Principal Douglass wants NAHS to serve as a model for other urban schools throughout the United States.
Curtis Douglass is a New York native, raised by two loving parents who instilled in him the importance of education. After high school Douglass attended Morehouse College where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. During his matriculation at Morehouse, he fell in love with the city of Atlanta and decided to remain and pursue his career in education. He began his career as a classroom teacher in Fulton and DeKalb public school systems.
While teaching, Douglass earned a master’s degree in Education from Georgia State University and an Educational Specialist in Educational Leadership from Lincoln Memorial University. Douglass has worked in school administration for nine years, serving as the assistant principal at Shiloh High School and Gwinnett High School in Gwinnett County before joining Atlanta Public Schools as assistant principal at North Atlanta High School.
During his time as the assistant principal at North Atlanta High School (NAHS), the administration team had great successes. The number of advanced placement courses offered at NAHS increased, the administration successfully overcame challenges associated with moving into a new facility, the rate of student tardiness decreased and the academy model of the school was restructured to meet the needs of students based on specific grade levels.
As the new principal of North Atlanta High School, Douglass looks to make it a school that serves as a model for other urban schools throughout the United States. His immediate goals include raising standardized test scores for all students, particularly for the subgroups that have historically performed below expectations; to continue increasing the number of students receiving an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma; to highlight options and utilize resources for students who are not pursuing an IB Diploma, and to increase school spirit.
Douglass expressed his excitement as the new leader of North Atlanta High School stating, “As the new principal of North Atlanta, I look forward to building relationships with the student body and providing them with meaningful opportunities, both academically and socially.” He continued, “I also look forward to witnessing a renewed sense of school spirit that will be felt throughout the school by North Atlanta students, faculty and staff.”
North Atlanta High School will begin its second year in a new state- of-the-art facility. The first day of instruction for the upcoming school year is Monday, August 4, 2014. For more information about North Atlanta High School click here.
