Archive for 2019

Number of APS seniors taking SAT college entrance exam soars to 90% thanks to high school principals, counselors and Achieve Atlanta When SAT scores for APS arrived from the College Board today, the most eye-popping statistic was this: 90% of the graduates from the Class of 2019 took the test, that’s a dramatic 33 percentage…

With pride, we call Atlanta the Gateway of the Southeast, the Cradle of the Civil Rights Movement, the architect of the New South, the home of the world’s busiest airport and even “The City Too Busy to Hate.” Yet it is sobering – no, make that heart-breaking – to know that it is also one…

Thank you … thank you … thank you! If I were to even attempt to non-stop to thank everyone who donates to Atlanta Public Schools through DonorsChoose.org, it would take me – assuming that each heartfelt thank you would take at least 10 seconds – at least one day, 19 hours, eight minutes and 50…

District reports highest number of graduates to date – 2,506 students! APS decreased by 2.0 percentage point from all-time high last year. Whenever the day arrives when the Georgia Department of Education releases official graduation rates, I can always expect a mix of news. And as it happens every year, the news for Atlanta Public…

The part of my job as superintendent that I love more than anything is when I get to visit our schools and classrooms and see our educators and students in action. And as superintendent, I fully understand that my work is wholly dependent on our team leading where they work in our district. There are…

At least four times each year, I engage with local reporters from print, broadcast and even our high schools journalists to talk about what’s happening in Atlanta Public Schools. I convened the latest Superintendent Quarterly Media Roundtable on Wednesday afternoon at the Alonzo A. Crim Center for Learning and Leadership. As part of the formal…

I am proud, honored and humbled to be your superintendent, the superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools. Over the past five years, I have used this blog to inform you – the APS community – in a direct and transparent way about our work on behalf of Atlanta’s children. This morning, the Atlanta Board of Education…

On Monday, August 12, more than 50,000 students and 7,000 educators and staff will return to school, marking our sixth Day One together! I am still as proud, honored, excited and committed to serve our children and families of the City of Atlanta as I was on my first Day One! I have given my…

As part of Day One in Atlanta Public Schools, my team and I board a school bus (shout out to our own bus operator, Ms. Norman!) just like thousands of APS students. We are full of excitement and anticipation and prepared for a long but wonderful day in the District! As part of our DAY…

Atlanta Public Schools has implemented a comprehensive immunization plan for Day One in response to the increased number of measles cases and the risk of other communicable, yet preventable diseases. We will strictly enforce these immunization requirements as a condition for enrollment. As a reminder, students who are not in compliance will be withdrawn Friday,…