Four finalists in running for Atlanta school board appointment

Atlanta Board of Education member Jason Esteves is leaving his seat after being elected to the Georgia state Senate.  (Hyosub Shin / AJC FILE PHOTO)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Atlanta Board of Education member Jason Esteves is leaving his seat after being elected to the Georgia state Senate. (Hyosub Shin / AJC FILE PHOTO)

The Atlanta Board of Education narrowed down a list of 15 applicants to four finalists vying for an appointment to an open seat.

The board on Thursday announced its list of finalists to serve out the remaining one year of board member Jason Esteves’ term. Esteves is resigning his At-Large Seat 9 at the end of the month. He’s required to do so by law after winning election to the Georgia state Senate in November.

The finalists for the seat will participate in two community forums, at noon and 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. They’ll answer questions submitted by residents in advance. The meetings will be held at the school district’s headquarters, 130 Trinity Ave. SW, and include a virtual viewing option.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution obtained the resumes for the finalists from Atlanta Public Schools. The finalists are:

  • Stephanie Flowers works as an education support specialist for the Georgia Family Connection Partnership. Flowers serves on the school governance team for Carver Early College, an Atlanta high school. She also serves on Beltline advisory groups, has chaired a neighborhood planning unit and sits on the board of directors for the Summerhill Neighborhood Development Corporation.
  • Jessica Johnson is the founder and executive director of the Scholarship Academy, whose mission is to help low-income students find resources to pay for college. Johnson served on the Atlanta Public Schools’ equity taskforce. She received her bachelor’s degree from Howard University and a master’s degree from American University.
  • Nkoyo Effiong Lewis directs the law practice management program for the State Bar of Georgia. She received her bachelor’s degree from Brown University and a juris doctor degree from New York University School of Law. She worked as a teacher in Fulton County Schools from 2006 to 2008 and then as a program director for Teach for America.
  • John Ramseur Jr. works as a developer for Amerisure Insurance. He previously served on the school governance team for Bolton Academy in Atlanta and has tutored students, including at South Atlanta High School. Ramseur received bachelor’s degrees from Morehouse College and Georgia Tech and earned a juris doctor degree from Emory University School of Law.

The current school board members will select the person who will fill the At-Large Seat 9 position at a later date.