ATLANTA — Despite the swearing-in of an interim superintendent, Atlanta Public Schools is still on the hunt for permanent leadership.
On Tuesday, the Atlanta Board of Education announced it's one step closer to finding a more permanent solution with a list of community members that will help decide the next leader on a panel. The community panel includes the following members:
- Alfred Garner
- Arthur Carson
- DaMicha Luster
- Dawn Brocklington-Shaw
- DeMar Goodman
- Elizabeth Wickland
- Jennifer Saunders
- Jon Balch
- Kate Carter
- Kim Dukes
- Kacey Venning
- Kenny Hill
- Marc Hardy
- Margaret McKenzie
- Matt Westmoreland
- Milton Little
- Omar Ali
- Shelly Goodrum
- Sierra Pape
- Susanna Roberts
The school board also said they believe they will have a permanent superintendent by July 1, 2024.
Dr. Danielle Battle was sworn in August but only as a temporary leader for the school district. Battle's appointment came after the last superintendent, Dr. Lisa Herring, joined the school board in a new role. Within just a week of her appointment, she visited at least 19 schools.
Officials with the BOE said the community panel includes leaders involved in the district, such as PTA members, parents, teachers, community leaders and more.
“The Atlanta Board of Education is excited to share that the search for a new Superintendent is already well underway,” said Board Chair Erika Mitchell. “At this stage, we are pleased with the quality of the candidates, as well as the community members who have joined a special panel to make recommendations on the future direction of APS."
Officials added that the panel will not determine who will get hired, but will provide feedback for the school board. The board also said the panel will help keep parents and other community members updated in the process.
The latest update in the process for permanent leadership comes just three weeks after leaders met for their State of the District meeting.
Dr. Battle touched on the district's focus on improving literacy rates, as well as how they've improved their learning dashboard, which now features coursework and extracurricular updates all in one place.
According to the school board's timeline, it appears a sole finalist will be announced next month in April or May.