Blog

‘Shout Out’ to our great students, teachers and schools

November 7, 2014

There are a lot of GREAT things happening in our district.  Each month I will give “shout outs” to students, staff and volunteers who are helping us achieve excellence in Atlanta Public Schools. Let’s give a shout out to… The 38 North Atlanta High School students who competed against students from 17 other high schools…

Cooking it up at Bunche Middle School

November 7, 2014

Teens at Bunche Middle School are learning the basics of cooking!  The school has partnered with the Logan Wilkes Foundation and Georgia Coalition for Physical Activity and Nutrition to take a series of cooking classes, Cooking Matters for Teens.  So far, 7th graders learned how to prepare healthy, tasty meals while being in the kitchen. …

Rally for Reading with Rubbermaid: Guest Blogger David Jernigan, Deputy Superintendent

November 6, 2014

I was excited to be on hand last week for a Reading Rally Assembly hosted by Newell Rubbermaid, the district’s newest partner and our friends at Scholastic Book Fairs as they donated new books to the students of William Boyd Elementary School.  This was a part of Newell Rubbermaid’s second-annual Global Day of Service where dozens…

College Bound at KIPP Atlanta Collegiate

November 3, 2014

This was my first visit to KIPP Collegiate Academy, a 9-12 charter high school.  The school was established in 2011 and is led by founding principal David Howland.  Mr. Howland began his career in education as a teacher at Booker T. Washington High School.  I had a great tour led by two seniors in the…

My First Visit to West End Academy Performance Learning Center

October 30, 2014

West End Academy offers online courses to 11th and 12th graders in a non-traditional setting where students drive the pace of their own learning.  West End has seen tremendous success.  Every student has an individual education plan that is tailored to meet their academic and social needs. At West End Academy I was able to meet the…

The Cool Kids of Kindezi

October 29, 2014

We had a great visit with the leaders and students at the Kindezi Charter School this week.  Principal Dean Leaper opened the school in 2010 with 96 students in grades K-3.  Today the school serves 218 students in grades K-7 from all over Atlanta and next year will add an eighth grade class. Built on…

Q and A session with amazing students at Grove Park

October 29, 2014

Whenever I visit our schools, I just love to see the great work of our amazing students display on the walls. Grove Park has managed to take a large, grand entrance, infuse it with art and make it feel welcoming.  It is important that our children are exposed to many different forms of the arts as it…

Wonderful Woodson Elementary School

October 29, 2014

Today was my very first visit to Carter G. Woodson Primary School.  My special assistant Angela King Smith was once a student teacher at the school many years ago.  On the ride there, she expressed reservations about what the school was like when she was there and her hopes that all of the new things she…

My Visit to Westside Atlanta Charter School

October 27, 2014

Westside Atlanta Charter School is an APS charter school that focuses on language and literacy.  It is a school with very humble beginnings, opening last fall in an empty retail space in a mixed-use building that the school then renovated into classrooms for students. Today, it is a site with two locations within a few…

Lunch at Bolton Academy

October 27, 2014

I finally had an opportunity to spend more time at Bolton Academy last week. It is a lovely school in a gorgeous neighborhood rich with lots of diversity. In addition to wanting to see the school’s academic program, I wanted lunch!  Whenever I visit schools I always try to get a better understanding of the…