Full circle: Sisters who were APS students now serve as APS principals
Sisters Kristy Reese and Kimberly Gibbs have gone far in their careers, but not in distance. Having been educated by Atlanta Public Schools (APS), they now educate others in the same system as school principals.
Reese and Gibbs grew up on Stewart Avenue, renamed Metropolitan Parkway in 1997 to shed its reputation for drugs and prostitution. They lived in a humble brick house across the street from the Salvation Army with their parents, Bobby and Glenda Goodson, and their sisters, Rosetta and Robbi.
Bobby was Black, Glenda white, and their interracial marriage had an impact on their daughters. The girls were called names and struggled with acceptance.
“We lived in a predominantly Black neighborhood, but we always understood both worlds,” said Reese, 49, of Peachtree City. “The cool factor was that we had the ability to feel comfortable with all cultures.”
Their mother was unflappable as a minority at school events and Antioch Baptist Church where the Goodsons filed into a pew every Sunday. She raised the girls with two mantras: You are Black women, and you will succeed. Their dad taught them that if your sister gets into a fight, you’re in a fight, too.
“We never got in fights,” said Reese.
“Well, except me,” admitted Gibbs, 46, of Atlanta. “But I was defending Robbi. You mess with my sister, you go through me. We’re still like that. That’s just how our parents built us. They let us know that friends come and go, but we’ll always have our sisters.”
The stair-step sisters, each two years apart, attended Gideons Elementary School (now Kindezi Elementary School) where they were referred to as “the Goodson girls.” Tresa Gordon was a teacher at Gideons and remembers the young sisters fondly.
“They were so sweet, charming, and they got along so well,” said Gordon, 73. “Their father was the PTA president for years and both parents were extremely supportive. I feel like the guidance and faithfulness and push of their parents caused them to excel. It’s in the girls’ DNA.”
All four girls attended Sylvan Hills Middle School, then split like cardinal directions for high school. Rosetta attended Mays High School, Kristy attended Fulton High, Robbi attended Therrell High, and Kimberly attended North Atlanta High.
As magnet students, the Goodson girls could attend different schools in the district to focus on specialized curriculum, anything from STEM to the arts. Rosetta chose a math and science curriculum and became a nurse practitioner. Robbi chose criminal justice and works in insurance. Reese, now married with four children, and Gibbs, engaged with two grown sons, both chose education and became teachers.
Teaching middle schoolers always felt like calling to Gibbs. Reese thought she was destined to be a kindergarten teacher, but later discovered a passion for teaching fifth graders. They both became assistant principals.
But this school year, they are both principals for APS. After serving as interim principal last year, Reese was recently named principal of Kimberly Elementary School. Gibbs is in her fourth year as principal at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School.
“Our greatest takeaway from being students in APS were the relationships we made and all the educators who poured into us,” said Gibbs. “That’s why we’re here now. We want to pour the same thing into our students and staff. We want to create a place that makes them happy and where they know they’re cared for.”
Every morning Reese and Gibbs talk on the phone while driving to their respective schools, and they often debate who has the better job.
“When it comes to middle school, it’s a ‘no, thank you’ for me,” said Reese. “When I tell you, if you’re having a bad day, just go visit one of my kindergarten classrooms. Those babies will make your heart smile. I’ll stick with my elementary babies all day. Kim, I get 100 hugs a day. Can you say that?”
Her sister jumps into the familiar banter.
“I probably get 400 a day because my school is four times bigger,” Gibbs retorts. “I also learn new TikToks, latest rap songs, who’s dating who, how all our former students are doing in high school, and I learn the meaning of things like ‘clock that tea.’ Middle school gets a bad rap. People say they’re the hardest years, but I say they’re the most fun. They’re not babies, but they’re not grown-ups. It’s the best age ever.”
There is no debate about one thing. The sisters agree their experiences as biracial students greatly benefit them as principals.
“Both of our schools are diverse,” said Gibbs. “Mine is 22% white, 5% Hispanic and the rest of the students are Black. I feel more comfortable engaging with all kids and cultures because of how we grew up, and I understand the demographics of different families. We see that as something special.”
Nicole Lawson, chief communications officer for APS, attests that the sisters’ history in the district is a gift to students.
“As an APS alum myself, I know firsthand what it means to be shaped by this district,” said Lawson. “I also had the privilege of growing up with the ‘Goodson girls’ and witness their passion for education as teenagers. Alumni principals matter because they, too, understand the experience of being an APS student. They’ve walked the same halls, learned from the same community and experienced the transformative power of educators who believe in their potential. That lived experience fuels a deep sense of purpose and commitment to our students.”
Gordon, who was Reese’s fifth grade teacher, is now a teacher tutor at Reese’s school, helping students with reading deficits.
“These two principals show APS students ‘if I can do it, you can do it,’” said Gordon. “They’ve put in so much work and have become inspirational, nurturing principals. Still, they’ll always be the Goodson girls to me.”
