The winners of the APS Winter Card Contest were honored by Superintendent Dr. Meria J. Carstarphen and the Atlanta Board of Education, at the December meeting of the Board.
Four Atlanta Public Schools students have been selected as winners of the APS Winter Card Contest, and were honored recently by the Atlanta Board of Education and APS Superintendent Dr. Meria J. Carstarphen.
More than 100 students throughout the school district submitted drawings and paintings, and Dr. Carstarphen and her senior staff narrowed the list to four. The student designs were then converted into the school district’s official greeting cards.
The winning entries were created by:
First Place – Elizabeth Mori, North Atlanta High School
Elizabeth Mori
Second Place – Pierce Mower, Parkside Elementary School
Pierce Mower
Third Place – Kamryn Smith, Scott Elementary School
Kamryn Smith
Fourth Place – Colin Forsyth, North Atlanta High School
Colin Forsyth
“The contest is critical because it gives every student who chooses to participate the opportunity to use visual art to communicate an idea and cultivate their voice as they express themselves,” said APS Fine Arts Coordinator Dr. Betsy Eppes. “We have very creative and talented students throughout our school district.”
J. Scott Allen, Latin teacher from Henry W. Grady High School, was named Atlanta Public Schools’ (APS) 2015-2016 Districtwide Teacher of the Year during the APS Employee Recognition Celebration awards ceremony October 29 at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center.
J. Scott Allen
It took a little time for the teaching bug to bite J. Scott Allen. But when it did, it bit him hard. Though both of his parents and his brother are public school teachers, initially, Allen chose another “helping profession”—social work. First, he graduated summa cum laude from the University of Georgia with both a Bachelor of Latin and Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (Film Studies) in 2002. Then, after earning a Master of Social Work from UGA in 2007, Allen embarked on a career as a social worker in various settings and with unique populations including children in foster care, individuals in substance abuse residential treatment centers, and Grady Hospital’s Emergency Room and Infectious Disease units.
However, after having an opportunity to teach an undergraduate social work class at Oglethorpe University, Allen would come home to tell his wife, “Wow! I can’t believe I get paid to do this. I LOVE THIS!” She encouraged him to follow that passion into a full-time career or risk regretting it for the rest of his life, so he made the switch to education in 2009. Allen, who was born in Atlanta, but grew up nearby in Stockbridge and Alpharetta, taught Latin for one year at Hillgrove High School in Powder Springs before teaching at APS’ Henry W. Grady High School in 2010. He completed certification courses while teaching on a provisional certificate, and became a fully certified teacher in 2012. This year marks his seventh year teaching in general and sixth year at Grady. Allen is a proud World Languages Lead Teacher, as well as the Gifted Eligibility Team Chair. Allen loves teaching and hopes his students see and feel his passion for learning. His favorite part of teaching is forming and fostering positive and collaborative relationships with students. He loves his students and Allen is awed by their creativity and original thought. He loves seeing the “light bulbs” go off. Allen has been married to Michelle Spann Allen since 2008 and they have two children: Sarah Beth who turned two last summer and Jacob who is three months old.
As the districtwide teacher of the year, Allen will now compete for Georgia Teacher of the Year next spring. Atlanta Public Schools is home to the 2012 Georgia Teacher of the Year, Dr. Jadun McCarthy; 2013 Georgia Teacher of the Year Finalist, Elisha Gray; 2014 Georgia Teacher of the Year Finalist Tamika N. Ball; and 2015 Georgia Teacher of the Year Finalist Rita L. Simmons.
(From L-R) Dennis Toliver, Elementary School Teacher of the Year, Grove Park Intermediate; J. Scott Allen, Districtwide Teacher of the Year, Henry W. Grady High School; Travis Brown, Middle School Teacher of the Year, Sylvan Hills Middle School; and Meria J. Carstarphen, superintendent, Atlanta Public Schools. Photo Credit: Dan Gillette, APS
Finalists for this year’s honors included Elementary School Teacher of the Year Dennis Toliver, third-grade teacher at Grove Park Intermediate School and Travis Brown of Sylvan Hills Middle School. Candidates for APS Teacher of the Year are nominated by their respective schools. APS then selects an elementary, middle school and high school teacher of the year from a list of semi-finalists to compete for the districtwide honor.
To see video vignettes for each Teacher of the Year finalist, click on the links below:
APS 2015-2016 Districtwide Teacher of the Year and High School Teacher of the Year
J. Scott Allen, Henry W. Grady High School
APS 2015-2016 Elementary School Teacher of the Year
Dennis Toliver, Grove Park Intermediate School
APS 2015-2016 Middle School Teacher of the Year
Travis Brown, Sylvan Hills Middle School
With the theme “Inspiring Hope and Recognizing Excellence,” the APS Employee Recognition Celebration is an expansion of the annual APS Districtwide Teacher of the Year ceremony. Other 2015-2016 Employee Recognition Celebration honorees include:
Principal of the Year – Trennis Harvey, Heritage Academy
Assistant Principal of the Year – Lakeesha Ramdhanie, KIPP STRIVE Primary School
Schools First Award – Sheral Kemp-Mizell, Supervisor, APS Transportation Department
Students First Award – Tiarra Moore, Instructional Coach and STEM Coordinator, Crawford W. Long Middle School
APS Districtwide Partnership Award – Achieve Atlanta
APS School Partnership Award – IBM
Members of the Atlanta Board of Education (back row), APS Superintendent Meria J. Carstarphen pictured with 2015-2016 Employee Recognition Celebration Honorees (front row) and their principals. Photo Credit: Dan Gillette, APS
About Atlanta Public Schools
Atlanta Public Schools is one of the largest school districts in the state of Georgia, serving approximately 50,000 students across 98 learning sites. The district is organized into nine K-12 clusters with 87 schools, 17 charter schools and two citywide single-gender academies, where students are offered rigorous instructional programs that foster success in school and life. For more information, visit www.atlantapublicschools.us
Atlanta Board of Education Members spent some quality time Thursday reading to the littlest of Atlanta Public School students, the pre-kindergarteners, during Read for the Record® 2015.
#ReadfortheRecord, which celebrated its 10th anniversary on Thursday, is a worldwide campaign designed to bring awareness to the importance of high-quality early learning, by mobilizing millions of children and adults to take part in the world’s largest shared reading experience. The event is organized and coordinated by Jumpstart, a national early education organization that recruits and trains college students and community members to serve preschool children in low-income neighborhoods.
This year’s #ReadfortheRecord initiative featured the book Not Norman: A Goldfish Story (written by Kelly Bennett, illustrated by Noah Z. Jones), which tells the tale of a little boy who eventually learns to love his pet goldfish, Norman. Atlanta Board of Education members appeared just as excited about the book as the pre-K students.
All told, seven Board Members and Board Executive Director Howard Grant, Ph.D., visited 14 schools and read to nearly 300 pre-K students:
| Board Member | Schools |
| Cynthia Brisco-Brown | E. Rivers (Two classes) |
| Eshe Collins | Heritage |
| Courtney English | Finch, Hope-Hill |
| Jason Esteves | Bolton Academy |
| Leslie Grant | Benteen, Slater, Thomasville |
| Howard Grant | Humphries |
| Steven Lee | Adamsville, Scott |
| Matt Westmoreland | Burgess-Peterson, Toomer, Whitefoord |
At Finch Elementary, Seat 7 Representative and Board Chair Courtney English reads “Not Norman” to a group of pre-kindergarten students during the annual Read for the Record(R) event.
At Finch Elementary, Board Chair Courtney English asked his group of pre-K students if any of them had pets. Most all raised their hands, shouting out everything from dogs to birds.
“Does anyone have a fish?” English said while cracking open the book. “Well, that’s the pet we’re going to read about today.”
At Burgess-Peterson Academy, District 3 Board Member Matt Westmoreland reads “Not Norman” to a group of pre-kindergarten students during Read for the Record(R).
At Burgess-Peterson Academy, District 3 Board Member Matt Westmoreland prefaced his reading by asking the students about Halloween and the costumes they plan to wear.
“Anyone going to be a fish? How about a goldfish?” he asked. Some in the crowd of four-year-olds cheered, “Yes!”
“Well, that happens to take us right into something I’m going to read to you right now,” Westmoreland said, as he reached for the book.
Later, as he reached a point in the book where a snake appears, Westmoreland asked the kids: “What would we do if we saw a snake right here in the classroom?”
“RUN!”
“Call the Police!”
“Call Animal Control!”
“Animal Control?” Westmoreland responded in surprise. “This is definitely one smart pre-K class!”
by Kimberly Willis Green
Eight Atlanta Public Schools (APS) eighth grade students were named REACH (Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen) Georgia Scholars and participated in the REACH Statewide Signing Day Ceremony with APS Superintendent Meria J. Carstarphen, Ed.D, Georgia First Lady Sandra Deal, and members of the Atlanta Board of Education.
The APS REACH Scholars, scheduled to graduate from high school in 2020, signed scholarship contracts along with their parents, during a ceremony that included their principals and school counselors. As the second group of APS REACH Scholars, they are among 177 students who participated in Signing Day across the Georgia.
The Class of 2020 APS REACH Georgia Scholars are:
Kristin White Joseph E. Brown Middle School
Kameron Jenkins Ralph J. Bunche Middle School
Jaylee Davis Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy
Terrah Sullivan Harper-Archer Middle School
Janiyah Cowherd Samuel Inman Middle School
Daniel Bonner KIPP STRIVE Academy
Maria Nino-Suastegui Willis Sutton Middle School
Kacie Geter Sylvan Hills Middle School
Georgia First Lady Sandra Deal (first row, second); Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Meria J. Carstarphen, Ed.D (first row, third); REACH Georgia Board Member Stephanie Blank (second row, first); Atlanta Board of Education Members Leslie Grant, District 1; Byron D. Amos, District 2; Matt D. Westmoreland, District 3; and Steven Lee, District 5; and Counseling Coordinator Kenya J. Gilliard, Ph.D. (second row, right), welcome the APS REACH Georgia Scholars from the Class of 2020, as part of a statewide signing day ceremony. Photo Credit: Scott Clark King, Atlanta Public Schools
Georgia First Lady Sandra Deal read a commendation to the REACH Scholars by Georgia Governor Nathan Deal and offered the students post-secondary planning advice. “Take advantage of the opportunities you are given, listen to your mentors and work with your academic counselors,” said Deal. “Give back to your community and keep record of the things that you are doing.” Georgia Student Finance Commission President Tricia Chastain and REACH Georgia Board Member Stephanie Blank congratulated the students on being selected as REACH Scholars.
Click here to watch the Atlanta Public Schools Class of 2020 REACH Georgia Signing Day Ceremony.
Ralph J. Bunche Middle School student Kameron Jenkins, along with his mother Nija Jones, sign his REACH Georgia Scholar contract in the amount of $10,000 before Atlanta Public Schools Deputy Superintendent David Jernigan, Superintendent Meria J. Carstarphen, Ed.D and Georgia First Lady Sandra Deal. Photo Credit: Scott Clark King, Atlanta Public Schools
As a part of the scholarship program, the students signed contracts to maintain a 2.5 grade point average, remain free of crime, drug, and behavior issues and meet with a volunteer mentor until they graduate from high school. Their parents or guardians also signed contracts to support their student’s education. When the REACH scholars graduate from high school, they will receive up to a $10,000 scholarship — $2,500 each year for up to four years to be used at a HOPE eligible Georgia two- or four-year college/university. Many colleges have matched the REACH scholarship and some have doubled the amount to provide scholars with additional resources for their education.
About the REACH Georgia Scholarship Program
Launched in 2012, the REACH (Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen) Georgia Scholarship Program is a key program of Governor Nathan Deal’s Complete College Georgia Initiative. The needs-based mentorship and scholarship program is designed to encourage students, starting in middle school, to persist in their educational pursuits. Students are provided with the academic, social, and financial support needed to graduate from high school, access college, achieve post-secondary success, and to be prepared for the 21st Century workforce.
About Atlanta Public Schools
Atlanta Public Schools is one of the largest school districts in the state of Georgia, serving over 50,000 students across 98 learning sites. The district is organized into nine K-12 clusters with 80 schools, 18 charter schools and two citywide single-gender academies, where students are offered rigorous instructional programs that foster success in school and life. For more information, visit www.atlantapublicschools.us.
ATLANTA – Robert Morales is the new chief financial officer (CFO) for Atlanta Public Schools (APS). The Atlanta Board of Education voted to accept APS Superintendent Meria J. Carstarphen’s recommendation to hire Morales at its legislative meeting June 1.
Robert Morales
Morales has been the CFO at Fulton County Schools for the last six years. Prior to Fulton County, he held the same position at Cobb County Schools, the District of Columbia Schools and Greenville County Schools in South Carolina.
“A certified administrator of school finance and operations, Robert’s leadership and expertise in charter system operations for a large urban school district will be a tremendous asset to APS as the district prepares to submit its application to operate as a charter system to the Georgia Department of Education this summer,” said Dr. Carstarphen.
Morales will oversee total budgets of $996 million for the district.
“Atlanta Public Schools is heading in a new direction that is laser-focused on its mission to prepare students for college and career. I am excited about the opportunity to work with Dr. Carstarphen and her team to achieve the district’s mission and goals and to continue to strengthen the financial foundation of APS,” said Morales.
Morales will join APS on July 1, 2015. Nader Sohrab, who served as interim CFO since March 13, will return to his role of deputy CFO next month.
About Atlanta Public Schools
Atlanta Public Schools is one of the largest school districts in the state of Georgia, serving approximately 50,000 students across 106 learning sites. The district is organized into nine K-12 clusters with 87 schools, 17 charter schools and two citywide single-gender academies, where students are offered rigorous instructional programs that foster success in school and life. For more information, visit http://www.atlantapublicschools.us.
In an effort to ensure that every Atlanta student and teacher is cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather, the Atlanta Board of Education revised its capital outlay plans for this summer to ensure that all critical HVAC systems replacement needs are met during the summer break.
Community meetings and public feedback revealed that HVAC issues stood among paramount issues for many Atlanta Public Schools campuses, prompting a full reevaluation of SPLOST IV (Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax) priorities and a reallocation of funding.
Following a complete review of HVAC across the district, APS identified critical HVAC issues at 18 schools and developed a plan to quickly remedy those problems. Using about $38.9 million from SPLOST dollars, APS has already begun work to:
- Resolve by the end of spring break, humidity control issues at Cascade, Fain, Garden Hills and Whitefoord elementary schools
- Replace out-of-date, sub-standard equipment at Brandon Intermediate, Hope-Hill, Hutchinson, Perkerson and Thomasville elementary schools
- Replace older rooftop equipment with more modern, efficient units at Adamsville Primary and E. L. Connally Elementary schools
- Complete major overhauls of HVAC equipment over the summer break at Adamsville Primary, E.L. Connally, Hope-Hill, Hutchinson, Perkerson and Thomasville elementary schools, and Brandon and Sarah Smith intermediate schools. All of these schools will close over the summer to allow for completion of the work.
Major projects also have been developed for Bethune, Humphries, Morningside, and D.H. Stanton Elementary schools and Jackson and Woodson Primary schools. Further details about these projects will be shared with these school communities in the coming months.
SPLOST is a financing method for funding capital outlay projects in Georgia. Specifically, it is an optional, voter-approved 1 percent sales tax levied by counties to fund the construction of parks, schools, roads and other public facilities.
For a complete list of SPLOST projects, please visit the APS Facilities page.