Archive for 2016
Celebrating Another Amazing Year in APS
The time has come: it’s the end of the school year! Congratulations, everyone—teachers, parents, staff, partners, and, of course, students—on another amazing school year. From Day One on August 5 to the very last day today, we have had a year full of learning, achievement, and fun, and that is worth celebrating. Some may think…
Read MoreThank You, Thank You, Thank You for Reinvesting in Atlanta’s Kids!
On May 24, voters approved E-SPLOST, a sales tax renewal that will pay for much needed renovations of our schools, technology, buses, athletic facilities and important school security enhancements. Our district has been through a lot since the local option sales tax was last approved in 2011, so tonight’s win is a major accomplishment—one that…
Read MoreE-SPLOST: Reinvesting in Atlanta’s Kids
Tomorrow, Atlanta residents will head to the polls and vote on renewal of the Education-Special Purpose Local Options Sales Tax (E-SPLOST), which funds capital projects across our school system. Before anything else, I want to say thank you to Atlanta’s residents. Your vote on E-SPLOST five years ago has led to incredible investments in our…
Read MoreAPS Making Progress on CCRPI
APS Making Progress on #CCRPI; 46 Schls Saw Growth; 7 Schools Say #BuhByeOSD. #Transformation
Read MoreIn Appreciation of Our Students’ Superheroes
“With great power, comes great responsibility.” – Uncle Ben to Peter Parker in Spiderman I believe in the power of public education. In our classrooms, teachers can transform from an ordinary resident to superhero educator with the power to nurture original thinkers and create life-long learners. As educators, teachers can completely change the trajectory of…
Read MoreTurning ‘Tubs*’ into Transformation
Every journey has its mileposts, markers along the way to let travelers know they are getting closer to their destination. This afternoon, on our journey to transform Atlanta Public Schools into a high-performing, life-changing, choice-filled school system, we reached another milepost when the Board of Education voted unanimously, in a special called meeting, to tentatively…
Read MoreDollars and Sense: The Thinking Behind Building FY17 Budget
As our students and staff prepare for the start of Spring Break this Friday, it’s hard for me to fully unplug as my mind is on what happens the day we get back on Monday, April 11. That’s when we will hold our next Board meeting and take the opportunity to fully update the community…
Read MoreStrong 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…
Read MoreAPS Advances School Turnaround Strategy
I am humbled as well as encouraged by tonight’s Atlanta Board of Education vote on the APS School Turnaround Strategy, which moves our district forward with a comprehensive plan to address chronic under-performance in our schools. I am also appreciative of the willingness of the community to try to understand the urgent need for change.…
Read MoreWe ‘made up our mind’ to celebrate literacy and Dr. Seuss’ birthday!
I hugged a cuddly Lorax who wore slippers, not boots. Took selfies with Things that were tiny and cute. I grappled with friends over a fish, dog or yent. All in all, I can say, my day was well spent. OK, OK, so I’m not Dr. Seuss or a writer anywhere near the genius that…
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