Since 2018, redefinED’s “A City Changing” speaker series has brought together Atlantans for focused conversations to drive support and inspire innovative and transformational educational opportunities for public schools and students in our region.
“A City Changing” convenes hundreds of thought leaders and community members from some of the city’s most significant stakeholder groups, including parents and educators with direct lived experience in our city’s schools, elected and district officials, and philanthropic, corporate, and civic leaders. Our events have been covered by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and are widely celebrated by attendees as an authentic, engaging opportunity for discourse on public education in Atlanta.
Join us for our signature speaker series event, which examines Atlanta’s changing landscape and the growing demand for more innovative educational approaches to address the needs of students and families. Panelists bring decades of combined experience and various local and national viewpoints on potential pathways for our changing city.
Courtney English is the Senior Advisor to Atlanta Mayor, Andre Dickens, and Chief Policy Officer for the city of Atlanta. His policy portfolio includes some of Atlanta’s most pressing challenges, including affordable housing, economic development, youth engagement, neighborhood revitalization, and closing Atlanta’s long-standing equity gaps.
Courtney was the youngest Chairman in the history of the Atlanta Board of Education and currently serves on the boards of the Westside Future Fund, Star-C, Greenlight Fund, and the Fort MacPherson Redevelopment Authority. An Atlanta native,
English is a former classroom teacher who earned his BA degree in political science from Morehouse College and a MA degree from Columbia University.
Michelle Brittain-Watts, an Indianapolis resident, holds a bachelor's degree in Sociology from The College of Wooster, two master's degrees in Education Administration from Butler University and Community Psychology from Martin University, and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Superintendency from Oakland City University.
She is the President and CEO of Edison School of the Arts, Inc., an in-network innovation school partnered with Indianapolis Public Schools, focusing on integrating arts into the core curriculum. Edison is a visual and performing arts integration model where there is a commitment to integrating arts into the core curriculum, fostering creativity and a lifelong appreciation for the arts.
With over 30 years of experience in school administration and teaching, Michelle has worked in various school districts, including Indianapolis Public Schools and Hamilton Southeastern Schools, where she served as the Executive Director of Secondary Education. She is known for her strong advocacy for students, relationship-building, and efforts to transform schools to improve outcomes and equity.
Michelle is actively involved in the community, serving as a principal mentor, education consultant, podcast co-host, and member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Edison School of the Arts, Indianapolis
Empower Schools
Dr. Diamond Ford has 23 years of experience in education, including roles as a middle school teacher, instructional coach, principal, and founding principal of Michael R. Hollis Innovation Academy in Atlanta. At Hollis, she expanded the school from PK-5 to PK-8 and improved its performance, removing it from the state's Turnaround Eligible List. She also developed a STEM curriculum and piloted the EL Education ELA Curriculum, earning Cognia STEM Certification for the school.
Dr. Ford now serves as Senior Director of Employee Experience at Georgia Institute of Technology, where she leads new teams in Employer Brand and Employee Engagement and oversees Learning and Development. Her career has earned her accolades such as the 2020 Silverberg Leadership Award, "Stellar Principal of the Year" by Atlanta Public Schools, and recognition from Atlanta Business League.
She holds a BA from Clark Atlanta University, an MA from the University of West Georgia, an Ed.S. from Georgia Southern University, and a Ph.D. from Mercer University. Dr. Ford is also an experienced speaker and panelist at various education forums.
Georgia Institute of Technology
Brandon House is the proud Principal of Washington Irving Neighborhood School, an IPS Innovation Network School. He is also the Chief of Community Engagement for the Near East Innovation School Corporation, the school network that manages Washington Irving and Thomas Gregg Neighborhood School.
House is a native Hoosier who has spent the last seven years in leadership at Young Audiences Charter School in New Orleans, most recently as Head of Schools. He has also held teaching positions in Indianapolis at IPS and Wayne Township schools. House’s leadership at Young Audiences Charter School led to significant increases in student academic achievement, student enrollment and retention, and teacher retention. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Taylor University and a Master’s degree in educational administration and supervision from Ball State University.
Washington Irving Neighborhood School, Indianapolis
An Innovation School is an in-district public school that may utilize increased autonomy and flexibility in six areas (curriculum, budget, schedule and calendar, staffing, professional development, and district policies) and is authorized by the local school board. Innovation Schools may develop as either a conversion of an existing school or a new school.
In exchange for increased ownership, discretion, and authority to establish and operate an Innovation School, school leaders are held responsible for improving student learning and school performance in accordance with measurable annual goals.
Local control means that critical decisions about a school – such as hiring, curriculum, schedule, and community partnerships – are determined by a local controlling board. A school district central office or school board is too distant to take into account the nuances of each school’s community and specific needs and desires.
As a result of local control, the people closest to the students have more voice and more say in what happens at their school.
Examples of local control in other districts have included a combination of parents, community leaders, district leaders, and nonprofit and business partners who are all invested in a school.
In local control, the school leader is accountable to the local board. Together, they are able to make the most vital decisions that impact the school.
In return for this autonomy, the local board is accountable to the school district for meeting agreed-upon student outcome targets.
Since the principal and the local board have greater freedom and flexibility to make the decisions that support their community and students, they are more likely to be able to meet the needs of families and, in turn, meet student outcome targets.
Join our growing collective of parents, educators, community leaders, and philanthropists invested in Atlanta public school education. Together, we will transform this city into a place where every student in every community has access to a great K-12 public education.
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