Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Lisa Herring has appointed four leaders to her administrative team. The appointments were confirmed by the Atlanta Board of Education at the Board’s monthly meeting on Monday, June 7. These appointments are budget neutral and include a Chief Performance Officer, an Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, an Assistant Superintendent for Innovation, Improvement, and Redesign, and an Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Technology.
Dr. Matthew Smith was approved as Chief Performance Officer
The Chief Performance Officer (CPO) provides strategic vision, leadership, and direction that enables the district to understand and communicate the student outcomes achieved, the impact of core district strategies, and implications for continued improvement.
The CPO plays a vital function by providing data to help inform improvements for students, developing systems and tools to track progress towards district goals and providing the analysis that enables district leaders to have a deeper understanding of the current state, to challenge current assumptions, and to spur reflective dialogue and innovative thinking that move efforts forward more effectively. Dr. Smith has been serving as vice president of policy for A+ Education Partnership in Montgomery, Alabama.
Dr. Selena Florence was approved as the Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning
This position serves as the instructional leader for the district. This position provides leadership, assistance, and supervision for the efficient operation of units and elements of the organization involving curriculum and instruction.
Dr. Florence will be responsible for specific instructional functions, including PreK-12 curriculum and implementation, early learning, social emotional learning (SEL), educator professional development, signature programming, CTAE, army instruction, gifted and talented, ESOL, and college and career readiness. Dr. Florence has been serving as an area director for Jefferson County Schools in Alabama.
Dr. Kevin Maxwell was approved as the Assistant Superintendent for Innovation, Improvement, and Redesign
This is a new position from a repurposed vacancy, reporting to the Chief Performance Officer (formerly the Chief Accountability & Information Officer). Dr. Maxwell will lead district innovation through collaboration and building new structures, partnerships, and policies to enable those innovations to flourish.
His role is focused on surfacing barriers to realizing the district’s vision and creatively solving for them, including developing, assessing, and recommending innovative ideas or school models that will have a positive impact on student achievement. Dr. Maxwell was most recently the Principal of Howard Middle School. Joy Antone, current Assistant Principal at Howard MS, will serve as the Interim Principal.
Dr. Aleigha Henderson-Rosser has been approved as the Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Technology
In this role, Dr. Henderson-Rosser will provide guidance and support to promote the use of technology in student learning. This leader will work closely with our curriculum, professional learning (learning development and design), and information technology departments, administrators, and teachers to plan for the integration of technology into all facets of the curriculum and learning environment. Dr. Henderson-Rosser has been serving as executive director of instructional technology.
“These individuals are smart, forward-thinking educators who bring a wealth of knowledge and talent to our school district,” said Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Lisa Herring said. “I am confident that they will add value to the leadership team and usher us into what will be a permanently transformed way of teaching and learning,” she said.
“These experienced professionals will help lead the way, as we reimagine the future of APS and focus on becoming an innovative, technology and data-driven school district that prepares all of our students for success.”