Atlanta Public Schools is appointing a slew of new principals after a massive cheating scandal wiped out much of the district's leadership ranks and triggered an unprecedented search for a new lineup of leaders.
Last July, a state investigation uncovered cheating at 44 schools and implicated almost 180 employees, including 38 principals. The accused principals were placed on paid leave, and with the start of classes about a month away the district appointed interim leaders.
Now, the district is in the process of naming a new class of permanent principals. So far, the district has appointed at least nine new principals, some who are veteran leaders and others who are new to the role. Longtime APS employees see this as a chance to set the district on a new course.
"Everyone is looking for better ethics and decision making," said veteran principal Betsy Bockman, who was appointed to lead Coan Middle. "Everything has been affected by what we've gone through. Having all new principals on board, they bring a different history. They don't have baggage. They have a whole different perspective on teaching and learning."
Principals named in the report were accused of a broad spectrum of unethical behavior, from enlisting teachers to change answers to failing to properly guard against test tampering in school. Superintendent Erroll Davis replaced 43 of the district's approximately 100 principals. Several principals resigned or retired from the district, while others are still challenging efforts to fire them.
In February, the district had 25 interim principals, according to district documents. APS officials planned to leave the interim principals in place for a year so they could consider community input before a final selection was made. Some interims may be shifted into permanent roles, according to district officials.
When interviewing, principals had to first sit down with a panel comprised of a community advocate, a parent, teachers, a veteran principal and a regional supervisor, said Shuanta Broadway, who was recently appointed to lead Hutchinson Elementary.
Broadway said she always wanted to be a principal, but recent events in APS catapulted her into that role more quickly than expected. That's not to say she is unprepared -- after teaching for several years, Broadway worked in school- and regional-based leadership roles, which she says gave her experience evaluating teachers and helping to manage a school.
Broadway says parents and teachers are ready to move on from the cheating scandal.
"The things parents want most is for their children to succeed," she said. "In parent meetings and staff meetings, we haven't talked about the scandal. We've been more focused on the [new curriculum standards] and looking at what we need to make this group of students successful."
The removal of such a large number of principals from APS has been a major challenge for the district over the last year. APS superintendent Davis has been candid about the challenges of attracting qualified candidates to the district.
"There are only so many ways to perfume a pig," he said in May when asked whether educators were skittish of joining APS following the scandal.
Then, APS had 600 applicants for 17 principal openings, and candidates asked a lot of questions about the testing scandal and resources, he said. The district named seven interim principals last month, and hiring efforts for other vacancies are ongoing. The salary of an APS elementary school principal ranges from $92,733 to $125,374 based on experience and education, according to the district's website.
Rhoda Spence, president of the Atlanta Council of PTAs, said the last year has felt "uncertain." Interim principals have been hesitant to make decisions on new initiatives or partnerships with PTA because of their temporary status, she said.
Still, Spence says APS has done a good job of including parents in the selection process, and she believes the district is poised to move forward beyond the cheating scandal.
"Atlanta is going to rise and be a force to be reckoned with in the nation," she said. "I think we've learned our lesson, no doubt."
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