We are a UNITED community demanding IMMEDIATE change in Atlanta Public School leadership.
We are a UNITED community demanding IMMEDIATE change in Atlanta Public School leadership.
The Issue
Atlanta Public School's senior leaders have failed our students, teachers and staff in academic achievement, operations, climate and culture, engagement, and ethics, college and career readiness since July 2020 under the leadership and guidance of Dr. Lisa Herring. Let the Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education know WE WANT NEW SENIOR LEADERSHIP - including a new superintendent and senior cabinet - to change the trajectory for our kids and implement aggressive strategies that will increase growth and help ALL students achieve. Our students’ success, achievement and futures cannot wait.
Current State of Atlanta Public Schools…
� LITERACY & MATH
“Scores indicate 31.2% of APS students in grades 3-8 scored proficient or above in English Language Arts (ELA) and 26% scored proficient or above in Math. “
Meaning 2022 Milestone data indicates…
- 68.8% of all students in grade 3-8 are NOT proficient in ELA
- 74% of all students in grades 3-8 are NOT proficient in Math
� FAILING SCHOOLS
December 12, 2022 – The Georgia Department of Education today released the 2022-2023 lists of schools identified for Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) and Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI), APS has 29 schools listed in one of these categories.
- CSI: APS has the highest number of schools by district categorized as CSI during 2022-2023 school year with 22/116 schools listed. Meaning we have the lowest performing schools in the state of Georgia.
“schools are identified for Comprehensive Support & Improvement (CSI) if they are among the lowest-performing 5% of Title I schools in the state”
- TSI: APS has 7 of the listed 59 targeted for TSI
“TSI schools fall into one of the following categories:
- Consistently Underperforming Subgroup: The school has at least one subgroup performing in the lowest 5% of all schools in at least 50% of CCRPI components.
- Additional Targeted Support: Among all schools identified in the “Consistently Underperforming Subgroup" category, the school has at least one subgroup that is performing in the lowest 5% of schools in all CCRPI components.”
� STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
APS has not provided any data to the public about APS Compensatory Services and plan. Many parents continue to have concerns about delayed services and frequency of services.
“In February the Office of Civil Rights released a fact sheet on the obligation to provide compensatory services for students with disabilities who did not receive evaluations or services to which they were entitled during the pandemic”
NOVEMBER 30, 2022 “U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights Announces Resolution of Investigation into Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia, Related to the Needs of Students with Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic”
Resource: Students with Disabilities - 1
Resource: Students with Disabilities - 2
� SAT
FALL 2022 data suggested APS has the Lowest average SAT of metro atlanta districts
� GRADUATION RATES
Graduation Rates have increased while all other scores on national standardized tests have dropped - many staff, parents & guardians worst fears include APS continuing to lower expectations for graduation thus leaving our kids even less prepared for college and careers.
� BUDGET
- FY 23: $ $1,458,068,699.00
- FY 22: $1,392,314,878
- FY 21: $1,253,705,913
- ESSR: $332 MILLION
- Total $4.42 BILLION
� MENTAL HEALTH
“During SY 2022: 25% of APS students in grades 3-12 were Elevated or Extremely Elevated for risk of developing an emotional or behavioral disorder. (BASC-3 BESS/Spring)
� DISCIPLINE
“Spikes in student discipline incidents have resulted in multiple challenges.”
“An influx of new behavioral incidents... ...have resulted in a strain to our system”
According to the Georgia Department of Education Disciplinary Database, APS has recorded 12,565 reported incidents with the highest percent of disciplinary incident occurrences in students who are...
- 96.8% English Learners
- 78.4% students without disabilities
- 70.8% were male students
- 60.3% were black students
� SAFETY & SECURITY
We continue to hear reports that crime has increased in our city and schools and ask for transparency of data and solutions.
No concrete data has been presented to stakeholders.
� ATTENDANCE
“During SY 2022: • 37% of APS Students (19,836) were chronically absent”
� NUTRITION
5/2/22 Chair Eshe Collins stated
“…the food is unidentifiable & so there is grave concern bc our children are hungry”
“Our children are telling us they are hungry, that they are starving”
� TRANSPORTATION
Unfortunately there has been no district or school level data presented but parents, students and staff report
- Over crowded busses with students only able to stand in aisle as seats are all full
- Anxiety & safety concerns waiting on Atlanta street corners for busses that are delayed or never come
- Communication challenges related to busses
- Bus telephone hotline that is not answered
- Chronically missing academic time secondary busses being late to school
� CULTURE
6/16/2023 - Aretta Baldon, Vice Chair stated “That work was done by the office, the superintendent has lead that and one of her areas there has been some focus groups and other work happening on that.”
� GALLUP RESULTS / EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION
- 37/63 school's Grand Means Score DROPPED between Spring 2021 - Fall 2022
- 43/63 school's 2022 Gallup's Q12 K-12 Workgroup Level GrandMean Percentile was < 50%
- 43/63 school's Fall 2022 Grand Mean schools scored below 4.0
“The Grand Mean measures the group's overall engagement, which is an average of the 12 workgroup engagement items (Q01-Q12). The higher your score with a maximum possible score of 5.00), the more engaged your fellow employees”
“PERCENTILE RANKING: The 25th percentile indicates 75% of workgroups fell above this score; the 50th percentile indicates 50% of workgroups fell above and below this score; the 75th percentile indicates only 25% of workgroups fell above this score. The higher your percentile, the stronger the item is in relation to the database. Used as a benchmark to determine how your team's results compare to internal and external workgroups. “
Resource: Gallup & Employee Satisfaction
� SCHOOL LEADERS
20+ new principals this SY 22/23 out of the 58 neighborhood schools
� PROCESS, PROCEDURES & DOCUMENTATION
6/16/2022 Office of Internal Compliance to the Audit Committee
“a lack of the proper documentation or documentation being outdated…there was not standard requirements throughout APS for standard operating procedure.”
Resource: Process, Procedures & Documentation
� AUDIT COMMITTEE & ETHICS HOTLINE
The Ethics Committee & Ethics Hotline were established following the APS Cheating Scandal. The December 15, 2022 Ethics Committee meeting did not happen.
Presented 3/17/2022 to BOE…
- SY 21: only 2/13 high risk areas were audited
- SY 22: only 2/13 high risk areas were audited
External Auditor 2022:
“there were about 30+ red items which were high priority”
“One of the things that came out of our …quality ethics program should be reviewed…ours hadn’t been looked at in 6 years”
Resource: Audit Committee & Ethics Hotline - 1
Resource: Audit Committee & Ethics Hotline - 2
Resource: Audit Committee & Ethics Hotline - 3
Resource: Audit Committee & Ethics Hotline - 4
� EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
APS parted ways with several employees in the Office of Employee Relations Department including the Director in Fall 2022 - this is of importance because 98% of the Ethics Complaints pertain to Employee Relations per the Office of Internal Compliance Director read out in October 2022.
October 2022 BOE Member & Chair of Audit Committee Katie Howard asks about calls that come into Ethics Hotline…
“Office of Internal Compliance tends to focus on those that relate to fraud, waste & abuse…98% of calls …relate to personnel issues & those would go to the Office of Employee Relations”
The Issue
Atlanta Public School's senior leaders have failed our students, teachers and staff in academic achievement, operations, climate and culture, engagement, and ethics, college and career readiness since July 2020 under the leadership and guidance of Dr. Lisa Herring. Let the Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education know WE WANT NEW SENIOR LEADERSHIP - including a new superintendent and senior cabinet - to change the trajectory for our kids and implement aggressive strategies that will increase growth and help ALL students achieve. Our students’ success, achievement and futures cannot wait.
Current State of Atlanta Public Schools…
� LITERACY & MATH
“Scores indicate 31.2% of APS students in grades 3-8 scored proficient or above in English Language Arts (ELA) and 26% scored proficient or above in Math. “
Meaning 2022 Milestone data indicates…
- 68.8% of all students in grade 3-8 are NOT proficient in ELA
- 74% of all students in grades 3-8 are NOT proficient in Math
� FAILING SCHOOLS
December 12, 2022 – The Georgia Department of Education today released the 2022-2023 lists of schools identified for Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) and Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI), APS has 29 schools listed in one of these categories.
- CSI: APS has the highest number of schools by district categorized as CSI during 2022-2023 school year with 22/116 schools listed. Meaning we have the lowest performing schools in the state of Georgia.
“schools are identified for Comprehensive Support & Improvement (CSI) if they are among the lowest-performing 5% of Title I schools in the state”
- TSI: APS has 7 of the listed 59 targeted for TSI
“TSI schools fall into one of the following categories:
- Consistently Underperforming Subgroup: The school has at least one subgroup performing in the lowest 5% of all schools in at least 50% of CCRPI components.
- Additional Targeted Support: Among all schools identified in the “Consistently Underperforming Subgroup" category, the school has at least one subgroup that is performing in the lowest 5% of schools in all CCRPI components.”
� STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
APS has not provided any data to the public about APS Compensatory Services and plan. Many parents continue to have concerns about delayed services and frequency of services.
“In February the Office of Civil Rights released a fact sheet on the obligation to provide compensatory services for students with disabilities who did not receive evaluations or services to which they were entitled during the pandemic”
NOVEMBER 30, 2022 “U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights Announces Resolution of Investigation into Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia, Related to the Needs of Students with Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic”
Resource: Students with Disabilities - 1
Resource: Students with Disabilities - 2
� SAT
FALL 2022 data suggested APS has the Lowest average SAT of metro atlanta districts
� GRADUATION RATES
Graduation Rates have increased while all other scores on national standardized tests have dropped - many staff, parents & guardians worst fears include APS continuing to lower expectations for graduation thus leaving our kids even less prepared for college and careers.
� BUDGET
- FY 23: $ $1,458,068,699.00
- FY 22: $1,392,314,878
- FY 21: $1,253,705,913
- ESSR: $332 MILLION
- Total $4.42 BILLION
� MENTAL HEALTH
“During SY 2022: 25% of APS students in grades 3-12 were Elevated or Extremely Elevated for risk of developing an emotional or behavioral disorder. (BASC-3 BESS/Spring)
� DISCIPLINE
“Spikes in student discipline incidents have resulted in multiple challenges.”
“An influx of new behavioral incidents... ...have resulted in a strain to our system”
According to the Georgia Department of Education Disciplinary Database, APS has recorded 12,565 reported incidents with the highest percent of disciplinary incident occurrences in students who are...
- 96.8% English Learners
- 78.4% students without disabilities
- 70.8% were male students
- 60.3% were black students
� SAFETY & SECURITY
We continue to hear reports that crime has increased in our city and schools and ask for transparency of data and solutions.
No concrete data has been presented to stakeholders.
� ATTENDANCE
“During SY 2022: • 37% of APS Students (19,836) were chronically absent”
� NUTRITION
5/2/22 Chair Eshe Collins stated
“…the food is unidentifiable & so there is grave concern bc our children are hungry”
“Our children are telling us they are hungry, that they are starving”
� TRANSPORTATION
Unfortunately there has been no district or school level data presented but parents, students and staff report
- Over crowded busses with students only able to stand in aisle as seats are all full
- Anxiety & safety concerns waiting on Atlanta street corners for busses that are delayed or never come
- Communication challenges related to busses
- Bus telephone hotline that is not answered
- Chronically missing academic time secondary busses being late to school
� CULTURE
6/16/2023 - Aretta Baldon, Vice Chair stated “That work was done by the office, the superintendent has lead that and one of her areas there has been some focus groups and other work happening on that.”
� GALLUP RESULTS / EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION
- 37/63 school's Grand Means Score DROPPED between Spring 2021 - Fall 2022
- 43/63 school's 2022 Gallup's Q12 K-12 Workgroup Level GrandMean Percentile was < 50%
- 43/63 school's Fall 2022 Grand Mean schools scored below 4.0
“The Grand Mean measures the group's overall engagement, which is an average of the 12 workgroup engagement items (Q01-Q12). The higher your score with a maximum possible score of 5.00), the more engaged your fellow employees”
“PERCENTILE RANKING: The 25th percentile indicates 75% of workgroups fell above this score; the 50th percentile indicates 50% of workgroups fell above and below this score; the 75th percentile indicates only 25% of workgroups fell above this score. The higher your percentile, the stronger the item is in relation to the database. Used as a benchmark to determine how your team's results compare to internal and external workgroups. “
Resource: Gallup & Employee Satisfaction
� SCHOOL LEADERS
20+ new principals this SY 22/23 out of the 58 neighborhood schools
� PROCESS, PROCEDURES & DOCUMENTATION
6/16/2022 Office of Internal Compliance to the Audit Committee
“a lack of the proper documentation or documentation being outdated…there was not standard requirements throughout APS for standard operating procedure.”
Resource: Process, Procedures & Documentation
� AUDIT COMMITTEE & ETHICS HOTLINE
The Ethics Committee & Ethics Hotline were established following the APS Cheating Scandal. The December 15, 2022 Ethics Committee meeting did not happen.
Presented 3/17/2022 to BOE…
- SY 21: only 2/13 high risk areas were audited
- SY 22: only 2/13 high risk areas were audited
External Auditor 2022:
“there were about 30+ red items which were high priority”
“One of the things that came out of our …quality ethics program should be reviewed…ours hadn’t been looked at in 6 years”
Resource: Audit Committee & Ethics Hotline - 1
Resource: Audit Committee & Ethics Hotline - 2
Resource: Audit Committee & Ethics Hotline - 3
Resource: Audit Committee & Ethics Hotline - 4
� EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
APS parted ways with several employees in the Office of Employee Relations Department including the Director in Fall 2022 - this is of importance because 98% of the Ethics Complaints pertain to Employee Relations per the Office of Internal Compliance Director read out in October 2022.
October 2022 BOE Member & Chair of Audit Committee Katie Howard asks about calls that come into Ethics Hotline…
“Office of Internal Compliance tends to focus on those that relate to fraud, waste & abuse…98% of calls …relate to personnel issues & those would go to the Office of Employee Relations”
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Petition created on February 3, 2023