Posts filed under ‘APS Staff’
Jackson High School educator named APS Teacher of the Year for 2011-12
ATLANTA – Elisha R. Gray, a special education teacher at Maynard Holbrook Jackson High School, was named APS Teacher of the Year for 2011-12, during a special awards ceremony this evening at South Atlanta High School.
As a teacher of students with significant cognitive disabilities, Ms. Gray learns daily from her students what it means to achieve success, despite debilitating circumstances. Her motto is: “I see abilities, not disabilities.”
In addition to her classroom duties, Ms. Gray is the National Beta Club sponsor, as well as the author of “Motivational Monday”, a weekly email message dedicated to the empowerment of educators. She also contributes her time, talent and skills to the development of new teachers as a teacher mentor.
“Ms. Gray represents thousands of APS educators in elementary, middle and high schools throughout the district; their spirit, dedication and hard work nurture and enhance the lives of our students,” said Superintendent Erroll B. Davis, Jr. “I am extremely proud of Ms. Gray and all of our talented educators who support the mission of educating today’s children for tomorrow’s world.”
As APS Teacher of the Year for 2011-112, Ms. Gray automatically becomes a candidate for Georgia Teacher of the Year, which will be decided later in the school year.
Ms. Gray earned her undergraduate degree in public relations from Howard University, and her master’s degree in special education from Grand Canyon University.
Runners up for APS Teacher of the Year are Ashley A. Kulik of Mary Lin Elementary School and Ester Y. Walters Jordan of Joseph Brown Middle School.
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Steve Smith appointed APS Deputy Superintendent/Chief of Staff
ATLANTA – Steve Smith has been appointed Deputy Superintendent/Chief of Staff with executive control over all district areas. His appointment is effective today.
Smith is a former business executive with Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. and Georgia Public Broadcasting; he is a former principal and teacher with the Fulton County School System. Smith holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA), along with Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees from The University of Georgia.
“Steve brings to APS substantial leadership and management experience in both the private and public sectors, including an education background as a teacher and principal,” said Superintendent Erroll B. Davis Jr. “He is well positioned to work closely with me to lead APS during this period of transition.”
Smith replaces Sharron Pitts, who is the APS Interim General Counsel.
ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS is educating today’s students for tomorrow’s world. We are committed to ensuring that all students graduate from our schools ready for success in college and life.
Twenty-One Interim Principals Appointed to Atlanta Schools by Superintendent Erroll Davis
Superintendent Erroll Davis has appointed 21 district employees as elementary and middle school principals with Atlanta Public Schools.
Filling vacancies left void by school leaders named in the recent state led CRCT report, the principals attended a leadership institute this week, and will begin serving in their respective schools immediately.
Newly appointed APS principals met today during the district's yearly New Principal Institute
The following interim principals have been appointed:
Barbara Lashley, Bethune Elementary School
Norlethia High, Deerwood Academy
Arica Johnson, Fickett Elementary School
Ennis Harvey, Finch Elementary School
Reginald Lawrence, West Manor Elementary School
Joyce Thomas, Brown Middle School
Robert Williams, Kennedy Middle School
Vonda McKeever, Benteen Elementary School
Peter Settelmayer, Dobbs Elementary School
Melanie Mitchell, Humphries Elementary School
Eunice Hutchins-Jones, Slater Elementary School
Mary Benton, East Lake Elementary School
Leah Goodwin, Coan Middle School
Paula Herrema, Inman Middle School
Michael McKnight, Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School
Sabrina Hayes, E. Rivers Elementary School
Abby McKinnon, Towns Elementary School
Gregory Parks, Usher/Collier Heights Elementary School
Meredith Kaltman,White Elementary School
Susan McClendon,Woodson Elementary School
Jerry Parker, BEST Academy
This group joins Keisha Gibbons, Interim Principal of Boyd Elementary School and Shanda Beadles, Interim Principal at Hutchinson Elementary School, appointed earlier this month to lead two of the district’s year round schools.
Superintendent Erroll Davis greets staff members at Boyd Elementary where Keisha Gibbons, (center), was recently appointed interim principal at the year round school.
“Leaders are responsible for the culture of an organization,” said Davis. “Good educators always put students first and we have many good, hardworking, committed educators.”
Superintendent Davis has also committed to filling the positions of all teachers implicated in the report, prior to the start of the school year. Setting the bar high for the upcoming school year, Davis wants educators to know, “There is nothing inconsistent in demanding high performance with high integrity. We expect both.”
Atlanta schools on a traditional school calendar begin classes on Monday, August 8, 2011.
By Tammy Garnes, APS Social Media Manager
Year Round Schools Prepared for Day One and Beyond
Day One APS for year-round schools — Centennial Place, Hutchinson and Boyd elementary schools — began Wednesday, July 13.
Students at all three schools returned to the classroom, with Hutchinson welcoming new principal S. Beadles and Boyd welcoming former Centennial assistant principal, now turned principal, K. Gibbons. All students experienced breakfast in the classroom for the first time. This is a new effort launched by APS’ nutrition department. Transportation reported that all buses arrived on time and as scheduled. Principals at all three schools expressed excitement about the beginning of the year round school year.
“Today went better than I could have ever expected,” said principal Gibbons. Boyd elementary hosted a 1:30 school wide meeting to introduce their new principal to students and parents.
The lobby of Centennial elementary was filled with a dazzling number of potted green plants. A beautiful compliment for their atrium which was filled with natural light and wide eyed kindergarten students, excited about learning how to walk in a straight line. ”Watch your lips and your hips,” said a kindergarten teacher as they walked, causing the 5 and 6 year olds to giggle.
Hutchinson utilized their Spanish language instructor to help principal Beadles greet students from the neighborhood. Newly appointed SRT-2 Director Danielle Battle was also on hand to greet parents and students with hugs. Students began the day with an assembly then walked to their assigned classes. Beadles, a former science model teacher leader, was also excited about using social media this year to communicate with her students. ”I’m still learning how to tweet,” she said.
Superintendent Erroll Davis visited all three schools during the day, spending a great deal of one-on-one time with each principal. Parents were kept up to speed throughout the day with live tweets from the @apsupdate Twitter feed.
Day One APS for traditional schools is Monday, August 8.
Summertime learning for principals and assistant principals
Every summer, newly appointed and veteran principals attend the Principals Academy.
This year, it will take place July 20 through 22. Also this summer, the school district will resume the Assistant Principals Academy, scheduled for July 25. The purpose of these professional learning sessions is to convene the district’s instructional leaders in one room to strategize on concrete ways to increase student achievement.
From being ready for the first day of school to applying better uses of technology, principals, academy leaders and assistant principals will spend time on teaching, learning and leadership approaches that can be put to use in the 2011-12 school year.
APS develops initial plan for state CRCT cheating results
ATLANTA — Atlanta Public Schools has developed an initial plan for responding to the results of the state CRCT investigation report that includes a wide range of actions intended to prevent recurrences of testing improprieties.
The plan includes:
- Moving the district’s Office of Internal Resolution (OIR) from Human Resources to Internal Audits, which reports directly to the Atlanta Board of Education.
- Setting ‘trigger points’ that will result in automatic investigations of schools whose test scores increase by a larger than normal percentage.
- Initiating climate surveys to periodically assess the culture at district schools and offices.
- Adding customer service and student support key measures to the district’s ‘Balanced Scorecard’, which is used to evaluate the performance of departments and employees on an annual basis.
Interim Superintendent Erroll B. Davis Jr. previously said that he will initiate appropriate action against each and every APS employee who was involved in testing irregularities and tampering. Prior to the release of the state CRCT investigation report, APS submitted the names of more than one hundred employees to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC) for further investigation of testing improprieties and temporarily reassigned 12 principals whose schools had apparent testing issues.
“I plan to issue a more detailed action plan in response to the state CRCT investigation report that will be based on an extensive and thorough review of the findings,” said Davis. “I plan to take the time required to painstakingly go over the state report so that we address each and every issue it identifies,” said Davis.
APS has already enhanced the testing environment in all schools with tighter security for testing materials and state-of-the-art safeguards designed to prevent improprieties and tampering. These enhancements were implemented starting with the 2010 CRCT administration, with additional enhancements added for the 2011 CRCT administration. The district also enhanced its annual training for all employees involved in testing and established a 24-hour hotline, where people are encouraged to report testing improprieties.
“Most APS parents and guardians already know that the vast majority of our principals, teachers and staff are dedicated, honest and hard-working people who always have the best interests of children in mind in everything they do in thousands of classrooms throughout the district,” Davis said.
Davis vowed to correct any remaining deficiencies in the testing area, while moving forward with the district’s existing urban education reform programs and implementing others as required to continue escalating student academic achievement throughout the district.
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Atlanta Board of Education appoints Erroll B. Davis APS interim superintendent
The Atlanta Board of Education has appointed Erroll B. Davis Jr. interim superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools, effectively July 1, 2011. The Board made the appointment at a Special Legislative Meeting Monday afternoon.
Mr. Davis is chancellor of the University System of Georgia, a position he assumed in early 2006. He is scheduled to retire from the position on June 30, 2011.
Mr. Davis previously served as chairman of the board of Alliant Energy Corporation, an energy holding company with $8.3 billion in total assets. He assumed that position in 2000.
“We are pleased that a person of Mr. Davis’ experience and reputation has graciously agreed to take the APS helm on an interim basis during this time of challenge for both the Board and the district,” said Board Chair Khaatim Sherrer El. “The Board has the utmost faith in Mr. Davis’ ability to help us stay on course to resolving the issues currently impacting the Board and the district.”
Mr. Davis’ higher education experience includes serving as a member of the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents from 1987 to 1994, and as a former chairman of the board of trustees of Carnegie Mellon University. He currently serves as a member of the Southern Regional Education Board and was previously a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Chicago.
A native of Pittsburgh, Mr. Davis holds a bachelor of science in electrical engineering degree from Carnegie Mellon University and an MBA in finance degree from the University of Chicago.
Mr. Davis’ appointment as APS interim superintendent remains in effect until the Atlanta Board of Education names a permanent replacement for Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall, whose contract with the Board expires June 30, 2011.
Inman Principal Dr. Betsy Bockman Receives UGA 2011 Professional Achievement Award
Several months ago, Inman Principal Dr. Bockman was nominated to receive an alumni award from the University of Georgia. On Monday the UGA College of Education Alumni Awards Selection Committee selected her to receive the 2011 Professional Achievement Award. The award recognizes Principal Bockman for her outstanding contributions made throughout her career in the field of education.
Save the dates: Pre-K lottery coming in April
Atlanta Public Schools‘ lottery system will determine who gets the 880 state-funded pre-K slots in 44 APS classrooms at 32 sites. Parents can register their child for the 2011-12 school year if he or she is 4 years old on or before September 1, 2011. Following are key dates and locations (with mapping hyperlinked):
- Sat., April 16 (8 a.m.-6 p.m.) – registration at Maynard H. Jackson High School
- Thurs., April 21 (6 p.m.-9 p.m.) – registration at the Instructional Services Center at the Dean Rusk Building
- Sat., April 23 (8 a.m.-6 p.m.) – registration at Inman Middle School
- Fri., April 29 (12 p.m.-3 p.m.) – lottery drawing at the Instructional Services Center at the Dean Rusk Building
Additional information – such as addresses for registration sites and required documentation – will soon be posted on the APS Web site. Prospective parents can also call the Pre-K Program Office at 404-802-3640.
