The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What do students want in a superintendent?
Lost in the shuffle sometimes is what kids expect from APS’ next leader. We asked them.
The Atlanta school board recently crafted a profile that includes some characteristics it wants for its next superintendent, but what do its roughly 50,000 students want?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution wanted to hear from a specific constituency that often gets overlooked in the search process: students. Some said the next superintendent should prioritize equity, others said mental health should be a top concern and a couple of students suggested changes in the way meals are administered. The board plans to announce a sole finalist for the job in April or May, with an official start date of July 1. Here’s what six students who are leaders at their schools told us:
Demar Goodman, 17
Senior at South Atlanta High School
Goodman said the next superintendent should ensure all students have access to the same resources, such as technology.
“I think the word of the year is definitely ‘equity,’” he said. “Equity in education is essential. APS has done well to bridge the gap between schools; however, there’s still work to be done. So a superintendent candidate who will continue this work, I think, will be an excellent candidate for us.”
He described what that could look like at his school. “A superintendent who prioritizes equity for South Atlanta (High School) specifically will be things like … better technology,” Goodman said. “A lot of our students come from below the poverty line. So maybe … more social support for our students in terms of social workers and community engagement opportunities. Safety has become a big issue across the country, a superintendent who prioritizes safety and … knows that careful balance between policing and over-policing, I think, is an important facet ... for any superintendent.”
Tamar Echols, 18
Senior at Benjamin E. Mays High School
“Hopefully when (the board) say(s) ‘has experience,’ they mean with children,” Echols said of the superintendent profile. “Something I’ve seen in Dr. (Lisa) Herring and Dr. (Danielle) Battle was that they stayed in schools. They weren’t just in their offices but they (made) themselves present. That’s the only thing that I ask ... is that we have a superintendent that makes decisions solely based on the need(s) and well-being of the students in APS.”
When asked about any gaps or unaddressed concerns a new district leader could fill, Echols said there’s a need for more clubs and incentives.
“I always stress that when we were in elementary school, we were rewarded for academic achievements and reading books within a week, and I never understood why those traditions weren’t carried over in high school,” she said. “Clubs are a heavy conversation for me as well. Other schools have so many cool clubs, but it’s like we don’t have enough because of funding or simple participation and that comes from ... lack of interest to lack of transportation.”
Sloan Mitchell, 17
Junior at Maynard Jackson High School
Mitchell, who is class president, said the district’s next leader should listen to students and offer solutions to problems. She says the new superintendent should be willing to address mental health issues, like bullying, which she says impacts students more than adults may realize.
“I know that a lot of people don’t think bullying is a thing anymore,” she said. “‘That seems so old school and now it’s all ... online.’ But I really think bullying at school, or even outside of school and then it transfers over into school, I feel like that’s a big thing.”
The number of times Atlanta students were disciplined for bullying increased from 232 during the 2021-22 school year to 356 during the 2022-23 school year, according to Georgia Department of Education data.
Mitchell said an effective leader would strike a delicate balance of providing help without smothering students. She added that school meals could be improved.
“I don’t know if that’s something that the superintendent can fix, but it’s definitely an issue that we brought up many times,” she said.