School is in, and Atlanta Public Schools’ newest top educator just turned in his first assignment: a 100-day plan.
Bryan Johnson was sworn in as APS’ superintendent this past Monday, a date that also served as the deadline for Johnson to provide the Atlanta Board of Education with a plan for his first few months in office. Johnson has already inherited challenges like how to best use new funding to implement a literacy program throughout the district and navigating the process of setting a school property tax millage rate for the next fiscal year, which is likely to leave many Atlanta homeowners with higher tax bills.
Now, Atlantans also have a glimpse into how Johnson plans to spend the next 15 weeks. In a letter posted along with the plan on the APS website on Friday, Johnson said he plans to focus on four “critical areas to lay a strong foundation” for his tenure: academic acceleration; equity; student and stakeholder engagement; and accountability and operational excellence.
Capital B Atlanta poured over the 12-page document to learn more about what matters most for the predominantly Black, 50,000-student school district and its stakeholders.
Here’s what you need to know.
Leveling the playing field
Inequitable outcomes based on where students live and attend school has long been a challenge for Atlanta Public Schools — and it’s a problem Johnson wants to tackle immediately.
His 100-day plan envisions meeting with the district’s Community Equity Advisory Committee along with parents and community groups to discuss the causes and potential solutions. One area of opportunity: evaluating how course offerings such as International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement (AP), and career technical programs are distributed among the district’s schools.
The plan also foreshadows the creation of an annual “report card” that would track how well the district is performing relative to a section in its strategic plan dubbed “Equity Commitments.”
Continuing community conversations
Johnson laid out that he plans to continue the listening series with students and parents that he started in early July during the state-mandated vetting period for his new role. He plans to host a series of community events and to use social media to engage Atlanta residents and gather vital feedback that will be utilized in his approach to leadership.
Improving communication with stakeholders
Communication between the community and the Atlanta Board of Education, APS’ governing body, has long been a source of conflict for the district, which many say lacks transparency in its decision-making.
In his plan, Johnson says he wants to rectify that by working directly with the school board and local education partners. That includes promoting transparency reporting around his own progress. Johnson and the district have created a portal where residents can watch real-time progress on his 100-day plan. You can view that checklist here.
Assessing the district’s data and performance
One of Johnson’s many responsibilities will be holding the district accountable for student progress.
In 2022, only 25% of APS eighth grade students were reading at proficient level, according to a report from the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Literacy rates have been stagnant for nearly three decades in the district, even as graduation rates rose to 86% for the Class of 2023.
To address stagnant scores, the district already plans to spend $11.8 million to fund a literacy program in all of its elementary schools that will focus on centering the science of reading. Johnson’s 100-day plan calls for accelerating the first phase of the literacy plan, along with undertaking a curriculum review.
The plan also calls for a review of APS’ “academic organizational structure,” which could suggest coming staff changes or a wholesale reorganization.
Another coming change: Johnson’s plan calls for moving forward with recommendations to improve APS’ special education programs based on a recent audit. The plan doesn’t specify what those changes might entail.
Johnson says in order to stimulate change, he will first look within and assess current practices within the district and the performance data to inform decision-making around areas of improvement and identifiable strengths.
