Archive for 2014
16 APS Students Sign Contracts & Commit to REACHing their College Goals
Congratulations to the 16 REACH Scholars of Atlanta Public Schools! They are eighth and ninth graders in our district, members of the “class of 2018” and the “class of 2019.” This morning we held a special ceremony where each scholar signed their scholarship contracts. Yes, it’s THAT serious. The Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen (REACH)…
Read MoreSouth Atlanta’s Aleia Smith is a State Bar of Georgia Law Academy Graduate!
Congratulations to South Atlanta Law and Social Justice’s Aleeia Smith who graduated from the 2014 State Bar of Georgia Law Academy! This is a major accomplishment for Aleeia who is an 11th grader in the school. The Law Academy is a very prestigious and selective program that chooses students based on their commitment to the…
Read MoreCongrats Gwinnett County Public Schools!
Congratulations to our friends and neighbors in Gwinnett County Public Schools! Yesterday, they were awarded the prestigious Broad Prize for Urban Education and receive $500,000 in college scholarships for members of the class of 2015. Large urban districts receive this prize when they demonstrate that they are shrinking the achievement gap among low income and…
Read MoreTwo Mays High School Football Players are Army Football Strong!
Today, two of our hardworking scholar athletes, seniors Natrez Patrick and Dallaw Warmack of Benjamin E. Mays High School, were selected to play in the 2015 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. The game will take place January 3 in San Antonio, TX. Army Bowl officials were on hand to present each player with an Army Bowl…
Read MoreFull Backpacks and Big Hearts at Humphries Elementary School
The principal and teachers at Humphries Elementary School – like so many of our employees – care deeply about their students. Principal Melanie Mitchell invited me out today to help with an incredible service project for the kids. While there she showed me how she and her staff are improving daily attendance, one child at…
Read MoreAPS Celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month
What began more than 50 years ago as a week-long celebration of Hispanic heritage and achievement is today commemorated by Presidential Proclamation as a 31-day period complete with a theme, “Hispanics: A legacy of history, a present of action and a future of success.” From September 15 to October 15, public officials, educators and all Americans are encouraged…
Read MoreNight out with the Braves
I enjoyed my first Braves game last night at Turner Field! It was a great night for baseball. A big thank you to the Braves for partnering with our schools over the years. And while it was toga night, I didn’t wear one, but I like the spirit of those who did!
Read MoreFedEx Helps Hutchinson Elementary School Blow the Cover Off Reading
I spent Tuesday morning at Hutchinson Elementary School where the generous volunteers from FedEx and The Heart of America Foundation were building a reading corner filled with brand new books! It was exciting to see the FedEx volunteers putting the finishing touches on the reading corner, hosting story time in the classrooms. Hutchinson is the…
Read MoreEight APS Schools Named 2014 Reward Schools by the Georgia Department of Education
The Georgia Department of Education has announced the 2014 Reward Schools. Eight APS schools earned Reward designations this year. A Highest-Performing School is among the five percent of the state’s Title I schools with the highest absolute performance, over three years, for the “all students” group on the statewide assessments. A school may not…
Read MoreA Surprise for Mrs. Maria Lopez of Maynard Jackson High School
Congratulations to MHJHS Spanish Teacher Mrs. Maria Lopez! This morning Mrs. Lopez was surprised by SunTrust Bank and the Atlanta Falcons and named a Symetra Hero in the Classroom. Chartez Bailey, a MHJHS student, nominated Mrs. Lopez for the award and today. Mrs. Lopez received a $1,000 donation for the school, two tickets to watch…
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