Runoff elections for the Atlanta School Board have begun.
Atlanta School Board Seat 7 At-Large candidates, Alfred “Shivy” Brooks and incumbent Tamara Jones participated in a runoff forum inside the Center for Civic Innovation as a last attempt to talk to voters and community Wednesday night ahead of runoff Election Day on Dec. 5.
Brooks is an educator and community activist. If elected, he would be the first active teacher to serve on the board. He currently teaches economics at Charles Drew High School and is the head football coach at Wesley International Academy. Brooks ran for Atlanta City Council Post 1 At-Large in 2021, losing to Michael Julian Bond.
His candidacy, according to the Atlanta Civic Circle, represents a unique and historic opportunity to bring much-needed change and representation to the Atlanta education system. For 150 years, Atlanta Public Schools has been educating children, but for those 150 years, there has never been an active teacher on the APS Board. Until this year, active teachers were excluded from serving on the board, regardless of the school district they taught in.
Brooks said he is running because he was brought up understanding he has a responsibility to his village.
“I don’t have the privilege of individuality, that my existence and the greatness of my existence is completely tied with the opportunities given to others, the outcomes for their lives, and they don’t measure myself based upon what is it that I do continue to impact positively is at or around? Where does that come from for your city,” he said.
Jones is the incumbent for the APS Board District 7…
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