Board of Education

August ABOE Board Chair and Superintendent Remarks
Committee of the Whole Meeting
(August 13, 2012)


EXCERPTED REMARKS FROM THE BOARD CHAIR

This is our first meeting of the new school year, and it's our pleasure to welcome students and staff back to school. Before I turn it over to the Superintendent, I want to remind the community that August 14, 2012, is an important day for the school system and the City of Atlanta. It's the day of teh 8th Annual State of the Schools in Atlanta event. We did not hold the annual event last year because of the transition under way in Atlanta Public Schools (APS). However, this year, as a Board, as a school system, and as a school community, we have come together with a renewed focus and a priority on putting children first. The 2012 State of the Schools event marks Mr. Davis' first anniversary as Superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools. He is an accomplished and proven leader, and the Board certainly has confidence in his leadership. We look forward to the days and months ahead.


EXCERPTED REMARKS FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT

I It has been a pleasure to serve this school district It has been a pleasure to serve this school district alongside board members, parents, partners and the dedicated employees of APS.

I’ve actually been here for a little over a year – 13 months and two weeks!

I appreciate the support, outspokenness and passionate engagement I have experienced. Of course, we still have considerable left work to do. As we heard tonight from many parents – who have legitimate concerns about the start of school – we can and we will and we must do better as a system.

Last year, we spent a lot of time putting structures in place and reallocating resources in order to stabilize the system. This year, we are focused on cultivating a climate of excellence in everything we do – from the quality of our instructional programs to the effectiveness of our hiring practices. I, too, look forward to the days and months ahead.

Earlier today, we heard several updates from members of my team. In the interest of time, I will not attempt to summarize each presentation. We are going to post each of them online, and we will begin doing so every month as standard operating procedure