Two local school districts swore in new superintendents Wednesday.
Atlanta Public Schools welcomed Dr. Lisa Herring, who led the Birmingham City Schools for the last three years. The DeKalb County School District swore in Cheryl Watson-Harris as its new chief. She was the deputy chancellor of the New York City public schools.
Watson-Harris was DeKalb’s second sole finalist for superintendent. The district launched a national search in November after parting ways with Stephen Green. In April, the board announced Rudy Crew as its sole finalist.
State law requires a two-week public comment period between that announcement and a final vote. By the time the vote came around, some board members changed their minds about Crew, who led districts like Miami-Dade in Florida and the New York City schools. The board voted against Crew’s nomination.
DeKalb restarted its search and tapped Watson-Harris for the job. Due to fears about COVID-19, school board members hadn’t met Watson-Harris in person until Wednesday’s swearing-in ceremony. She made brief remarks after the event.
“I applied to be the superintendent of DeKalb County because I was excited about the work and the legacy and all of the incredible things that you’ve accomplished so far,” Watson-Harris said. “I’m truly humbled and honored to have been selected. I am so looking forward to our journey together.”
Watson-Harris’s husband, mother and youngest son Luke all accompanied her at the swearing-in ceremony. Board members and others who attended wore masks and practiced social distancing.
The same was true for the Atlanta Public Schools, which welcomed Dr. Lisa Herring as its new chief Wednesday. Her father, the Rev. Wallace B. Herring Sr., gave the invocation. He held his daughter’s hand as he spoke.
“Lord for this day, we thank you,” he said. “So we come today acknowledging you and thanking you for all of your blessings.”
Herring answered questions from the media after the ceremony. She said APS is considering different options for reopening next month.
“The scenarios that we continue to explore look like the following: the consideration of virtual learning, where we would have the opportunity to consider everyone learning remotely,” Herring said. “The second that we’ve explored has been relative to the hybrid model that allows for us to phase in from virtual to alternative schedules possibly as a part of that consideration. The third is really tied to the traditional face to face [instruction].”
Should APS opt for face-to-face classes or a hybrid model, Herring said the district would take precautions.
“We are keeping in consideration the following: personal protective equipment, social-distancing practices, scheduling, physical distancing and cleanliness of buildings,” she said.
Neither district has announced reopening plans yet, but Herring said APS will do so mid-July. The first day of school for APS is Aug. 10. It’s Aug. 3 for DeKalb.
A note of disclosure: The Atlanta Board of Education holds WABE’s broadcast license.
