Blog
Lt. Col. Rooker led me into Santa’s Village on APS volunteer day. It was great to see our staff helping families in need. Last month many of them donated money towards this cause, so it was cool to see how that donation manifested into this event. All 30,000 square feet of this once-vacant retail space…
→The mood was festive at Jackson Intermediate as Dr. Lorraine Reich greeted me along with members of the Jackson Intermediate PTA and Local School Council. A school with an enrollment of approximately 850 students, school leaders have done a great job of making the school feel small and intimate. One of the first things I…
→Yesterday I blogged about my new friend Backpack Bear from Ms. Swalm’s kindergarten class at Jackson Primary. As the class Star of the Week I am responsible for taking the bear home, introducing him to my family, friends and co-workers and taking photos of our adventures. Take a look at how we spent our weekend!…
→Having worked in different states, I have learned that no two are alike when it comes to their approaches in accountability. There are always nuances. For example, in Georgia, there has been extensive work on measuring student growth. The general idea is that it not enough to know how well a student scored on a…
→My new pal, “Backpack Bear” from Jackson Primary, made a bunch of new friends at Sarah Smith Primary! Dr. Freda Hamilton’s office may have been the most friendly, welcoming principal’s office ever! It’s full of fantastic souvenirs from the University of Georgia, Dr. Seuss books and an awesome Mr. Potato Head collection. Backpack Bear found…
→I started my day in a classic way as I took a trip last week to Atlanta Classical Academy. I was greeted by Principal Terrance Moore and board Chairman Matthew Kirby who both have children attending the district’s newest charter school. As I walked through the halls I noticed large pictures of influential and historic figures such as Dr. Martin Luther…
→I couldn’t help but smile when I pulled up to Jackson Primary and saw a huge banner hanging outside with a welcome message for me. I made a request to bring it to my office – I will be looking for a place to put it! Principal Susan King greeted me in the lobby where three…
→What a great night! I had to blog or I would never go to sleep!!! It was our first Superintendent’s Teacher Advisory Council (TAC) meeting. Woo hoo!!! Four accomplished and acclaimed teachers graciously volunteered to serve as my co-hosts and meeting facilitators (not to mention they were the brains and creative geniuses behind the whole…
→I had the pleasure of meeting Jordan Rose and Meisa Salaita, ASF co-directors to talk about the upcoming Atlanta Science Festival, a huge citywide event that connects everyone in the metro region to science. The Festival debuted last spring with over 30,000 people attending over a hundred events throughout the week. These events were great for people…
→Congratulations are in order AGAIN for our Benjamin E. Mays Raiders football team! They pulled off a spectacular upset last Friday with a 21-18 victory over the number one ranked Ware County Gators in Waycross, Ga. The Raiders now advance to the Georgia High School Association state quarterfinals for the first time in school history and…
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