Equity is an important issue for many in Atlanta Public Schools, including some of the candidates running for spots on the school board in Tuesday’s election.
The majority of APS students are Black, yet outcomes for those students tend to be worse compared to their white peers. For example, while almost 74% of the APS student population is Black, those students account for 92% of discipline offenses, according to data from the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement.
In 2019, Atlanta Public Schools adopted an equity policy in an attempt to address the imbalances.
The APS equity policy reads in part:
“We believe that achieving equity requires strategic decision-making to remedy opportunity and learning gaps and create a barrier-free environment, which enables all students to graduate ready for college and career. The aim of equity is to provide students with additional and differentiated resources based on their educational needs. We must be bold and intentional if we are to design systems which are free from bias and favoritism and which truly affirm all the gifts and needs that make each of our students unique individuals.”
Recently, nonprofit Equity in Education issued a report called “Two Atlantas.” The report concludes students who attend schools in north Atlanta often have better outcomes than students in south Atlanta in part because they have greater access to programs, such as International Baccalaureate classes and pre-K. EIE has also endorsed school board candidates Alfred “Shivy” Brooks and Nkoyo Effiong Lewis and has contributed financially to their campaigns.
We asked the candidates what they think of the policy, whether it has been implemented effectively and if not, what should change. Their responses are below. Some have been edited for length.
Katie Howard, District 1 incumbent (running unopposed)
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
“I’m glad the Board has been focused on ensuring equity through policy — even before I joined — and that they took it a step further with the creation of an Equity Guardrail through our Student Outcomes Focused governance. The Guardrail requires the Board to focus on the next phase, which is supporting and monitoring the implementation of equity through strategies and approaches determined by the Superintendent that are aligned with our students’ needs.”
Michelle Olympiadis, District 3 incumbent
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Olympiadis did not respond to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s questions but said the following when asked about equity in APS during a debate.
“We haven’t had ... third graders reading — about 30% of our kids — for more than a decade. Something has to be drastically done. And I spoke with (interim Superintendent) Dr. Battle and (APS Chief Financial Officer) Lisa Bracken about changing the way we use our budget so that we can better address how to educate teachers ... to teach children how to read.”
Ken Zeff, District 3 candidate
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
“To meaningfully improve equity, we have to invest deeply in our teachers and students. Budgets are moral documents. When dollars are stuck in the central office (growing 20% last year), less is available for programs and supports that are essential for students, especially those that have been historically underserved.”
Erika Mitchell, District 5 incumbent
Mitchell helped draft the current equity policy, but she says it could be tweaked.
“I believe there is an opportunity to revisit this policy and add more language to the district utilizing disaggregated student data to determine school system needs, identify focus areas, and track progress toward equity goals.
There is an opportunity for a more aggressive implementation, especially considering existing practices, regulations, processes, and protocols. If the current practices are not aligned with the directive from the policy, then the policy is not implemented correctly.”
Raynard Johnson, District 5 candidate
Credit: Ben Gray
Credit: Ben Gray
Johnson didn’t answer the AJC’s questions but has publicly addressed equity during the campaign.
“To solve some of these issues that are underlying in APS, we need to deal with socio-economic factors behind them in APS. Why can’t MARTA be free for APS kids K-12? Why can’t Xfinity Wi-Fi be free for APS kids?”
Tamara Jones, At-Large Seat 7 incumbent
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Jones was elected to the board after the equity policy had been adopted.
“The policy is aspirational and should guide the administration in addressing the underlying work that results in both student achievement and achievement gaps around the district. It is precisely because of these identified needs and goals that I have worked diligently with fellow BOE member Erika Mitchell to develop a literacy policy to ensure we have the best practices in all classrooms. Literacy is the key to ensuring students are able to achieve at their fullest potential both as students and beyond.”
Alfred “Shivy” Brooks, At-Large Seat 7 candidate
Credit: Ben Gray
Credit: Ben Gray
“The policy’s intent to address equity issues is commendable, but its implementation lacks quantifiable metrics and accountability for progress. The absence of specific goals and data showing disparities in supplier diversity or the number of Black students that enroll in advanced classes are two notable shortcomings. To ensure fair and effective implementation, incorporating measurable benchmarks and holding stakeholders accountable for underperformance is essential.”
William “Will” Sardin, At-Large Seat 7 candidate
Credit: William Sardin (contributed)
Credit: William Sardin (contributed)
Sardin did not respond to the AJC’s questions, but spoke about equity in the context of school discipline policies during a public forum.
“If I’m a health care provider and someone’s coming in with leg pain, I don’t cut off their legs. You find out why they’re having the leg pain. If someone is fighting in school, they could be fighting for a myriad of different reasons. We have to treat each child as ... an individual case. So we just have to ... look at the causes and not the symptoms.”
Jessica Johnson, At-Large Seat 9 incumbent
Credit: Ben Gray
Credit: Ben Gray
Johnson was appointed to the board in January 2023 to finish former board member Jason Esteves’ term.
“The district’s equity policy is a work in progress. One of (the) things about which I am most proud as a Board member is that I served on the APS Equity Advisory Board, and pushed the district to begin identifying and coming up with solutions to its systemic inequities. There is much more to do, but this is a high priority for me. As we continue to implement this, a key component will be working with our cluster leaders to identify the unique needs of each cluster. It is possible that more gaps will emerge during this phase.”
Nkoyo Effiong Lewis, At-Large Seat 9 candidate
Credit: Ben Gray
Credit: Ben Gray
“The equity policy sets a bold vision. To ensure successful implementation that achieves concrete equity gains for students, the policy would benefit from more defined goals, metrics, actions, and accountability measures. Adding rigor and details will help sharpen the policy to fully realize its aims of fostering more just educational opportunities.”
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