The Atlanta Board of Education (ABOE) swore in newly elected and re-elected Board members, selected new officers, and announced new committee assignments this week.
Before the Monthly Board Meeting on Monday, District 1 Board Member Katie Howard, District 5 Board Member Erika Mitchell , and At-Large Seat 9 Board Member Jessica Johnson were all sworn in after being re-elected by voters, while newly elected District 3 Board Member Ken Zeff and newly elected At-Large Seat 7 Board Member Alfred “Shivy” Brooks were sworn in as well.
Following the ceremony, Mitchell was elected Chair, and District 4 Board Member Jennifer McDonald was elected Vice Chair.
Chair Mitchell: “My goal as Board chair is to have shared leadership across the Board, working in collaboration with my board colleagues and Interim Superintendent Battle. Through shared leadership, we can achieve a lot. Shared leadership is based on the belief that leadership is not confined to a single individual but is distributed across the Board, where everyone is transparent and accountable. It enhances our performance and organizational effectiveness by leveraging each board member’s diverse expertise and perspectives. Every board member has a place, a voice, and a seat at the table to advocate for students and achieve the best possible outcomes.”
Vice Chair McDonald: “I am looking forward to the year ahead. We have the level of heart and commitment not only from every member of this Board but from our Interim Superintendent and her entire team to not merely do the work but to excel in our delivery, communication, and execution. One of our greatest assets as a district is the level of investment our community gives us and we must do what we can to protect and honor their investment.”
District 1 Board Member Howard: “I could not be more excited and ready as I start my second term to work with my colleagues – this board – to do the work and make the right changes to improve outcomes for our students in APS.”
District 3 Board Member Zeff: “I am excited to join the Board of Education because I know APS’s best days are ahead of us. When the Board’s mission and actions are aligned, our teachers will get the support they need, and our children will receive the education they deserve.”
At-Large Seat 9 Board Member Johnson: “We have some important work ahead. I look forward to leaning in with my Board colleagues to help create equitable learning spaces for all APS students.”
Additionally, the following committee assignments were made:
Accountability: McDonald (Chair), Howard, and Zeff.
Audit (Chair TBD): District 2 Board Member Aretta Baldon, District 6 Board Member Eshe Collins, and Howard.
Board Development: Baldon (Chair), Johnson, and Mitchell.
Budget: Howard (Chair), Baldon, and Johnson.
Legislative Liaisons: Brooks and Johnson.
Policy Review: Collins (Chair), At-Large Seat 8 Board Member Cynthia Briscoe Brown, and Brooks.
Also on Monday, the Board voted to approve a budget adjustment recommended by Atlanta Public Schools administrators that will fund a $1,000 stipend for all eligible district employees.
The stipend will be included in paychecks on January 31st.
Last month, ABOE and the district rewarded its teachers and school staff with a bonus before the holiday break. Shortly thereafter, the Governor’s Office and the Georgia Department of Education announced a retention bonus for the state’s K-12 teachers, school support staff, and full-time eligible state employees. ABOE and the district committed to passing along additional funds once clarification was provided by the state on which categories of employees should be covered by the state bonus. Monday’s vote made good on that commitment and will extend the $1,000 stipend to include additional eligible full-time, substitute, part-time, and hourly employees.
An amount of $3,267,568 from the district fund balance will cover the cost of expanding the stipend to include all eligible district employees. This is a well-deserved token of appreciation for our employees’ hard work and is in keeping with the district’s commitment to leading with CARE: Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Equity.