Archive for July 2016
Unpacking Georgia Milestones Assessments for APS, Year Two
Whenever the time nears for the state to release major progress reports for schools – graduation rates, test results, the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) – my feelings jump from anticipation to eagerness to anxiety and back again. Such reports almost always come with positive news of hope and progress tempered with indicators…
Read MoreCall to Action for a Kinder, Braver, Safer World
Dear President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of Education John King, It started with the first rally cry: Je suis Charlie. And, sadly, then there were more. Paris. San Bernardino. Brussels. Orlando. Istanbul. Bangladesh. Dallas. As the United States is still reeling from weeks of tragic events, it came full circle for France last night. Je suis Nice. Among the 84…
Read MoreMore Facts and Update on Water Testing Mid-Point Results
With less than a month before we open the 2016-2017 school year, Atlanta Public Schools is quickly and methodically wrapping up its voluntary, proactive effort to test the district’s water sources to determine if there is any lead. As I wrote in detail a couple of weeks ago, we took the initiative to test our…
Read MoreHow We Can Move From Heaviness to Hope
Listening again to helicopters hovering overhead downtown last night after watching media coverage of the ensuing protests across the country, I couldn’t sleep. I kept playing over and over in my head the conversations I’ve been having with two APS graduates who are black males. “I am one bullet away from becoming a #hashtag.” A…
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