Meet the new Atlanta Board of Education members: Courtney English

We continue our three-part series introducing the new Atlanta Board of Education members with Courtney English (District 7). Mr. English is a former Atlanta Public Schools middle school teacher and community activist. Born and raised in Atlanta, he is a proud graduate of Morehouse College. English was a founding teacher at the new all-male B.E.S.T. Academy at Benjamin Carson where he taught seventh grade social studies. Ironically, English’s lessons were delivered in the same room where he learned the subject content as a student. English is a member of the 2007 Atlanta Corps of Teach for America and now direct his efforts toward enhancing the quality of education for students. 

As a teacher, English designed and implemented a unique curriculum to teach “Applied Social Studies,” in which students learn the subject through the lens of all academic disciplines.  His talents as an educator have been reinforced by his success rate in the classroom.  Eighty percent of his students have met learning objectives with at least 80 percent proficiency for two consecutive years on the Criterion Reference Competency Test (CRCT). 

English served as grade-level chairperson, a member of the school’s Disciplinary Committee and the school’s initial design team.  He has also received training from the nation’s leading organizations for education services, such as the National Association of Social Studies Teachers, Leadership for Ensuring Educational Equity, and the National Association for Single-Sex Public Educators.

English’s dedication to student success is not confined to the classroom. He also coaches chess and football. Under his leadership, the football team posted an impressive 5-1 record, while averaging 40 points per game this past season.

For the past six years, English has assisted the Morehouse College Pre-Freshman Institute, a 20-year-old program designed to combat negative effects of the achievement gap by providing African-American males with a six-week, intensive pre-college experience. The program has served more than 4,000 students from 30 countries around the world. Participants, typically individuals who would not gain admission into any college or university, have graduated from several of the nation’s top colleges and universities.

In an effort to increase teacher efficacy, increase community involvement and eradicate the achievement gap for students in Atlanta, English decided to run for a seat on the Atlanta Board of Education. On Nov. 3, English was elected as the first Teach For America Atlanta Corps member, and the first educator to hold the position while teaching full-time. English was the youngest teacher at his school and will now represent the entire city of Atlanta as the youngest member on the board.
English will use the same drive and passion that made him successful in the classroom to serve the 49,000 students of APS, tackling our nation’s most pressing issue: quality education for all students.

You can reach Courtney English at cenglish@atlanta.k12.ga.us.