Atlanta Public Schools officials will host community meetings on Saturday, Feb. 23, and Tuesday, Feb. 26, to talk about proposed changes at four high schools.
Superintendent Erroll Davis wants to change to a small learning communities concept.
It’s an idea the district has been considering for a while and could happen soon.
“We’re looking to make a transition for the 2013-14 school year,” says APS spokesperson Steve Alford.
Right now New Schools at Carver, South Atlanta High School, Therrell High School and Washington all have what’s called small schools, basically four schools within a large campus.
For example, New Schools at Carver has Early College, Technology, Performing Arts, and Health Science and Research as its small schools.
APS wants to transition the four schools into one high school with four academies.
Alford says the change will allow students to attend classes across all the academies.
“Based on the small school structure, if you have student say in a technology school who wants to take an AP class that’s only offered at the art school on the same campus now, that student can’t cross register and go take that AP course there.”
AP stands for Advanced Placement.
Operating the current small schools concept is also expensive says Alford.
Each has their own principal and operate has four small high schools.
Under the new small learning communities’ model, there would be one principal.
However, he says it’s not clear if the changes would also mean layoffs.
“We will realize opportunities because we’re not going to have four principals on campus, we’ll have one in the schools. Obviously, we can re-direct some of those resources to the classrooms and that’s what we want to do.”
The small schools concept was initiated under former superintendent Dr. Beverly Hall.
Campuswide High School Meetings
The Atlanta Board of Education will hold two public hearings on February 23, 2013, at 11 a.m. and February 26, 2013, at 6:30 p.m. at all of the small schools; New Schools at Carver, South Atlanta High School, Therrell High School and Washington High School.
Atlanta Public Schools staff will discuss the transition of the Carver School of the Arts, Carver School of Health Sciences & Research and Carver School of Technology from its official designation as a small school to its proposed designation as a small learning community.
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