Posts by Meria

With respect to social gathering restrictions in Georgia due to COVID-19, Atlanta Public Schools plans to hold virtual graduation celebrations for the Class of 2020 in May, delaying traditional ceremonies until the summer or a later safe date that adheres to Georgia Department of Health guidance. The district reached this decision based on input from…

UPDATE: April 13, 2020: As part of APS’ commitment to the safety of students and employees, we sent letters to families and staff providing updates on the district’s response to COVID-19. The letter to families is available on our Coronavirus Update page here. The Spanish version is here. UPDATE: April 3, 2020 – Updated FAQ document from Superintendent…

One of the most difficult – but necessary – decisions I have ever made as an urban schools superintendent was to close Atlanta Public Schools for teleschooling and teleworking. Necessary … to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Difficult … a potential disconnect between schools and our students. Immediately, we entered a whole new world…

Fulton County Board of Health investigation finds no exposure to students and no close contact with other APS staff. The Fulton County Board of Health (BOH) notified Atlanta Public Schools (APS) of its first confirmed case of COVID-19 today. However, in this case, there is no exposure to students, and for staff there was no…

“Shape your future. START HERE.” The 2020 Census, the official count of every person living in the United States and its territories, launches this month. In the coming weeks, we will see thousands of announcements, flyers, news reports and social media postings in the coming weeks with the new tagline and the importance of getting…

Few things affect our lives in the same ways as a school calendar. What else influences us more about when we schedule vacations, family events or even doctor appointments?  Because the school calendar literally outlines the lives of our students, their families and all of our employees, we in Atlanta Public Schools take great measures…

UPDATE: March 31, 2020: As part of APS’ commitment to the safety of students and employees, we sent letters to families and staff providing updates on the district’s response to COVID-19. The letter to families is available on our Coronavirus Update page here. The Spanish version is here. UPDATE: March 20, 2020 – Deadline for APS Device Distribution…

For the last five years, Atlanta Public Schools has really focused on educating the whole child to ensure they have the kind of skills they need to have full and enriching lives. If students can persevere – set goals, overcome obstacles and develop healthy relationships – we know they will be more successful in work…

In February, we celebrate the immeasurable impact African-Americans have had on our society and even our individual lives. With such a rich deposit of American and Atlanta history, we really should recognize every month as Black History Month! It’s inspirational every year during Black History Month to see the legacies of Frederick Douglass, Harriett Tubman,…

To this day, I remember the pent-up excitement I felt the morning of June 5, 2015, moments before a truly transformational announcement from Atlanta Public Schools. I counted the hours, minutes, seconds to when we could tell all of APS, Atlanta and the nation the news. Finally, we spelled it out in huge headlines. My…