In a guest column, Ed Chang, executive director of the nonprofit education reform group RedefinED Atlanta, calls for Atlanta residents to pay closer attention to Atlanta Public Schools and its search for a new superintendent.
A former science teacher, Chang taught at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in southeast Atlanta for five years before going on to found KIPP STRIVE Academy in 2009. He is the founding executive director of RedefinED Atlanta, which seeks to improve education outcomes in Atlanta and expand charter school options.
By Ed Chang
For some families, back-to-school time is filled with excitement, school spirit, and aspirations for a great school year. The weeks leading up to the first day of school are filled with open houses, shopping for school supplies, and wondering about homeroom teachers and class schedules.
For others, this is a time of nervousness, even fear. Is this school a good fit for my children — one that will meet their needs? Will my children be safe this school year? Families wonder if they can find a school for their children where they can ultimately thrive, be happy and learn. No matter how you feel about students returning to school, it’s a critical juncture for all families.
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
As we navigate a post-pandemic world, factors like learning loss, teacher shortages, and displacement of families are affecting all communities. In addition, school board elections and a soon-to-be new superintendent for Atlanta Public Schools promise to shape the school environment for all students in the upcoming year and beyond.
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in school closures and extended periods of virtual learning, which led to already struggling students falling even further behind. Measurable drops in academic progress are visible in this year’s Georgia Milestones test scores for APS. From 2019-23, the proficiency rates for students in grades third through eighth declined in math
In addition to wondering if our children are learning, families are navigating the reality of being able to afford to stay in the city. On average, APS has seen declines in enrollment over the past few years. One of the biggest factors driving families with children out of the city of Atlanta, especially those with lower incomes, is the rising cost of housing.
According to the Atlanta Regional Commission, rent inside the city limits increased by 31% from 2017 to 2022. While average rent for this past year remained flat, the overall trend will likely continue, posing economic barriers for families and compromising stability in school success for students.
We often rely on strong leadership to usher us through critical moments, and now is the time that district leadership will be put to the test. This November, five of the nine school board members will be up for election, and this new board will be the one that will drive the search for and selection of a new superintendent for APS. How will our future be shaped and who do we need at the helm?
We need a leader who can cast a bold vision for Atlanta’s students. We need someone who will listen deeply to understand the community’s educational wants and needs. We need a superintendent who will set high expectations and goals for success, and who will hold themselves and be held accountable for those results.
We need someone who believes that we not only have to expand and scale what has been working, but that we also need to innovate and reimagine how we deliver a world-class education for children — and that we need to do so with a sense of extreme urgency. We need a superintendent who can attract and develop the best educators and who can also retain them in a world that is bleeding talent.
We need a district that is open to all school types that believes all families deserve the right to choose the best options for their children regardless of the ZIP code that they live in — and if those options don’t currently exist, they need to create them. If the pandemic taught us anything, we can’t go back to what we had — that never worked in the first place.
Now is the time for families and communities to demand what they want from our district leaders. Our education system has been failing our students for far too long, despite the good intentions and hard work of many brave educators.
As a community, the power of our voice lies in our vote, and I encourage everyone to stay involved, be educated and to get to the polls in November to ensure that you select the best people to represent your children and the interests of all of our children in Atlanta. We can’t afford not to.
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