they’ve learned various sculptural techniques and created several small models. They will continue…
Read MoreHappy Bus Driver Appreciation Day and Bus Safety Week!
It takes a team of hundreds of transportation employees to keep our students moving to and from school, field trips and after school events each day. From our drivers and mechanics to bus monitors, supervisors and dispatchers – everyone plays an important role on our transportation team. This week Atlanta Public Schools recognizes…
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