Atlanta Board of Education District Races Preview: District 9

Broadcast version of this story.

Attorney Jason Esteves practices business and commercial litigation.

Also a former educator, Esteves says the board needs to focus on classroom resources.

“The superintendent is the first priority, but we also have to tackle things like the budget. If we’re talking about empowering our teachers and principals to do what they do best, let’s have our budget reflect that.”

The budget must reflect the policy and vision we have for the school systems, says Esteves.

APS Social studies teacher Eddie Lee Brewster says the new APS board should not have a knight in shining armor approach to hiring a superintendent.

“I think we set ourselves up for failure when we put so much emphasis on one individual. I think in Atlanta instead of going out of town to hire a superintendent, with all the smart people we have in Atlanta.”

Brewster teaches at the all-male gender school Best Academy.

“We have Georgia Tech here, the AUC, and the University of Georgia so there are individuals who probably could be a good superintendent who are familiar with our system, locally.”

Longtime educational consultant Dr. Lori James says at least one board member needs what she calls an educational academic background.

“The school board members are not in the classroom and they don’t micromanage the superintendent or principal or the schools, but they have to sign policy. And they have to recommend policy and they also have to know what’s coming across their desk when there are other things that need to be signed. That makes it easier and better for the school district.”

Several years ago the APS charter was changed.

Quality improvement consultant and candidate Ed Johnson says that ensured APS would become entangled in turmoil.

Those changes, says Johnson, were by the hands of then Senator Kasim Reed, other state lawmakers and the business chamber.

“That instituted to rewards, punishments, incentives and punishments for failures,” says Johnson.

Johnson told WABE that eventually led to the district’s cheating scandal.

Morehouse College graduate Sean Norman says restoring APS to a quality school district means first coming together as a board and “come up with a great vision for the foreseeable future.”

Next, says Norman, is to hire the right superintendent to implement and carry out the board’s policy.

The winner of the at large district 9 race will replace long time board member Emmett Johnson.

Notes of disclosure.

Candidate Dr. Lori James has provided educational programming consultant work for Public Broadcasting Atlanta.

WABE’s broadcast license is held by the Atlanta Board of Education.