Winners & Losers in Atlanta Public Schools Debate Hosted by Equity in Education
Board of Education Candidates in attendance:
Round 1
District 3: Challenger Ken Zeff, Incumbent Michelle Olympiadis
District 5: Challenger Raynard Jackson, Incumbent Erika Mitchell
Round 2
At Large Seat 7: Challenger Alfred “Shivy” Brooks, Incumbent Tamara Jones
At Large Seat 9: Challenger Nkoyo Effiong Lewis, Incumbent Jessica Johnson
Round 1
Questions:
1.) Addressing the school to prison pipeline by increasing the number of students that can read on grade level – what is your understanding of the school board’s responsibility in the school to prison pipeline, and your strategy to address?
2.) Regarding the APS Superintendent turnover/hiring of the new Superintendent – what specific qualifications are in place for this executive in managing the APS budget, and your recommendation as to whether this board or the new board should make the hiring decision for hiring the new Superintendent
3.) APS is in the nation’s most inequitable city – the students’ performance mirrors the city’s inequity. How will you develop equity allies across the city when there are those who do not believe in equitable practices?
Ken Zeff and Michelle Olympiadis
Winner: Tie
Incumbent Michelle Olympiadis’ answers demonstrated her time on the board as informed and knowledgeable, but with little direct, clear response to equity questions. Challenger Ken Zeff’s responses acknowledged the equity challenge, yet also gave few detailed answers.
Raynard Johnson and Erika Mitchell
Winner: Erika Mitchell
Incumbent Erika Mitchell answered equity questions most directly, and gave concrete answers to what improvements/policies she is responsible for – and gave further details in her rebuttal responses. Raynard Johnson offered equity data and untried ideas to address inequities, such as utilizing HBCU students for improving student reading on grade level.
Round 2
Questions:
1.) Since June, the Board unanimously voted to fire Superintendent Herring, unanimously deny
Tapestry Schools from serving special needs students in APS, and unanimously hire Dr. Battle as Interim Superintendent. The public does not generally know how their representative has voted on any of these matters. In your opinion does the Board have a transparent process with the public on voting – would you vote to add transparency to the public on voting?
2.) The primary role of the Board is to hire and manage the Superintendent. In the past 10
years, the Board has hired and fired 5 superintendents, most of them in current history. Yet, the Board has continued to operate the same, even as equity gaps continue to widen among our students. This week , the Board decided to hire the same firm that hired
Dr. Herring. Is the Board accountable for the high Superintendent rate? What’s hindering the Board from hiring the right superintendent?
3.)Politics is about who gets what – and when. APS Board decides which kids get what–and when through policies. The Board spends roughly 60% of its $1.7 billion dollar budget on adults, 40% on children. If elected, how will you ensure that the district budget achieves: 1. Equitable resources to each student; and 2. Schools get funded before the central office is funded?
4.) APS is the largest landowner in the City of Atlanta. Many of the properties are blighted,
one is behind this very building. School enrollment continues to decline, contextualized with birth rates, however the blight remains in communities that have been historically divested. How will you work with colleagues on the Board to identify vacant property, select community-backed development, and support the revitalization of divested neighborhoods with APS properties that are funded by taxpayers’ dollars?
5.) Is your campaign supported by private developers in Atlanta?
6.) Based on Georgia Milestones data, black students with disabilities and students that
are economically disadvantaged, are the most likely to perform at a low level in reading and math. Literacy proficiency for students grade 3 and 8 hovers at about 8%. What is your bold vision to solve the challenges for these student populations? What policies would bring equity to these groups by 2025?
“Shivy” Brooks and Tamara Jones
Winner: “Shivy” Brooks
Challenger Shivy Brooks’ responses pointed out the crux of inequity and the uncomfortable facts about the Board’s performance and the resulting Superintendent-academic performance issues, in the area of equity gaps. He also proposed policies and specific actions to be taken to impact the inequities in the school system – and other inequitable, related community issues. Incumbent Tamara Jones shared her record and the explanations for her record.
Nkoyo Effiong Lewis and Jessica Johnson
Winner: Nkoyo Effiong Lewis
Challenger Nkoyo Effiong Lewis’ responses were clear from hands-on work in the area of equity within the Atlanta Public Schools as an educator, a special needs parent, and an attorney for special needs families. Her experience and knowledge-base and policy recommendations for equity-based solutions was superior in the responses given during the debate. Incumbent Jessica Johnson’s answers, although informed and knowledgeable were not a match for her challenger.
–Julius Fletcher, writer and philanthropist
