The Atlanta Public Schools board of education is slated to vote tonight on incoming APS superintendent Meria Carstarphen's recommendation to contract with an outside lawyer to serve as the district's general counsel.
The proposed new general counsel, Glenn Brock, has represented school districts across Georgia, including the Fulton, Cobb and Clayton school districts.
In the long term, contracting with Brock as general counsel is expected to save money, said Jill Strickland, a spokesperson for Carstarphen.
“APS is reviewing how it receives legal services. We want to maximize efficiency and effectiveness,” Strickland said in a written statement. “APS, based on its size, spends too much for legal services, and we want to ensure that we are using dollars for students, as much as possible.”
Brock and his firm, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, have previously provided legal services to APS. Brock served as special counsel to the district in dismissal hearings for teachers fired after the test-cheating scandal, represented the APS board before the State Board of Education after the district was placed on accreditation probation, and represented the school board during contract negotiations with Carstarphen.
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