Every now and then we ask others to help give us a window into a given special event. This time around we were very fortunate to get the perspectives of Juel Pate Borders-Benson, M.D., one of the participants of the National Women’s History event held last week at The New Schools at Carver. Her insights were so heartfelt and information, we’ll let Dr. Borders-Benson take it from there …

I am honored to give reflections on the timely, well planned, informative, inspirational Carver Early College National Women’s History Month Program held on March 26.

The setting: I had not been on the campus since the erection of the New Schools at Carver. I had passed the campus on the Jonesboro Road side several times, but had not walked on the campus since 1952. Then, the institutions were Carver Vocational School and Gammon Theological Seminary. You can imagine the joy, surprise and delight that I experienced when I was directed to the combination library, assembly room in the Carver Early College. Every possible space had books, pictures, posters, study/reading areas, plants, with bright colors to stimulate the mind, and soul.

I was immediately approached by several students, who were not only interested in medicine in general, but already had interests in specialties, naming pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology. Prior to the program, we had time to become acquainted. I asked them more questions than they asked me. I received much information from the students on the curriculum, criteria on entrance to the Early College and instructors.

“We Speak Your Name” by the Lady Voices of Carver Early College: This presentation was electrifying! These young women were intelligent, aggressive, confident, dramatic, fearless speakers. Their strong voices could easily be heard without microphones, as they walked from the front or back of the room, or as they stood up unexpectantly in the audience. They honored outstanding women in all fields of endeavor. They called the names of the honorees and repeated the chant, “We speak your name.” I could feel that they already knew that they could fulfill their dreams, achieve their goals, master their chosen careers, and break records already set.

Dr. Keisha Nalty, main speaker: This unusual message was filled with the unbelievable history of great women in all professions, who had achieved against all odds. I was especially inspired when she stated that it was not necessary to repeat the great things already done. This generation was challenged to set new goals, and to climb higher and different mountains. She asked the students the questions: “What will history say about you? What will you achieve? Who will call your name?” At the conclusion of the program, Dr. Nalty, Social Science Coordinator of Atlanta Public Schools, was named an honorary faculty member of the Carver Early College.

The Honorees: The six honorees were Rev. Dr. Juel Pate Borders-Benson, former Atlanta mayor the Hon. Shirley Franklin, Atlanta Board of Education member Brenda J. Muhammad, Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall, Carver Early College Principal Marcene Thornton, and APS Health, Physical Education and Athletics Billette D. Owens-Ashford. These African-American women are all over-achievers — dedicated, community oriented, highly educated, spiritual women. Each honoree has been the first to achieve a significant goal in her own respective profession. Each honoree was presented with the National Women’s History Project Certificate of Merit, an Honorary Membership in the Upendo JAJA, ”an organization dedicated to cultivating and enhancing young ladies with class, culture and refinement;” a Sweetheart Award from The Esquires, Incorporated; and individual gifts. Since my field was medicine, my special individual gift was a book by David Monagan entitled Journey Into the Heart: a Tale of Pioneering Doctors and Their Race to Transform Cardiovascular Medicine. The remarks from each honoree were special, sincere, meaningful and historic.

The Gentlemen of Carver Early College: These young male students were attired in black suits, white shirts and colorful red, black and white ties. They were very polite gentlemen who assisted in accommodating the overflow audience; who were escorts as needed; and who were obviously proud of the young women who performed. Some of these gentlemen were members of The Esquires, Incorporated, described on the Sweetheart Award as “Young Men Who Demonstrate Excellence in Academics, Leadership, Scholarship, Athletics, Community Service and Respect for Womanhood.”

The Audience: The students and faculty were attentive and very responsive throughout all presentations. By their applause, they showed their appreciation for Dr. Thomas H. Gosha, Founder of The Esquires, and Student Activities Coordinator; and Marcene Thornton.

Kathryn Anderson Weaver designed the six-panel informative, comprehensive program that included the history of Women’s History Month, and the biographies of the honorees. She masterfully coordinated the program, and guided the students through the performances and presentations. Dr. Gosha, Mrs. Weaver and the planning/working committees are to be congratulated for a National Women’s History Month Program which involved music, poetry, speeches, extensive student participation, and living history in the main speaker and the honorees.

The entire experience was unforgettable, marvelous and wonderful! I was honored, grateful, and very thankful to share an occasion which was filled with past and present history, unspeakable joy, dedicated teachers; and gifted students, who will obviously have very bright futures.

Dr. Hall currently serves as secretary-treasurer of the board and will continue in that capacity until June 30, 2010. She officially becomes board chair-elect on July 1, 2010. The chair-elect is next in line to become chair and presides over board meetings in the absence of the chair. APS is a long-standing member of CGCS, which last year awarded its prestigious Richard R. Green national leadership award to Atlanta Board of Education member Emmett D. Johnson.

(UPDATE: For more photos, visit Scott King’s gallery here in the Media Gallery.)

Attendees at the third-annual Shirley Clarke Franklin Lecture Series, held Friday morning at the Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy, were treated to a doubleheader of women’s history. Not only did students, faculty, staff and other guests enjoy an inspiring lecture from guest speaker Dr. Christine King Farris — the only surviving sibling of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — but they also were treated to a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the school’s new building that opened in January.

Dr. Farris told the audience she was proud “to have the opportunity to speak at a school dedicated to someone who I loved like a sister. This is the first and most significant thing that has been named after a woman who served Atlanta so well.”

King Farris challenged students to live the legacy that Coretta Scott King shared with her husband: working hard for peace, social justice and non-violence. She also made reference to March as National Women’s History Month, saying “We are truly writing women back into history!”

After her speech, Dr. Farris and Franklin fielded questions from students. CSKYWLA sixth-grader Radiant Harrison asked what advice Dr. Farris gives her Spelman College students.

“Take your work seriously, and whatever you do, do it to the best of your ability,” Dr. Farris said. “And two, remember those who made it possible for you to attend Spelman, and to give something back.” Another student asked Franklin what advice she would give her successor, newly elected Mayor Kasim Reed. Franklin repeated advice given to her by former mayors, including Andrew Young, who was in the audience with his wife. “They told me to listen to my head, and listen to my heart,” she said.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony that preceded the lecture served as a family reunion of sorts. Two of Dr. King’s children — Southern Christian Leadership Conference President-elect Bernice King and activist Martin Luther King III — and several other relatives joined in the ceremony. King III and his wife, Arndrea, helped their daughter, Yolanda Renee King, cut the ribbon as the crowd cheered.

APS Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall and Atlanta Board of Education Chair LaChandra Butler Burks also spoke at the event, as well as CSKYWLA Principal Melody Morgan, Bernice King, CSKYWLA PTSA President Barbara Mobley, SRT-4 Executive Director Tamara Cotman, and Brian Newell of CD Moody Construction, which supervised construction of the school’s new building.

As part of this year’s celebration of Black History Month, the Atlanta Hawks are honoring prominent African-American leaders during home games in February for their civic contributions, accomplishments and leadership. During Wednesday’s night game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, APS Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall and her work to tranform the district were recognized. Among her accomplishments cited were her being named as the American Association of School Administrators’ 2009 National Superintendent of the Year; Georgia Superintendent of the Year by the Georgia School Superintendents Association; and as one of the 100 most influential Georgians by Georgia Trend magazine.

By the way, the Hawks really honored Dr. Hall by winning, 98-92! For more photos, check out the gallery here.

Dear Web Visitors,
 
We’ve developed this site to keep you informed about our schools’ 2009 CRCT performance in the wake of the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement report. We want to be transparent and attentive to addressing your concerns and communicating the progress of pending investigations.  
 
Please take a moment to peruse our CRCT site, as it includes report findings, news releases and more. At this time, we’ve called for a thorough, immediate and independent review of the state’s analysis to examine individual schools, classrooms and teachers. Guiding our efforts is a single premise: We have nothing to hide.
 
We will post the results and any new information as soon as they become available, so please check back on a regular basis. Additionally, feel free to send us your feedback – whether it’s more information you’d like to see posted here or examples of the practices you’ve undertaken in your classroom or at home to help raise achievement among your students and children.
 
Sincerely,
Beverly L. Hall, Ed.D.
Superintendent

Prior to Fickett, Dr. Dorsey served as a teacher and assistant principal at Ralph J. Bunche Middle, and assistant principal at Cleveland Avenue Elementary.  Before moving to Atlanta, Dr. Dorsey taught in Englewood, N.J., and has been a public school educator for 18 years.

Dr. Dorsey graduated from Hampton University in 1992 majoring in elementary education. He received a master’s degree (1996), a specialist degree (2000) and a Ph.D. (2009) in educational leadership — all from Georgia State University.  Dr. Dorsey is married to Monica Dorsey, and they have two children: Tyler (6) and Andrew (4).

In an effort to enhance the environment of Fickett’s autistic sensory classroom, Dr. Dorsey’s plans for his Atlanta Families’ Award is to construct a 21st century interactive sensory lab for students in the Program for Exceptional Children. The interactive lab will house the latest technological, visual, tactile and sensory equipment which will inspire special needs learners to explore through active participation while learning through their environment.  The 21st century interactive lab aims to promote experiential learning among Fickett’s autistic population.

“We’re trying to provide more stimuli and tactile experiences for autistic students,” Dr. Dorsey said, who has 14 such students and 42 overall in the PEC program at Fickett.

Atlanta Public Schools today announced a three-year grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support the next phase of the district’s 10-year-old school reform program, “Effective Teacher in Every Classroom” (ETEC). The $10 million investment will assist APS’ work to recruit, prepare, place and support effective teachers in every classroom throughout the district.

“Our vision for the continued success of our school reform efforts is centered on the effective teacher initiative,” said APS Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall. “The new ETEC programs will provide our teachers with fair and transparent evaluation and support mechanisms that are in line with our effective teaching goals, and we are grateful for the Gates Foundation’s support in this endeavor.”

Research shows that the inclusion of an effective teacher in every classroom is the most important factor in escalating student academic achievement. The three-year Gates Foundation grant and partnership will allow for a more rapid implementation of APS’ ETEC initiative. The Gates Foundation has previously invested $13.6 million in the APS high school transformation.

The district’s school reform program began a decade ago with the elementary school reform program, followed by the high school and middle school transitions and culminating with the ETEC initiative. The school reform initiatives that have been implemented to date have all resulted in escalating student academic performance as indicated by the results of state and national standardized tests.

The latest efforts under the ETEC initiative include the development of an evaluation system for teachers that is focused on student achievement and growth and classroom practice, including the development of the Teacher Effectiveness Dashboard (TED) as a tool to maximize teacher effectiveness in the classroom. The district will also work to strengthen the capacity of principals to successfully monitor teacher effectiveness; build a pipeline of effective teachers through an urban teacher residency program; and develop a performance compensation system that incorporates student achievement and growth.

“Research over the past decade indicates that teachers are the most important school-based factor in raising student achievement,” said Vicki L. Phillips, Director of Education, College-Ready for the Gates Foundation. “We are excited to continue our partnership with APS and Dr. Hall and support their efforts to put an effective teacher in every classroom to help prepare students for life beyond the classroom.”

The Atlanta Education Fund, which works with APS on funding, public engagement and communications programs, has agreed to serve as the fiscal agent for the grant.

APS Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall received the Georgia Speaker of the Year award Thursday during a banquet at Emory University sponsored by Delta Sigma Rho-Tau Kappa, the National Forensics Honor Society. The annual award recognizes on an annual basis an individual who has had an impact throughout the state through public advocacy and promoting positive change through public speaking engagements.

“I proudly accept the Georgia Speaker of the Year award on behalf of everyone working to ensure that all children have access to a quality education,” said Hall, 2009 National Superintendent of the Year. “Wherever I have had the privilege of speaking publicly or privately, that has been my message: The conditions for student success are not a mystery. We know what has to happen for learning to occur. When you place a child in a classroom with an effective teacher who is supported by strong and stable leadership that’s held to account within an environment with the right school-community partnerships, that child will learn – and will do so at high levels.”

Hall pointed to the success of the Atlanta Urban Debate League as the perfect example of a community partnership. This 25-year-old program involves Emory, Georgia State and APS. It has grown stronger in recent years as the district has emphasized critical-thinking and leadership skills that students need to compete in a modern, globalized economy.

“Currently, there are 400 APS students being served in debate teams at 10 middle schools and on six high school campuses,” Hall said. “Within the last two years alone, we’ve increased school participation by more than 50 percent. As you well know, competitive debate is a life-changing instructional strategy. The data show that debate students miss fewer days of school, score higher on standardized tests, and graduate from high school and enroll in college in greater numbers.”

Previous winners of the award include Jimmy Carter, Benjamin E. Mays, Ralph McGill, Roy Barnes and Arthur M. Blank.

Photos (first row, from L-R): Dr. Hall addresses the King Center audience; CSKYWLA students take the Pledge of Allegiance; Arne Duncan addresses the audience.
Photos (second row, from L-R): Special guests included State Superintendent Kathy Cox, second from left; the Rev. Al Sharpton inspires the audience; the audience listens to Rev. Sharpton.

APS Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall, and hundreds of APS students, joined a roster of dignitaries including National Action Network founder the Rev. Al Sharpton and U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan in commemorating the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Friday at the King Center — in advance of Monday’s national holiday. Hall reaffirmed the district’s commitment to providing a top-flight education to serve Atlanta’s young African Americans, who comprise a vast majority of the district’s student body, to honor Dr. King’s legacy.

“Certainly, history tells us that the battleground for equal opportunity was and remains education, in conjunction with access and justice,” said Hall, who noted that Dr. King was an APS alum having graduated from Booker T. Washington High School. “As we look to the future, education – that is, a high-quality education for all – is still a prerequisite for individual success and the continued success of our nation.” Hall then recognized the APS students in attendance, from Washington, Douglass, Grady, Maynard H. Jackson and Mays high schools; Inman, King and Young middle schools; and the single-gender schools, B.E.S.T. Academy and the Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy.

 ” … [A] broader community – of educators, elected officials, business and civic leaders, and local and national philanthropists – has coalesced around a comprehensive school reform agenda to help close the achievement gap in this city,” Hall said. As an example of this success, Hall noted how in 2000, only 47 percent of APS eighth-graders met or exceeded standards in English and language arts. “Fast forward to 2009, and 90 percent of APS eighth-graders met or exceeded standards according to the state’s data,” Hall said. “In fact, every year since 2000, the district has posted steady academic gains in grades and subjects across the board, even as the state has raised the bar with more rigorous standards.”

APS provided a strong presence throughout the morning. The Washington JROTC presented the colors, and CSKYWLA sixth-grader Taylor Garlington led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. Mays High senior Caitlin Lackey sang the National Anthem, and Douglass High junior Quincy Patterson had the honor of introducing Sharpton — who delighted the crowd with his inspiring rhetoric. “Low expectations is the new racism!” said Sharpton, who recently joined former U.S. House Speaker and Georgia congressman Newt Gingrich on an education-related tour of U.S. cities. “You’re in the back of the bus on your own because you’ve been trained to believe that’s where you belong. What we need to do in education reform is remove those that have shackled your mind!”

Duncan also challenged the audience. “What is freedom? If you cannot read, I promise you you are not free,” said Duncan, who’d recently visited Grady and Tech High on a listening tour with Georgia U.S. Sen. Johnny Isaakson. “Freedom is the ability to seek your own path, and education is the only way to make that happen. We can’t wait five or eight years to transform our failing schools. We need to act now, and we need to act together. It is next to impossible to get a good job with just a high school diploma.”

The Atlanta Board of Education got back into session on Monday as new and returning members received the Oath of Office by the Hon. Kimberly Esmond Adams, Fulton Superior Court. The three new members sworn in were (pictured, first row/first picture, from L-R): Reuben McDaniel (At-Large), Nancy Meister (District 4) and Courtney English (At-Large). At the same meeting, LaChandra Butler Burks and Cecily Harsch-Kinnane were named to second two-year terms as chair and vice chair, respectively. The Board Work Session followed, with the topic, “School Administrative Manager’s Program.”  The Committee of the Whole meeting followed, with Board Officers scheduled to be elected.  The Board’s Community Meeting and Legislative Session followed.  Among the special guests scheduled to attend the board meeting was a group of visiting educators from Harvard University’s Urban Superintendents Program and the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, who will be here for several days next week to review the district’s school reform initiatives with Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall.

Come back to Talk Up APS for more from the three new ABOE members.

APS Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall expressed a hope to explore ways to reward quality teachers who want to stay in the classroom without having to promote them into administration positions as part of a “listen and learn” event with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson (Ga.) on Monday morning at Tech High School.

“Human capital management strategies have to be implemented,” Dr. Hall said as Duncan nodded his head. “We’re going to have to look at how to incentivize the best and brightest to teach. We know what the best practices are [for teachers]. But now the question is how do we provide professional development, and give [teachers] the opportunity to lead and still teach. Our survey shows that 82 percent of our teachers said there were open to pay-for-performance. So it’s about effective leadership, and effective teachers, and wrapping that around our services to our students.” Hall made rewarding quality teachers a part of her State of the Schools speech back in August. (View the speech here.)

After the speech Duncan met with teachers, including 2008 APS Teacher of the Year Charon Kirkland of Carter G. Woodson Elementary School (pictured above, second row far right). Duncan later took questions from both the media and Tech High students, including student body president Alexis Johnson and sophomore Roderick Rhone, and posed for pictures with students and Tech High Principal Eliza A. Falco.

Hall spoke as part of a group of educators and community and business partners. Duncan and other education department officials have held similar Listening and Learning sessions across the country in recent months as Congress plans to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the cornerstone of the government’s involvement in elementary and secondary education.

Duncan later visited Grady High School. More on that in future Talk Up APS coverage.

Thomas served 12 years as executive director of Facilities Services for APS, which allowed her to engage two of her passions: 1) having a positive impact upon the lives of children, and 2) facilities planning and development. Her career included over 20 years of programming and planning, design, project management, and construction experience including educational, commercial, multi-family, aviation and health facilities and electrical substations.

Her assignment included management of approximately $10 million square feet of property including 84 operating school facility sites serving a population of approximately 50,000 students. She was responsible for identifying the physical plant needs through effective planning, construction of new facilities, the renovations and additions for existing facilities, as well as, the maintenance and upkeep of those facilities, and effective management or disposition of surplus property assets. She most recently provided management and oversight for the development and implementation of a facilities master plan for APS to support $900 million worth of capital improvements.

“Valerie’s analytical skills played a key role in all decisions related to construction and facilities management, as well as long-term planning for the system,” APS Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall said at the ceremony. “From permits to politics, Valerie more than anyone else on our team knew all the variables that needed to be considered before making decisions about our school facilities.”

On a personal level, Thomas will be remembered by her friends, family and APS co-workers as a very outgoing, strong and independent woman who never met a stranger and had a genuine love for people — especially children. Considered a life-long learner who delighted in gaining new insights wherever possible, Bradford shared her knowledge and expertise with others. She possessed strong communication skills, particularly in the areas of oral presentations, written communications and soliciting and providing constructive evaluations and feedback.

NAEP, also referred to as the Nation’s Report Card, is a uniform assessment of student performance administered across the nation by the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES). The standards upon which the NAEP is developed are more rigorous than the current Georgia state standards upon which the state’s CRCT is based.

“The performance of APS students on the NAEP mirrors and validates what we have experienced on the CRCT in recent years,” said APS Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall. “The results of both the national and state tests reflect similar progress in learning gains for our students.”

* Since 2003, the percentage of APS fourth- and eighth- graders performing at or above basic levels has steadily increased. In the fourth grade, the increase was 13 percentage points, and in the eighth grade it was 16 percentage points.

* There were also improvements in the percentage of students scoring at the basic level or above from 2007 to 2009. APS fourth grade students increased by two percentage points and the increase in the eighth grade was five percentage points.

Dr. Hall attributed the steady increase in NAEP math scores to the development of a common curriculum and professional development for teachers. “Benchmark assessments, enhanced scope and sequence of math courses and the alignment of math curriculum, teaching practices and resources contributed to the performance improvement by our students on the NAEP math tests over the past six years,” said Hall.

About TUDA

Atlanta Public Schools is one of 18 urban school districts that voluntarily participates in the Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA) and has its NAEP results individually reported. Other districts participating are Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, District of Columbia, Detroit, Fresno, Houston, Jefferson County, Los Angeles, Miami-Dade, Milwaukee, New York, Philadelphia and San Diego. Other school systems take the NAEP, but their scores are included in their state’s overall NAEP results. National and state NAEP scores were released in September.

The superintendent talked about the district’s work to position students on their journey to college, and she answered questions on topics ranging from testing to school closures. In addition, Dr. Hall shared SRT-3’s academic highlights, some of which are listed below: 

* 90 percent of SRT-3 elementary schools have made adequate yearly progress (AYP) for the least three consecutive years, which means they are “distinguished” schools.
* Three elementary schools met their more rigorous APS targets for 2008-09: Hill-Hope, Mary Lin and Morningside.
* All three SRT-3 middle schools – Coan, Inman and King – made AYP and are distinguished.
* Inman Middle met 90 percent to 99 percent of its APS targets for 2008-09.
* Boasting a top graduation rate and award-winning academic programs, Grady High will open in August 2010 officially as a transformed campus of four small learning communities.
* This school year marks Maynard H. Jackson High‘s second as a transformed campus of three small learning communities; the school is top ranked by Business Week and U.S. News and World Report.

The superintendent’s full SRT-3 presentation will be posted online soon.

“I want to personally congratulate the students, teachers and staff at West Manor Elementary for their outstanding achievement,” said APS Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall. “Your performance is reflective of what we are experiencing across the district in terms of the tangible impact of our decade-long school reform initiatives.”

A total of 27 schools from across Georgia were singled out for their student performance in two categories — greatest academic gains and the top 10 percent in overall student achievement. Qualifying schools are selected from each Congressional district based on student performance as measured by assessments in reading and mathematics.

“These schools are getting great results from all students in many different areas,” said State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox. “The teachers, students and administrators at these schools truly represent excellence.”

This achievement culminated last night (Thursday, Oct. 29) with Atlanta Board of Education Member Emmett Johnson capturing the Richard R. Green Award, the nation’s highest honor for urban education leadership, at the Council of the Great City Schools Fall conference in Portland, Ore.  The Council represents 66 of the largest urban school districts in the nation, educating 7.1 million students.

Throughout his 12-year tenure with the Atlanta Board of Education, Johnson has played a leading role in strengthening the relationship between the school board and the superintendent.  His efforts laid the groundwork for Atlanta’s transformation to a high performing school district and a national model for urban school reform.

Just a month earlier, the Atlanta Board of Education won the Council of Urban School Boards of Education (CUBE) 2009 annual award of Urban School Board Excellence.  This prestigious award honors urban school districts that demonstrate progress in educating children and serve as role models in school board governance.  CUBE represents 115 school boards in 35 states and the Virgin Islands, educating more than 8 million students in more than 12,000 schools.

CUBE cited Atlanta Public Schools’ student academic achievements, operational efficiencies, strong governance structure and leadership consistency in awarding the Atlanta Board of Education its top honor.

In addition to having a nationally recognized school board, Atlanta Public Schools has the top superintendent in the country. Earlier this year, the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) named Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall the 2009 National Superintendent of the Year, the top professional honor for a K-12 school administrator.  AASA represents 13,000 educational leaders throughout the United States and the world.

Dr. Hall also was named Georgia Superintendent of the Year by the Georgia Superintendents Association and one of the 100 most influential Georgians by Georgia Trend magazine.

Dr. Hall is the first Georgia superintendent to be named National Superintendent of the Year.

These accolades from prestigious education organizations celebrate nearly a decade of significant academic gains on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCTs) and consistent improvement on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tests, often referred to as the Nation’s Report Card.

The district’s urban reform initiatives serve as models for the nation. Signature programs include the high school transformation, single-gender learning academies, and Project GRAD (Graduation Really Achieves Dreams) that provides intensive academic and social support services to students in kindergarten through college.

The Grady High School PTA in conjunction with Trees Atlanta honored APS Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall on Wednesday morning by planting a tree in her name. Officials from Grady, the Grady PTA, Trees Atlanta and the Atlanta Board of Education were on hand for the celebration, which recognized Dr. Hall’s being named national superintendent of the year last February.

Dr. Hall, Trees Atlanta Program Coordinator Robby Astrove and other officials joined in on the actual planting of the tree, an October Glory Maple, after Astrove desribed the importance of the tree. “This isn’t some plaque,” Astrove explained. “This is something that’s very interactive and very much alive. May we all return to this tree and recall the wonderful accomplishments you’ve had.” Dr. Hall grew emotional in accepting the honor, which was the brainchild of last year’s Grady PTA president, Susan Muntzing.

“The reason why I was more emotional than I have been in the past with these awards is this is something that will be here long after I’m the super and long after I’m alive,” Dr. Hall said. “To think that there’ll be generations of people who will walk by, see a nice tree, relax and sit and read, someone may think, ‘Who was this person and why did they plant this tree in their honor? And they do some research and find out about the work we’ve done. So this is a living award – living breathing, and will continue in the future.”

Said Muntzig: ”Dr. Hall has done a fabulous job with Atlanta Public Schools, and it’s proven by her record. It’s very exciting that Atlanta has the longest-running superintendent among large cities, and we’re so lucky to have her. Dr. Hall understands Grady, and appreciates how Grady is such a special place.”

The ceremony also served as an opportunity to showcase the partnership between APS and Trees Atlanta, which has included Grady in the Midtown Aboretum featuring 80 trees in the surrounding Midtown neighborhood, Astrove pointed out. He cited the group’s work with neighborhoods and schools along the proposed BeltLine Arboretum, and an upcoming tree-planting project including six APS schools in the West End thanks to a grant from the Georgia Forestry Commission. Astrove also cited the hard work of Grady teacher Korri Ellis, who has been very active in the Trees Atlanta partnership. Ellis is also the 2008 APS High School Teacher of the Year. This partnership will be the focus of a feature in the upcoming issue of APS’ quarterly magazine, The Atlanta Educator, due out in November.

Also present at the ceremony were Atlanta Board of Education member Cecily Harsch-Kinnane (District 3), current Grady High PTA President Vernell Britton and officers from Grady’s student government.

The ceremony was dutifully covered by Grady’s media outlets, including the award-winning The Southerner newspaper, Youth Radio and the Grady News Network.

Youth Entrepreneurs Atlanta kicked off a new school year Thursday at The New Schools at Carver with video presentations and inspiring remarks from students, teachers, Atlanta Public Schools administrators and business partners. See press release here.

The event will be held Thursday, September 17, 2009, beginning at 10 a.m. at The New Schools at Carver. Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall, Georgia-Pacific CEO Jim Hannan, and Elizabeth Koch will participate in the event.

Mrs. Koch, who along with her husband, Charles Koch, chairman and CEO of Koch Industries, founded Youth Entrepreneurs Kansas and Youth Entrepreneurs Atlanta. Mrs. Koch and Youth Entrepreneurs Atlanta recently donated $10,000 to the 21st Century Atlanta Scholars Program to support 21st Century Atlanta Scholars students majoring in science and engineering.

Through the Georgia-Pacific Foundation, Youth Entrepreneurs Atlanta funds teacher training and support, program management and curriculum development for 10th and 11th grade students at all Atlanta Public Schools high schools.  Georgia-Pacific has committed more than $1 million in staff and support to the school district for this initiative.

Launched in 2006, the program’s goal is to spark student interest in owning their own businesses and creating value as employees by taking ownership of their careers.

Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall told an audience of philanthropists that “transforming teaching is the next frontier of education reform” during a panel discussion on “Achieving Teacher and Principal Excellence: Are We Making the Grade?” hosted by The Philanthropy Roundtable and the Southeast Council of Foundations at the Loudermilk Center on Sept. 10.

Read the entire press release here.

The Atlanta City Council recognized APS Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall on Tuesday for her work in transforming the district. Dr. Hall was recognized for being the first superintendent to win both Georgia and national superintendent of the year honors. Helping deliver the proclamation was Councilmember Natalyn Mosby Archibong (District 5, and pictured above), whose daughter is a Grady High graduate.

Read the text of the proclamation after the jump …

In Honor of

Dr. Beverly L. Hall

Whereas,  Dr. Beverly Hall has dedicated herself to the Atlanta Public School (APS) system as its fifteenth superintendent on July 1, 1999; and,

Whereas,  She had a vision of making APS one of the nation’s highest performing urban school systems.  She has actively worked with the community to gain its support and trust for public education in the City of Atlanta; and,

Whereas,  Dr. Hall has also developed similar relationships with the business community, civic organizations, nonprofits, and government leaders.  As a result of these alliances, individuals and organizations are giving their time, talents and resources to APS; and,

Whereas,  She has been instrumental in improving students’ test scores and increased graduation rates through various academic programs.  State data shows 72 percent of the system’s students graduated on time in 2008 – up from 39 percent in 2002; and,

Whereas,  Dr. Hall serves on the board of the U.S. Department of Education Research Task Force and chairs the Harvard University’s Urban Superintendents Program Advisory Board; and,

Whereas,  She has garnered every conceivable honor and award as superintendent including: 2009 National Superintendent of the Year; 2009 State Superintendent of the Year; Keystone Center Award for Leadership in Education; Council of the Great City Schools National Urban School Superintendent of the Year; the Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta Legacy Award, and the Institute for Student Achievement Distinguished Leadership Award; and,

Whereas,  Dr. Hall is admired by colleagues, employees, and friends for her dedication, her professionalism, and her tireless effort and remarkable work at the Atlanta Public School System.

Now, Therefore, We, the members of the Atlanta City Council, and on behalf of the citizens of Atlanta, hereby proclaim this 8^th day of September 2009 as Dr. Beverly L. Hall Day in the City of Atlanta.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, WE HAVE

HEREUNTO SET OUR HANDS AND

 CAUSED THE SEAL OF THE CITY

 OF ATLANTA TO BE AFFIXED

With support from parents, civic and business leaders, APS has exceeded the expectations for an urban school system. Our test scores have been rising, our students embrace languages ranging from Arabic to Chinese, our class of 2009 graduated with more than $92 million in scholarship offers, and our phones ring with constant requests from people who want to see the success personally. Yet the journey must continue; APS is working hard to set the standard for a top-performing urban school system. As we embark on an exciting new school year, I am pleased to share a few highlights. Each offers a glimpse at the success yet to come:

* Test scores keep rising: For nine consecutive years, our students have shown gains on Georgia assessment tests. In 2000, only 43 percent of APS fourth-graders met or exceeded state standards on the math portion of the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT). This year, 71 percent earned that distinction on the math test. Forty-seven percent of the district’s eighth-graders met or exceeded state standards on the English/Language Arts portion of the CRCT in 2000, compared to 90 percent in 2009. Students also excelled on the Georgia High School Writing Test. Ninety-two percent of APS students tested passed the exam, outpacing overall results for the state of Georgia.

* Quality instruction continues: Rigorous training programs offer math and science teachers innovative tools and real-world scenarios required to challenge APS students. Funded by a $22.5 million grant from the GE Foundation, these programs reinforce our emphasis on quality teachers, increase test scores, and foster student interest in these subject areas.

* APS shares its success with the world: The district Web site, as well as sites for all APS schools, allows visitors to access stories, videos and galleries charting our journey. Parents can sign up for e-alerts via e-mail or text messages, or view an interactive district calendar. We also launched The Atlanta Educator, a newspaper showcasing the district’s best and brightest. “APS Today” also shines a light on students and distinguished alumni on PBA 30. These communications tools help us spread the good news.

We still have miles to go before we can rest, but our journey has produced real growth in student performance. My vision is that every child who walks through our doors will walk out after four years of high school, fully prepared and fully armed with real options for college and career.

In my 10th year serving the students of Atlanta Public Schools, I can tell you without reservation that the best is yet to come. I encourage you to consider this guidebook as a road map for our journey to excellence.

I look forward to sharing this leg of the journey with you.

Sincerely,
Beverly L. Hall, Ed.D., Superintendent