Ending a two-year search, DeKalb County Schools has selected Cheryl L.H. Atkinson as its new school superintendent, choosing an Ohio educator who headed up an 8,000-student district with one high school to run one with nearly 98,000 students and a dozen high schools.
The board confirmed late Friday that after a 14-day review period Atkinson will leave her current superintendent's job in Lorain, Ohio, near the shores of Lake Erie, to assume control of Georgia's third-largest district.
Along with that, she'll have to tackle the chores of boosting the districts lagging academic record, with 22 schools failing to make the mandated "adequate yearly progress" under the federal No Child Left Behind act; refocusing a district still reeling from a scandal, one that saw its former superintendent indicted in connection with an alleged racketeering scheme involving school construction money; and dealing with the threat of the district losing its accreditation.
"We know that she's coming from a smaller district," Board of Education Chairman Tom Bowen said. "But we were looking for someone who has a strong background in boosting academic performance in a challenged district. We're confident that we've found that person."
Neither Atkinson nor anyone from the Lorain school district could be reached for comment Saturday.
DeKalb officials announced Atkinson's selection in a news release sent out about 11 p.m. Friday, and Bowen said that the state-mandated, 14-day review period officially began Saturday.
Although Atkinson comes from a smaller district, she has deep experience in large districts such as Kansas City, where she was a deputy superintendent, and as an associate superintendent in Charleston, S.C., and a regional superintendent in Charlotte, N.C., Bowen said.
Earlier this summer, Atkinson was one of two finalists for the Atlanta Public School superintendent job.
Gil Hearn, who has two children in the DeKalb school system, was skeptical of Atkinson's selection.
"We've gone 500 days already without a superintendent; why all of a sudden are they announcing just one candidate and someone who comes from such a small district?" Hearn asked. "If they've taken this long, why not take the time to hire someone from a comparable district?"
Hearn is the founder of a new parent group, Parents for DeKalb Schools, which was formed last week and has about 400 members so far.
His other gripe about the process was the board wasn't going to bring Atkinson in to meet parents and teachers until after she was formally hired.
"How can we have a review period without meeting her?" he asked.
Bowen said the school board had brought in other superintendent candidates for what he called the "dog and pony show," but it didn't result in a new superintendent. He said board members are following the letter of the law and will bring Atkinson in after she is confirmed.
Marney Mayo, who has two children in the DeKalb system, said she was hopeful that Atkinson will restore stability and order to the school system.
"It's about time that we have a strong leader in place," she said. "I'm hoping that everyone will give her some time to get her feet on the ground, get her team in place and start making some positive changes here."
Atkinson holds a bachelors of arts and a masters of arts in elementary education from the University of North Carolina, and a doctor of education in education administration from Virginia Tech.
In a prepared statement, Atkinson said, "My passion is to give all children, regardless of background and circumstances, a quality public school education."
The DeKalb board will publicly vote to install Atkinson as its new superintendent following the 14-day waiting period in late August, though the exact date hasn't been set.
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