Blog

APS Advances Strategy for Transformation

January 28, 2016

When I unveiled the APS Turnaround Strategy during the State of the District last October, I explained that because of the longstanding, multi-generational educational needs of our students and a looming, high-stakes potential takeover Opportunity School District, we did not have time to waste. I also expressed that we would move with deliberate speed in…

Let’s Play! Every APS Elementary School Gets a Playground!

August 4, 2015

Last school year, with equity around the district in mind, the APS Operations Division identified 10 elementary schools in the district that were without playgrounds. The Atlanta Board of Education took steps to ensure that the building of playgrounds at these elementary schools were a priority during our back-to-school planning over the summer. I am…

Grade Change Review Update and Revised Regulations

July 31, 2015

Several weeks ago, we announced that the district would be doing a comprehensive review of grade changes across the district with a focus on identifying process improvements and procedural safeguards before the start of the new school year.  As always, I am committed to complete transparency. After a thorough review of the data by Chief…

APS Reviews Grade-Changing Issues across District

June 19, 2015

When I became superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools a year ago, I knew that many parts of the school district were broken, some even before the CRCT cheating of 2009. I knew that we had a lot of work to do to change the culture of APS and restore its integrity and public image. A…

Our CCRPI Results, Our Schools and the Power of ‘Hope’

December 17, 2014

Yesterday, the Georgia Department of Education released the results of the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI).  I’m still learning Georgia accountability too so for folks who are in need of some basic guidance, here are my cliff notes on how it breaks down: For background, you may remember, (but I wasn’t here), that…