Atlanta Public Schools has its next leader.
The school board voted 8-1 on Monday to hire Lisa Herring, the current chief of the Birmingham, Ala., school system, as superintendent of the 52,000-student district.
Herring, 47, agreed to a three-year contract and will take over July 1.
The decision to switch leaders has been controversial. Supporters of Superintendent Meria Carstarphen fought for her to remain and have questioned if it's wise to make a big change during a pandemic that has shuttered school buildings since mid-March.
But board chairman Jason Esteves praised Herring’s skills and said she’ll work as an APS consultant during the next month and a half to get up to speed.
Said board member Cynthia Briscoe Brown: “Everything we do builds on everything that has gone before, and we have a strong foundation to build on, and I personally look forward to being a part of that next chapter and this new work.”
Nancy Meister, a longtime Carstarphen supporter, cast the lone dissenting vote.
“Amid a pandemic, transition for kids, parents and the city is a poor decision, and it lacks thoughtfulness for Atlanta and for Birmingham. Both cities have incredibly challenging roads ahead and layering variables on top of that and all the unknowns to me is careless,” she said.
Eshé Collins and Kandis Wood Jackson, the other two board members who had wanted to extend Carstarphen’s contract, voted with the majority to hire Herring.
Meanwhile, Leslie Grant called the decision to hire Herring “needed and necessary.”
“For so many people in the City of Atlanta who have maybe not had their voice heard this feels like we are really listening, so i just want to say this vote is for you,” she said.
Herring acknowledged this is a “sensitive time” and said she looks forward to working with everyone, regardless of their position.
“It is important to note that if we all have a true passion and belief around education we can do this, and we can lead, and we can transition together,” she said.
Herring will make an annual base salary of $320,000, plus $2,000 a month for expenses. State law prohibits school boards from signing a superintendent contract that lasts longer than three years.
She’ll earn less than Carstarphen, who was hired in 2014 and makes $397,953, plus a $2,000 monthly travel and expense allowance.
This is the end of Herring’s third year as superintendent of the Birmingham district, which enrolls about half the number of students as APS. She’s a graduate of Spelman College and grew up in Macon and has spoken about her desire to return to Georgia.
The Atlanta school board last month named Herring as its only finalist out of a field of 84 applicants for the top job. The board has been searching for a superintendent since September, when it announced that a majority of members did not want to extend Carstarphen's contract past a June 30 expiration.
Because of the coronavirus shutdowns and safety measures that limit in-person gatherings, Herring has spent the past few weeks meeting virtually with Atlanta parents, employees, students and other groups.
She’s participated in 20 live small-group meetings and 10 larger live meetings, with total participation of more than 3,500 people, said Esteves.
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