ATLANTA — The Atlanta Board of Education announced on Wednesday it will extend the contract of its interim superintendent.
The news comes a day after the board said it was extending its search for to fill the position after there was an information breach about some of the candidates who applied for the role.
Atlanta Public Schools' current interim superintendent is Dr. Danielle Battle, who was sworn in last August. That appointment came after Dr. Lisa Herring's contract wasn't renewed.
According to a spokesperson for the board, Battle's contract will be extended through Dec. 31, 2024. It was previously the board's goal to have a replacement by July 1 but plans have seemingly changed with the search being extended.
That said, Battle has more than 30 years of experience in education and has a goal of leaving a legacy of literacy improvement at Atlanta Public Schools, according to a release. She is also a familiar face at the school system as board members have previously told 11Alive that she's worked for the district for 19 years in various roles. In her current position, Battle has been collaborating with the Office of Literacy to implement the district's first-ever literacy policy, which requires the superintendent to pick "evidence-based literacy curricula" to improve student performance.
"Continuing this important work to illuminate the vision established by the ABOE is exactly what I am driven to do," Battle stated. "The students and the community benefit from the literacy initiative being fulfilled by APS, and I am honored to lead that charge and happy to have more time to see it through."
Atlanta Board of Education Chair Erika Mitchell also said that the search extension for a replacement allows Battle to continue making progress with the literacy initiative and beyond.
The specific plans and schedule related to hiring a new replacement for superintendent will be shared at a future date, according to a spokesperson.