Strong Schools Start with Your Vote!

With the opening of the first-ever elections for our school governance teams, I truly believe we are amid an historic week for Atlanta Public Schools. We are building these new GO Teams to provide seats at the leadership table in our schools to teachers, parents and community members.

We designed the GO Teams to serve as a vital part of our school improvement efforts across the district. These teams will be responsible for establishing a three-year strategic plan for their schools, voting on innovative school-based solutions and approving the school’s budget. Additionally, these teams can review school data and provide input to the principal related to school improvement.

Parkside Elementary School kicked off this week’s GO Teams elections patriotic style. Michelin Taylor (l) and Dr. Erica Donerlson (r) reminded staff and families that”Strong Schools Start With Me!”

The elections opened Tuesday. While the online polls will remain open through 11:59 p.m. on Monday, March 14, I encourage all of our parents and school-based staff to vote as soon as possible if they haven’t already. That’s because the basic act of voting is critical to the success of these elections and the GO Teams in our schools.

Here is the link for the online election: http://www.atlantapublicschools.us/vote

All of our staff who are eligible to vote should have received several emails with voting credentials with the subject line: “Welcome to the 2016 Atlanta Public Schools GO Team Staff Elections.” Parents must use their student’s ID number, found on their report card, and the PIN number that was recently sent home in a letter in your child’s backpack.

Should you need help with your voting credentials, please send an email to  helpdesk@everyonecounts.com or call 888.492.4763. You may also contact our School Governance Coordinator, Noletha High, at Noletha.High@atlanta.k12.ga.us or 404.802.2885.

Additionally, nine of our schools will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday with a staff member present to assist with voting. You will be able to vote at Douglass High School, Grady High School, Maynard Jackson High School, Mays High School, North Atlanta High School, South Atlanta High School, Sylvan Middle School, Therrell High School, and Washington High School on Saturday, March 12.

I will note that we have made the decision to delay elections for 10 of our schools until this fall because of operating model changes as approved by the board on Monday. After hearing feedback from our community, we opted for the delay to ensure that parents and educators in these schools have clarity on plans for the transitions, to allow time for merging school communities and to select faculty members. If you are part of the communities at Bethune, Connally, Gideons, Grove Park, Slater, Thomasville and Venetian elementary schools, Woodson Primary, Price Middle or Carver High (formerly Arts and Health), elections for your schools will occur around September 2016.

Whether you are voting this week or this fall, remember our new GO Team motto: Strong Schools Start with Me!