APS Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall received the Georgia Speaker of the Year award Thursday during a banquet at Emory University sponsored by Delta Sigma Rho-Tau Kappa, the National Forensics Honor Society. The annual award recognizes on an annual basis an individual who has had an impact throughout the state through public advocacy and promoting positive change through public speaking engagements.
“I proudly accept the Georgia Speaker of the Year award on behalf of everyone working to ensure that all children have access to a quality education,” said Hall, 2009 National Superintendent of the Year. “Wherever I have had the privilege of speaking publicly or privately, that has been my message: The conditions for student success are not a mystery. We know what has to happen for learning to occur. When you place a child in a classroom with an effective teacher who is supported by strong and stable leadership that’s held to account within an environment with the right school-community partnerships, that child will learn – and will do so at high levels.”
Hall pointed to the success of the Atlanta Urban Debate League as the perfect example of a community partnership. This 25-year-old program involves Emory, Georgia State and APS. It has grown stronger in recent years as the district has emphasized critical-thinking and leadership skills that students need to compete in a modern, globalized economy.
“Currently, there are 400 APS students being served in debate teams at 10 middle schools and on six high school campuses,” Hall said. “Within the last two years alone, we’ve increased school participation by more than 50 percent. As you well know, competitive debate is a life-changing instructional strategy. The data show that debate students miss fewer days of school, score higher on standardized tests, and graduate from high school and enroll in college in greater numbers.”
Previous winners of the award include Jimmy Carter, Benjamin E. Mays, Ralph McGill, Roy Barnes and Arthur M. Blank.