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Atlanta superintendent finalist promises community he will listen and learn

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“As a former superintendent, I wake up every morning thinking about how we do things,” Johnson said. “When I look at the mix of resources that exist, the direction of the board, the investments that have been made…there’s no reason why this district shouldn’t be in this situation.”

Carver community member Monique Nunnally shares her concerns with Bryan Johnson, the sole finalist for Atlanta Public Schools superintendent, at the new Carver Schools in Atlanta, Tuesday, June 25, 2024. "We don't feel like there's a lot of fairness in our community and that we're getting what we need," she told him. (Seeger Gray / AJC)

Credit: Seeger Gray / [email protected]

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Credit: Seeger Gray / [email protected]

Johnson said he plans to take a lot of feedback during his first 100 days in office. He is committed to listening and learning as much as possible to understand the issues facing the district.

“The more you understand what the challenges are, the more informed and equipped you are to make decisions and so we want to make the right decisions,” he said.

Some of the district’s challenges include test scores that have yet to reach pre-pandemic levels, declining enrollment and chronic absenteeism. Johnson said addressing lagging attendance rates in parts of the district would be a priority.

“We need to figure out how to get these students because these students need to be in school, and however that ‘get them’ — knocking on doors, implementing specific types of partnership strategies with the community. members – we need our children to go to school,” he said.

Parents Monday night urged Johnson to focus on resource equity in schools and district areas, streamline communication and improve students’ experiences at school to increase attendance. On Tuesday, the conversation also focused on concerns about fairness and questions about trustee accountability. Johnson said he would eventually make changes to the central office.

“(There is) over $2 billion in this budget,” he said. “There are less than 50,000 students. There is more than $22,000 spent per student in Atlanta public schools. The results don’t match (the money spent).

Regarding equitable distribution of resources, Johnson said he wants to avoid what he calls a “peanut butter spread” approach, in which everyone gets the same thing.

“When I (worked) in transportation logistics, we had several hubs across the country,” Johnson said. “Some clusters needed more resources for a multitude of reasons. We would not be able to distribute resources between all these transport hubs in the same way.

The same goes for schools, he said.

Carver community member Kimberly Brooks tells Johnson the area needs more resources and support. “These children mean the world to me,” she said. “They graduate and they can’t read. They can't find work. It is our duty and our responsibility. (Seeger Gray / AJC)

Credit: Seeger Gray / [email protected]

icon to enlarge the image

Credit: Seeger Gray / [email protected]

When asked how he would interact with principals, Johnson said they are some of the most important hires because they establish the culture of a school. He stressed the importance of mid-year performance reviews for principals so they can receive feedback and make changes, if necessary, before the end of the school year.

“I would say every school principal will have my cell number,” he said. “I’m just a little different in that way. »

If you are going to

Here is the remaining schedule of town hall meetings for Atlanta parents to meet Bryan Johnson. Each meeting begins at 6 p.m. The meetings can also be viewed virtually at tinyurl.com/apsboetv

June 27 – Benjamin E. Mays High School, 3450 Benjamin E. Mays Drive SW

July 2 – Willis A. Sutton Middle School, 2875 Northside Drive NW

July 3 – Daniel M. Therrell High School, 3099 Panther Trail SW

July 5 – Booker T. Washington High School, 45 Whitehouse Drive SW

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