In just this year alone, almost 12,000 educators have visited Ron Clark Academy to observe teacher best practices and immerse themselves in the school’s culture. Ron Clark Academy is a private school in Atlanta founded by Ron Clark and Kim Bearden—long-time educators—in 2007. Yes, you heard that right a private school. So it must be full of wealthy kids, right?…
Author: Ikhlas Saleem
Alisha Thomas Morgan on Running for Office at 22, the NAACP and Sundays With the Real Housewives
At 23 years old Alisha Thomas Morgan became the first African-American to represent Cobb County in the Georgia House of Representatives. During her 12 years of service, as a legislator and mom, Morgan championed the expansion of school choice options for Georgia parents. In 2015, Morgan became executive director/superintendent of Ivy Preparatory Academies, an all-girls charter network servicing metro Atlanta…
This Student Left His Teacher a Letter and He Couldn’t Help But Tear Up
This week Atlanta teacher Jermaine walked into his classroom and found a letter on his desk that one of his students wrote to him. To Mr. J Thank you for being a awesome teacher and for being amazing! This school year was so fun and I enjoyed it because of you. I wish more teachers was like you. I will…
These Two Atlanta Students Were Homeless and Just Got Scholarships to College
Rebecca Schmitt and Jakobi Horn of Maynard Jackson High School in Atlanta have both been homeless at one point—contributing to Atlanta’s population of nearly 1,800 homeless students. Shmitt, who was recently named valedictorian, and Horn were selected for this year’s Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) program, honoring Georgia’s outstanding high school seniors and the teachers who have been most instrumental in…
Arne Duncan to Trump and DeVos: We Cannot Stop Protecting Our Most Vulnerable Students
In AJC’s Get Schooled blog hosted by Maureen Downey, former Education Secretary Arne Duncan pushes back on the Trump’s administration call to leave enforcement of federal civil rights laws to states. Duncan notes that while Trump has claimed education to be “the civil rights issue of our time,” leaving it up to states to protect civil rights will not hold…
Atlanta Superintendent on Restoring Confidence, Focusing on Kids and Selfie Sticks
Meria Joel Carstarphen became superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools (APS) on the heels of a national cheating scandal in which 11 of 12 people in APS were convicted on charges including racketeering, with some serving time in prison. Her two years have been a true test even within the intensely political world of urban superintendencies. But she’s been making her mark and moving…