Cheryl L.H. Atkinson, who earlier this summer had been in the running to head the Atlanta Public Schools, has been chosen as superintendent finalist by the DeKalb County Board of Education, the DeKalb district announced late Friday night.
In a news release issued about 11 p.m., the district said its board will publicly vote to install Atkinson as its new superintendent following a state-mandated 14-day waiting period.
“As the superintendent in DeKalb County I endeavor to challenge students, parents, teachers, and administrators to raise academic standards and achievement,” Atkinson said in a prepared statement. “Together, we can improve test scores, raise graduation rates, and enhance student success in all educational environments.”
Atkinson currently is superintendent of Lorain, Ohio schools. She previously served in administrative positions in Kansas City, Mo.; Charlotte, and Charleston, S.C. She will visit DeKalb in the next 14 days to meet with parents and other residents.
Thomas Bowen, chairman of the DeKalb Board of Education, said in a prepared statement, “This was a long process, but in the end we are confident that we have the best candidate to move our district forward.”
DeKalb's original goal was to get a new superintendent in place by July 1, but all three finalists named in March have dropped out -- including one who complained that details of the contract negotiations were leaked to the media.
Meanwhile, in Atlanta, the school board brought in two superintendent finalists in June – Atkinson and Bonita Coleman-Potter, a deputy superintendent of Prince Georges County Public Schools in Maryland.
But after a report describing extensive test cheating in the Atlanta public schools came out in July, the board decided to have former University System of Georgia chancellor Erroll Davis continue serving as interim superintendent for a year.
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