Fulton County school board members have not yet detailed how they plan to replace outgoing Superintendent Robert Avossa, but education leaders say finding someone to fill his shoes is not going to be easy.
Considered a politically savvy leader with a reputation as a school innovator in Georgia, Avossa helped build Fulton’s reputation as one of the top-performing districts in the state. During his 4-year tenure, the district saw its graduation rate and standardized test scores improve, among other achievements.
Finding someone qualified to lead a district as large as Fulton can take a year or more. Fulton could also end up competing with nearby DeKalb County schools, which is also looking for a new leader.
Fulton school board members are expected to discuss the superintendent search this summer. Avossa was recently appointed new superintendent for the school district of Palm Beach County in Florida, the 11th largest in the country with more than 183,000 students.
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