Before the new year finally arrives, I’d like to take a moment to share some reflections on 2020. Across Atlanta and beyond, it has been a traumatic year. COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on people’s health, livelihoods, and education, with Black and brown communities feeling the greatest impact. Amidst that landscape, like many of you, redefinED…

Teachers and students will have extra homework after the pandemic ends, as new findings show growth in math scores has fallen since last school year. Most Georgia students haven’t taken a state-standardized test since 2019, and most will not take another until the spring, if then. Without those scores on the Milestones tests, it’s unclear…

This has been a roller coaster of a school year. Families that desired an in-person option for their students in pre-K through fifth grade anticipated today as the date of reentry. With in-person learning now postponed until January 2021, the city’s education community centers our focus on the overarching priority: ensuring we’re meeting students’ academic…

The 2020-21 school year is unlike any we’ve seen in modern history. As we continue through this time full of unknowns and uncertainties, it is our duty to advocate for equity being at the center of every decision made on behalf of students and families of Atlanta Public Schools (APS). We believe that equity-centered leadership…

Two parent-driven organizations are stepping up to help Atlanta Public Schools families who may be struggling with housing, food insecurity or other needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Atlanta Thrive and the Latino Association for Parents in Public Schools recently announced plans to distribute $100,000 to those affected by the pandemic. The funding comes from the…

Atlanta Public Schools, the DeKalb County School District, and the Clayton County Public Schools recently announced plans for the beginning of the 2020-21 school year. All three school systems plan to begin the year virtually, based on current public health data on the spread of the coronavirus in metro Atlanta. The districts said they followed…

Summer is often a carefree time, a season associated with less stress than the others. The sun shines for longer, and kids can do what they do best: play. This summer, of course, is shaping up much differently. Let’s be honest. We’re tired, scared, angry, frustrated, and every emotion in between. Today, we woke up…

With schools closed for summer and our district in heavy planning due to uncertainties in the wake of COVID-19, we are grateful for the opportunity to reflect on our mission and the ways we show up in and for the community we serve. When students go back to school this fall, they will return impacted by the…

With parents and guardians doing their best to homeschool their students and support their families during this pandemic, it’s clearer now more than ever just how valuable teachers are to our young people’s success. So many teachers are going above and beyond right now — as they tend to do — to meet their students’…

As many of us continue to adjust to the impact of the pandemic, much has changed and yet many things remain the same. High school seniors across our district completed their last day of school last Friday, but not at all like they intended when the school year began. Students with plans to embark on…