Atlanta’s newly elected school board will decide who will become the city’s next superintendent after the current board passes along a list of candidates’ names, the head of the search said Tuesday.
Ann Cramer, a consultant who leads the superintendent search committee, said finalists for the job likely would be announced in February or March, with a successor to Superintendent Erroll Davis in place by July 1.
“The reputation of the city and the progress we’ve made far outstrips some of the negatives that have occurred over the last couple of years,” Cramer said.
She wouldn’t reveal the number or names of candidates.
The new school board that will pick the superintendent will include six newly elected members, with only three board members remaining from the current board.
Companies hired to find candidates have directly contacted 402 people so far, said Veronica Biggins of Diversified Search, one of the firms involved.
“The city is extraordinarily well respected,” she said. “It’s a place people want to come to, and that’s a great thing about this metropolitan area.”
Davis has led the Atlanta school district for two and a half years, taking office as a state investigation revealed that 185 educators had participated in cheating on standardized tests. Davis plans to retire.
He succeeded Beverly Hall, one of 35 people who were indicted last spring on charges related to the cheating scandal.
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