The word “guardrail” in Atlanta right now doesn’t have the same meaning to everyone. The Atlanta Board of Education is using the word “guardrail” to highlight measures of accountability for struggling public schools. But for parents in the Atlanta Public Schools system, the word guardrail appears to be used to ultimately do the opposite of protecting or improving their community…
10 Concerns About School Reopening from Public School Parents
Schools in Metro Atlanta have been back in session for the last four weeks. Several school districts have had to close school(s) and move from face to face learning to virtual learning as a result of increasing cases of COVID-19. EdLanta previously wrote about how schools are not prepared for reopening. Even after schools reopened fall of 2020 during the…
Mandating Masks Isn’t the Only Action School Boards Can Take to Protect Students and Teachers from the Increasing Numbers of COVID-19
Mandating masks in public schools has been an ongoing issue for some school districts like Cobb County, Georgia. Zoe Shepard, senior in Cobb County schools and member of the EdLanta Student Coalition, says that the district has more issues around equity that aren’t even being addressed because of the deep divide in how the system should be protecting students. However,…
Why Isn’t the Need for More Black Male Teachers Included in the Equity Conversation?
EdLanta supports the Center for Black Educators Development Call to Action, “We Need Black Teachers”. #WeNeedBlackTeachers
Teachers Need Autonomy and Flexibility to Build Innovation in Classrooms
Teacher autonomy isn’t something that I see many people advocating for in conversations on equity in education. However, it’s definitely a topic that warrants more in depth conversation if we plan on reducing the numbers of teachers not just leaving classrooms but leaving the profession each year. The teacher crisis was happening before COVID-19! It’s important to state and restate…
Why Aren’t We Prepared to Manage Increasing Cases of COVID-19 in Schools?
Since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, I have watched school boards across the Metro Atlanta area struggle with preparedness of how to protect our students and. When I speak of protection, I mean protecting their health and wellness, educational growth, professional growth and support of families. One of the most asked questions of back to school has been,…
Back to School, Back to Reality
The options for how children will attend school has been a heated debate in recent months at public school board meetings across the nation. Organizations such as the National Parents Union have participated in parent surveys to elevate parent voices in the conversations around how schools will reopen and provide educational opportunities for learning this school year. See the parent…