Posts by Meria

District develops plan to improve upon finding that APS awarded lower than expected contract dollars to minority- and women-owned businesses If there is one thing I have learned from living in Atlanta for more than three years, it is that our city is home to a vibrant and diverse community. Therefore, our procurement process (the…

APS pathway starts with early childhood education and includes such signposts as Georgia Milestones results, graduation rates and college entrance exam data With a focus on graduating students for college and career readiness, Atlanta Public Schools (APS) has received quite a bit of positive news over recent weeks that indicates the district has not only…

District graduates 2,356 students – 89 more than last year – for a 5.9 percentage point gain, closing the gap by 4.7 percentage points with the state graduation rate As superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools, several events and parts of the year make me anxious enough that I am actually kept awake at night or…

District focused on safe return of students & staff to school UPDATE (6:30 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 14): We are open for business today! Atlanta Public Schools will follow a normal operating schedule now that our operations team has completed a full review of our facilities, buses, technology, and nutrition services in the wake of Hurricane/Tropical…

Sustained winds & gusts from #Irma = unsafe for kids and community Due to the anticipated inclement weather and dangerous high winds caused by Hurricane Irma, all Atlanta Public Schools campuses and district offices are closed on Monday, September 11, and Tuesday, September 12. Our team has been closely monitoring the weather conditions in collaboration with…

As reports continue about Hurricane Irma and concerns that the storms could threaten cities as far inland as Atlanta, I wanted to assure our school communities that we are closely monitoring the weather and tracking the storm’s development in collaboration with the National Weather Service (NWS). Based on the information we have received, it is…

As I reflect upon the contributions of our teachers and staff as we head into Labor Day weekend, I wanted to celebrate those who work with children and contribute to their well-being. But I cannot help but be reminded – because of recent events in Charlottesville, Va., and elsewhere around the world – that we,…

As part of the Day One tradition in Atlanta Public Schools, my team and I have boarded an APS bus to visit students, teachers, administrators, support staff and the community to report on Back-to-School happenings across the district. Throughout Day One on this blog and on social media @CarstarphenMJ and @APSUpdate, we catch up with…

As part of the Day One tradition in Atlanta Public Schools, my team and I have boarded an APS bus to visit students, teachers, administrators, support staff and the community to report on Back-to-School happenings across the district. Throughout Day One on this blog and on social media @CarstarphenMJ and @APSUpdate, we catch up with…