Mays High inducts inaugural class of single-gender academy for girls

They marched in white, clasping a yellow rose, and are hoping to become butterflies. These were the metaphors that Mays High staff hope will lead to a metamorphosis, as 48 freshman girls were inducted Tuesday morning into the inaugural class of the Dorothy Height Academy of Leadership.

This first group is a part of Atlanta Public Schools’ High School Transformation Initiative, with Mays High offering the district’s only single-gender academies for boys and girls. (B.E.S.T Academy and the Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy started out as middle schools and this year are expending to include their own high school campuses.) The “DHALS,” as they’re often called, are supervised by Academy Leader Dr. Sharon Gay and receive mentorship from their older classmates.

The inductees enjoyed an elaborate ceremony that featured a lecture by Rev. Lola Russell of Antioch A.M.E. Church in Stone Mountain and a dance performance. Dr. Gay, as well as Mays High Principal Dr. Tyronne Smith, both promised the girls a quality education with strong support and challenged them to fulfill their potential. Mays High English teacher Badia Askari, who wrote the DHALs’ theme song, has played a pivotal role in this first year and received a special honor from her students that brought her to tears.

We’ll soon have a video with highlights from the ceremony and interviews with Dr. Gay, Askari and freshmen Jasmin Paschal and Kameera Wells — all of whom were featured in a previous interview and will be featured in the upcoming fall issue of The Atlanta Educator.