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 […]
Sydney Sims
Sydney Sims is the youth and education reporter for Capital B Atlanta. Twitter @bySydneySims
Posted inEducation, Politics & Policy
Project 2025: What Could It Mean for Education in Georgia?
Georgians with school-age children and who attended college with the help of federal student loans routinely interact with the U.S. Department of Education without realizing it. That’s because it’s among the many federal bureaucracies that, unless there’s a major hiccup, does most of its work in the background. With Republicans taking control of Congress and […]
Posted inEducation
New Atlanta Schools Superintendent’s First Big Challenge: Taxes
When Atlanta Public Schools’ new superintendent was sworn in on Monday, he told the audience that he wants little fanfare in his first 100 days. “There won’t be a ton of words,” Bryan Johnson told those gathered at APS headquarters. “There’ll be a ton of work.” Hours later, Johnson learned that there could be lots […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Black Greeks Are Uniting Behind Harris. Here’s What A Divine Nine Nod Could Mean.
Venesse Williams was hopeful and excited when she saw Vice President Kamala Harris in Dallas at the national boule — Greek sorority parlance for convention — of her Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. in June. “There’s a lot of hope in hearing that she’s running. We certainly need someone who is going to be able […]
Posted inEducation
How Lessons Learned from a Pilot Literacy Program Will Inform APS’ $11.8M Initiative
The deadline for Atlanta’s new school superintendent, Bryan Johnson, to deliver a plan for his first 100 days is next week, but there’s already a clue about what might be one of his top priorities. $11.8 million of Atlanta Public Schools’ recently passed $1.8 billion annual budget is dedicated to literacy initiatives, a nod to […]
Posted inEducation, K-12
AP African American Studies Course Cut by State Superintendent’s Office
Georgia education officials have closed the door on state funding for local school districts to offer Advanced Placement African American History courses. With only days before the 2024-2025 school year begins, a bulletin from Gwinnett County Chief Learning Officer DeNelle West went out to parents Monday evening stating that the state’s largest school district would […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Public Services
Many Businesses Didn’t Complete Water Crisis Recovery Grant Applications
Only about 60% of the nearly 900 businesses that started applications to receive recovery funds from the city of Atlanta following the catastrophic water outage in early June that left some residents without water for five days have completed those applications, Invest Atlanta said. Only 535 applications were submitted to the city, said Eloisa Klementich, […]
Posted inHigher Education
Morehouse President David A. Thomas Announces Retirement
Morehouse College’s top man will hang up his hat at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year. David A. Thomas, 69, announced his retirement in a statement released by the college late Friday afternoon. A veteran educator with more than 30 years of experience, Thomas was selected as Morehouse’s 12th president in 2018. His last […]
Posted inEducation, Equity, K-12, School Boards
Literacy Rates, Community Trust Among Top Challenges for Atlanta’s New Schools Chief
Now that Atlanta Public Schools has finalized its choice of a new leader, the real work can start. The Atlanta Board of Education on Monday unanimously approved a three-year contract for its new superintendent, Bryan Johnson, the former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga chief strategy officer. The contract is effective Aug. 5. Johnson comes with […]
Posted inCapital B ATL Events
Capital B Fest Day One: Black Atlanta Dives into Key Issues Shaping Politics, Education, and Crime
Black Atlantans say a “systemic” and “surgical” effort to disenfranchise Black voters and a new school choice law that some believe targets the state’s most vulnerable students are among their biggest concerns as the November presidential election approaches. Those were among the takeaways from the conversations at the Atlanta stop of Capital B’s Black Political […]