Blog
As usual I went to the wrong door. The main entry is so beautiful that I was certain it was my entrance. Instead, I ended up walking around by myself until I found the front office. The good news about that is that it means I get to see the school with my own eyes…
→I was excited to be on hand this week as we helped Target and The Heart of America Foundation unveil West Manor Elementary’s newly renovated school library! The renovated space features 2,000 new books, furniture, carpet, shelves, 25 iPads, a flat screen television; and a school broadcast video system complete with a mixer, laptop, teleprompter…
→Pride. Pride was in the air today at the Historic Booker T. Washington High School where the school board and I joined students, staff, parents and the community to celebrate Founder’s Day – the school’s 90th anniversary. The first high school to serve African-American students in Atlanta, the halls of Washington have embraced world leaders, political…
→Congratulations to the 16 REACH Scholars of Atlanta Public Schools! They are eighth and ninth graders in our district, members of the “class of 2018” and the “class of 2019.” This morning we held a special ceremony where each scholar signed their scholarship contracts. Yes, it’s THAT serious. The Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen (REACH)…
→Congratulations to our friends and neighbors in Gwinnett County Public Schools! Yesterday, they were awarded the prestigious Broad Prize for Urban Education and receive $500,000 in college scholarships for members of the class of 2015. Large urban districts receive this prize when they demonstrate that they are shrinking the achievement gap among low income and…
→Today, two of our hardworking scholar athletes, seniors Natrez Patrick and Dallaw Warmack of Benjamin E. Mays High School, were selected to play in the 2015 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. The game will take place January 3 in San Antonio, TX. Army Bowl officials were on hand to present each player with an Army Bowl…
→The principal and teachers at Humphries Elementary School – like so many of our employees – care deeply about their students. Principal Melanie Mitchell invited me out today to help with an incredible service project for the kids. While there she showed me how she and her staff are improving daily attendance, one child at…
→What began more than 50 years ago as a week-long celebration of Hispanic heritage and achievement is today commemorated by Presidential Proclamation as a 31-day period complete with a theme, “Hispanics: A legacy of history, a present of action and a future of success.” From September 15 to October 15, public officials, educators and all Americans are encouraged…
→I enjoyed my first Braves game last night at Turner Field! It was a great night for baseball. A big thank you to the Braves for partnering with our schools over the years. And while it was toga night, I didn’t wear one, but I like the spirit of those who did!
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